College Old Boys head coach Axel Neilson.
By Paul Williams
Axel Neilson was just five years old when College Old Boys last took home the Ramsbottom Cup for winning the Horowhenua-Kāpiti senior club rugby championship.
That was in 1994.
Now aged 32, he has a rare chance to sup from the cup, only this time as coach of the COB team that meets Paraparaumu in the Ramsbottom Cup final tomorrow at Levin Domain.
As a player Neilson came close to holding the cup. Very close. He was hooker in an epic 2016 final against Paraparaumu. The teams were drawn 13-all after 80 minutes and Paraparaumu scored first in extra time.
That game was COB's first appearance in a final since way back in 1995. Neilson was only too aware of the drought.
"It's been a long time coming," he said.
"But to have made the finals - to give ourselves a shot - and for a senior reserves to be in the finals too, is a very proud weekend for our club."
Neilson hung up his boots after that 2016 final, only to pick up the coach's whistle a few years later.
"It's your club duty. They were looking for someone so I put my hand up," he said.
Incredibly, current Paraparaumu coach Garry Phelps was also on the field in that 2016 final as a loose forward. He remembers the game well, too, but obviously for different reasons.
He was part of a dominant era of Paraparaumu rugby, which was the vintage side of last decade winning five consecutive titles between 2012 and 2016, and making eight consecutive finals.
Further back than that, Paraparaumu were the best-performed club in the past 25 years, having won the Ramsbottom Cup eight times.
Paraparaumu had been rebuilding another strong team in recent seasons. They have a host of promising young players, including prop James Gillard, 22, who scored a crucial try in their semifinal win against Shannon.
There is no question Paraparaumu were the form team, too. Their only loss this season was to reigning champions Rāhui in round robin play, and they had also beaten COB twice this season.
Neilson said his team would need to come back down from the high of beating Rāhui in the semifinal and lift again to have any chance of beating Paraparaumu.
"They're the form team. We'll have to take our chances when they come," he said.
For Neilson, it's been a long journey with COB, from a junior player, to Horowhenua-Kāpiti representative, to senior coach. He is also club captain.
He first joined in 2007 they were unable to field a senior side. The club had just one team, an age grade side made up mostly of school leavers that competed in Manawatū in the absence of an age grade competition within HKRU.
That COB team also included current club president Paula Mahuinga. Many of those same age group players progressed to senior reserve level a few years later, and a few after that the club was able to field an "A" side.
Now COB boasts two senior teams, which have both made their respective finals.
It's a completely different story for COB in the Bill Muir Cup reserve grade final against Athletic, where the COB reserve grade team were shooting for their fifth consecutive title, such has been their dominance in recent seasons.
But Athletic, coached for the first time this season by Stacey Kerehoma, did well to see off Wanderers last week in their semifinal at Playford Park after a slow start to the game.
They have a mixture of youth and experience in the backline with veteran Matt Easton at first five-eighth, and free runners Gregor McGregor, Kilifi Leugaimafa and Taupiri Gray out wide.
Chris Salu has been in good form at fullback and Dominic Everitt brings the energy at halfback, while the loose trio of John Young, Brandman Franks and Tausani Ulutoa worked well last week.
PARAPARAUMU: 1 James Gilland. 2 Oliver Barr. 3 Aaron Campbell. 4 Ryan Shelford. 5 Daniel Smith. 6 Troy Tahatu. 7 Alex Brunskill. 8 Bradley Reilly. 9 Thomas Barnsley. 10 Alex Inglis. 11 Dylan Taylor. 12 Aublix Tawha. 13 Tautau Kapea. 14 Dale McNamara. 15 Peter Goldsmith. 16 Jessie-Jack Kapa. 17 Ben Foley. 18 Simon Butler. 19 Garry Phelps. 20 Shaun Gardiner. 21 Corey Voullaire. 22 Darren Falakino.
COLLEGE OLD BOYS A: 1 Poleka Levave-Itielu. 2 Nopera Stockford. 3 Henry Fonoti. 4 Conrad Anderson. 5 Malua Alatina. 6 Gavin Levave. 7 Anthony Ackerman-Kasupene. 8 Tyson Maki. 9 Simon Middleton. 10 Lennox Tovo. 11 Faleulu Matua. 12 Robert Paia'aua. 13 Willie Paia'aua. 14 Tyrelle Taukiri. 15 Joshua Sanson. 16 Tala Fonoti. 17 Jordan Tupai-ui. 18 Sinone Maake. 19 Hone Taiapa. 20 Louie Tovo. 21 Anthony Fuauli. 22 Himiona Henare.
ATHLETIC: 1 Repata Kerehoma. 2 Harley Tawhara. 3 Brock Willis. 4 Leith McIsaac. 5 Issko Ulutoa. 6 John Young. 7 Bradman Franks. 8 Tausani Ulutoa. 9 Dominic Everitt. 10 Lafi Salu. 11 Kilifi Leugaimafa. 12 Tyrone Udy. 13 Gregor McGregor. 14 Taupiri Gray. 15 Chris Salu. 16 Michael Hori Te Pa. 17 Khesanh Tafeamaalii. 18 Brendanleigh Pereira. 19 Latrae Fricker-Tafeamaalii. 20 Drew Lima. 21 Ethan Pollock. 22 Matt Easton.
COLLEGE OLD BOYS B:
1 Michael McKenzie. 2 Tala Fonoti. 3 Sione Maake. 4 Hokio Henare. 5 Brodie Evans-Karipa. 6 Cieran Coulston. 7 Vito Masoe. 8 Hone Taiapa. 9 Bailey Te Tomo. 10 Junior Tevita. 11 Timothey Prouting. 12 Tangitau Nau. 13 Brian Fonoti. 14 Agape Pepa. 15 Bayden Lomax. 16 Epati Falefa. 17 Mana Alafoki. 18 Te Ari Broughton-Malcolm. 19 Gary Lomax. 20 Gerry Albert. 21 Gideon Masoe. 22 Jared Sinclair.
Past Winners:
1893 Kia Toa
1894 Kia Toa
1895-97 No championship
1898-1900 Levin
1901 Raukawa
1902-1905 Wanderers
1906 Tainui
1907-08 Hui Mai
1909 Kia Toa
1910 Hui Mai
1911-12 Wanderers
1913 Hui Mai
1914 Wanderers
1915 Otaki United
1916-18 No championsip
1919-20 Wanderers
1922-23 Hui Mai
1924-26 Wanderers
1927 Hui Main
1928-29 Wanderers
1930 Otaki
1931 Wanderers
1932-33 Punahau
1934 Otaki
1935 Hui Mai
1936 Shannon
1937 Ōtaki
1938 Shannon
1939 Kuku-Manakau
1940-41 Foxton
1942-44 no championship
1945 Foxton-Motua
1946 Athletic
1947 Foxton
1948 Wanderers and Hui Mai
1949 Shannon
1950-51 Wanderers
1952-54 Rahui
1955 Horowhenua COB
1956-58 Rahui
1959 Foxton
1960 Wanderers
1961-63 Foxton
1964 Horowhenua COB
1965-66 Athletic
1967-69 Paraparaumu
1970 Shannon
1971 Athletic
1972 Athletic and Paraparaumu
1973 Athletic
1974 Athletic and Wanderers
1975-76 Athletic
1977 Wanderers
1978 Paraparaumu
1979 Wanderers and Rahui
1980 Wanderers
1981 Shannon
1982-83 Wanderers
1984 Shannon
1985 Athletic
1986 Foxton
1987 Foxton and Paraparaumu
1988 Foxton
1989-91 Shannon
1992 Wanderers
1993-94 College Old Boys
1995-96 Athletic
1997 Paraparaumu
1998 Athletic
1999 Toa
2000 Athletic and Wanderers
2001 Wanderers
2002 Waikanae
2003-05 Toa
2006 Paraparaumu
2007-09 Waikanae
2010 Paraparaumu
2011 Rahui
2012-16 Paraparaumu
2017 Waikanae
2018 Toa
2019 Foxton
2020: Rahui
2021 ?