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.
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.
COB have lost twice to Paraparaumu this season.
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.
College Old Boys head coach Axel Neilson.
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.
College Old Boys in their last round robin match against Waikanae.
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 ?
