Galbraith Shield final: How the decider might play out
It will be either Pirates-Old Boys or Woodlands who get to etch their name on the Galbraith Shield in 2025.
On Saturday Pirates-Old Boys and Woodlands will square-off in a quest to get their hands on Southland club rugby’s symbol of supremacy, the Galbraith Shield. Logan Savory takes a look at the two teams and how the decider might play out.
GAME DETAILS
Who: Pirates-Old Boys (1st) v Woodlands (2nd)
Where & When: Rugby Park, 2.30pm
THE FORM BOOK
The two teams have met twice this year, the first back in Round 4, on April 4, when they drew 17-17 thanks to a late Greg Dyer penalty.
They met again in Round 9, on May 24, and that time it was Pirates-Old Boys who won 31-12 on the back of four second half tries.
PIRATES-OLD BOYS
Head coach: Dayna Cunningham
Captain: Greg Dyer
Player/s on the rise: Pirates-Old Boys has two young props in JJ Fisher and Thomas Jennings who have both played for the Highlanders at the U20 level. POB coach Dayna Cunningham used the pair off the bench in the semifinal against Marist which helped ensure the Surrey Park boys finished the game well.
Current Stags squad members: None
Past Stags: Talemaitoga Tuapati, Craig Smith, Dustin Coveney, Greg Dyer, Jaye Thompson, Kaea Nikora-Balloch.
Watch out for: Kosei Miki. The looseforward is part of the Toyota Verblitz setup in Japan but has joined Pirates-Old Boys this season to experience life, and rugby, in a different country.
Miki was immense in defence in Pirates-Old Boys’ semifinal victory over Marist last Saturday, playing a key role in shutting down the dangerous Faletoi Peni.
Galbraith Shield history: Pirates-Old Boys has won the Galbraith Shield twice since the club was formed 25 years ago. They first won it in 2006, when the club went under the Eastern Hawks banner, and the latest Galbraith Shield success come in 2023.
Prior to the Pirates and Old Boys clubs merging Pirates had won the Galbraith Shield on 12 occasions, and Old Boys four times.
Why POB can win: The bench. Pirates-Old Boys’ playing depth means they have a strong bench which should see them finish Saturday’s final strongly, as they did in the semifinal win over Marist. They had the likes of JJ Fisher, Thomas Jennings, Alex Fraito, and Ben Keenan to roll off the bench which is a luxury other club teams simply don’t have.
WOODLANDS
Head coach: Richard Jones
Captain: Liam Howley
Player on the rise: Justin Shaw was this year part of the Highlanders U20s squad. He made that squad as a looseforward but Shaw is expected to line up on the wing in Saturday’s Galbraith Shield final.
Current Stags squad members: Paula Latu, Alex Yallop, Fletcher Morgan.
Past Stags: Jason Rutledge, Nathan Vaatausili, Liam Howley, Marty McKenzie.
Watch out for: Fletcher Morgan. Morgan will head into Saturday’s final on the back of his first week as a fulltime pro ruby player with the Stags.
The former New Zealand Heartland XV rep made the shift to Southland this year in the quest for a spot in the Stags, and on the back of some strong club form for Woodlands that has happened. Last month the second five-eighth racked up 36 points in a game against Star.
Galbraith Shield history: Woodlands has etched its name on the prized Galbraith Shield 11 times, the first in 1996 and the most recent in 2022, which was the end of a Woodlands three-peat.
Why Woodlands can win: Marty McKenzie. The first five-eighth looms as a key figure if Woodlands are to get their hands on the Galbraith Shield on Saturday.
The 32-year-old does have one foot into retirement, having only played sporadically for Woodlands in 2025. But even so, the former Crusaders, Chiefs, Blues, and Māori All Black remains one of the best players whenever he does step onto the club rugby field in Southland.
That was highlighted in McKenzie’s first 2025 outing for Woodlands in April when he played a lead role with his boot in Woodlands’ 17-17 draw against Pirates-Old Boys.
TRIBUNE’S PREDICTION
Pirates-Old Boys threw plenty at a stacked Star team in the 2024 Galbraith Shield final and only just came up short of victory.
With almost the entire team returning for another shot this year, Pirates-Old Boys quite rightly started the 2025 season as the competition favourites.
Nothing has played out throughout the season to deviate from that thought.
Pirates-Old Boys has been the competition frontrunners, although some will quite rightly point out that now means nothing given both teams will start Saturday’s decider on zero points.
Expect Pirates-Old Boys playing depth - notably the bench - as well as its experience across the park to get them home on Saturday.
Pirates-Old Boys to win by 10.
