Hautapu Sports will make their fourth grand final appearance in five years when they battle Hamilton Old Boys for Waikato Rugby’s premier U-21 competition, the Elliot Shield.
Hautapu were runners-up to Hamilton Marist in 2022, 2023 and 2024, but avenged those defeats with a 25-19 semi-final win last weekend.
The result ended Marist’s recent stranglehold on the shield, which they’ve won 24 times in their history.
On Saturday July 26, 2025, Hautapu will look to break a run of five U-21s grand finals in which they’ve missed out on the big prize.
The club were runners-up in 2009 (to Taupiri), 2010 (to Hinuera), 2022 (to Marist), 2023 (to Marist) and 2024 (to Marist).
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Last year, the U-21s went close to lifting the shield, losing the final 25-17 in a closely fought match with Marist.
Hamilton Old Boys reached this year’s final with a 43-16 win against Rugby United.
Their club has a long record of success in the Elliot Shield, having won the trophy in 1933, 1935, 1942, 1949, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1984, 1992, and 2000.
The game goes ahead at Hamilton’s Fred Jones Park and kicks off at 1pm.
Meanwhile, Hautapu Sports’ Premier A side will contest the grand final of the Breweries Shield with Hamilton Marist at Marist Park at 2.45pm, giving spectators the chance to attend both games, at least for some of the action.
READ MORE: Hautapu Sports to play seventh 2025 Breweries Shield final in eight years >>>>
Fixture and squad
Game to be played on Saturday July 26, 2025
Elliot Shield
Hamilton Old Boys v Hautapu Sports
Fred Jones Park, Hamilton, 1pm
1 Declan Haiosi
2 Kaleb Tapara
3 Beau Wallis (captain)
4 Dalton Hunt
5 Taine Williams
6 Jack Mathis
7 Harry Silich
8 Rory Blyth
9 Ben Brown
10 Ned Collins
11 Morgan Baker
12 Quin Farrell
13 Marae Nepia
14 Taine Moeke
15 Charlie Stewart
Impact
16 Dahnte Lewis
17 Whare Quinn
18 Flynn Pierce
19 Harper Bourke
20 Johanson Tamala
21 Tane Barlow
22 Brooklyn King
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