The Tawa Rugby Football Club Under-85kg Ducks won the 2026 Paul Potiki Memorial Shield final, defeating the Pōneke Football Club 19–12 at Kilbirnie Park to claim their third consecutive title.
The Tawa Ducks saw off a late wave of Poneke attacks with a man down to a red card only a couple of minutes earlier. In perfect conditions, Poneke had led 10-0 in the first half and then 13-12 at halftime. Tawa took the lead in the 53rd minute with a close-quarter try in the right corner to bustling No. 8 and captain Troy Howe. This was converted from the sideline by fullback Adam Preston to put them up by six points. The second half remained a tight arm-wrestle and there was no further scoring.
The Paul Potiki Memorial Shield is played annually in the Wellington region’s U85kg restricted weight club competition. Tawa secured a three-peat of championship victories with this hard-fought win over Pōneke.