The Wellington rugby league team are a rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 team that represents the Wellington Rugby League

Wellington Rugby League

Wellington Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Greater Wellington region. It is responsible for the local competition of the same name, as well as its representative team, the Wellington rugby league team.- Local Senior Competition :The...

 in New Zealand Rugby League

New Zealand Rugby League

The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....

 competitions. They currently compete in the National Zonal Competition

National Zonal Competition

The National Competition is the top level rugby league competition run by the New Zealand Rugby League. The competition replaced the Bartercard Premiership following a Sparc funded review and restructure of the New Zealand Rugby League. Seven teams compete in the competition each representing a Zone...

 as the Wellington Orcas.

Early years

Wellington played its first game on 24 August 1908 when they took on Auckland

Auckland rugby league team

The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. The Auckland Rugby League team has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand domestic rugby league...

 at Victoria Park, Auckland

Victoria Park, Auckland

Victoria Park is a park and sports ground in Auckland City, New Zealand. It lies on reclaimed bay land in Freemans Bay, a suburb directly west of the Auckland CBD. This origin of the land makes it very flat and level...

 in the first provincial game of rugby league in New Zealand.

The following All Golds

1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain

The 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain was a tour made by a group of New Zealand rugby footballers who played matches in Australia, Ceylon, England and Wales between 1907 and 1908. Most of the matches were played under the rules of the Northern Union, what is today...

 played for Wellington in that first match: Edward Tyne

Edward Tyne

Edward "Hone" Tyne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...

, Hercules Richard Wright

Hercules Richard Wright

Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...

, Tom Cross

Tom Cross (rugby)

Tom "Angry" William Cross was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.-Rugby Football:...

, Conrad Byrne

Conrad Byrne

Conrad "Con" Augustus Byrne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:Originally from Nelson, Bryne was a farmer by trade...

, Daniel Gilchrist

Daniel Gilchrist

Daniel Gilchrist was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...

, Daniel Fraser

Daniel Fraser (rugby league)

Daniel George Fraser was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Boer War:...

 and James Barber

James Barber (rugby league)

James Barber was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in rugby league.-Rugby Football:Barber originally played rugby union and represented Wellington...

.

During 1909, 1910 and 1911 Wellington continued to play a number of provincial games, and in 1909 defeated Auckland, in Auckland 22-19, the first of only five victories over Auckland in over 100 years.

In 1912 Wellington played in its first international match, losing to the touring New South Wales side

New South Wales rugby league team

The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...

, 45-13.

They defeated Auckland 33-18 on 27 September 1913. It was not until 1988 that they were again victorious over an Auckland side. The 1913 side was: A.Anderson, B.Whitley, W.Kelly, A.House (Petone), G.Bradley (Athletic), K.George, J.Barber

James Barber (rugby league)

James Barber was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in rugby league.-Rugby Football:Barber originally played rugby union and represented Wellington...

, J.Parker (Petone), J.Spencer

John Spencer (rugby)

John Clarence Spencer was a New Zealand rugby football player who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league. His brother, George, also was a dual-international.-Rugby union career:...

, T.Turner, A.Bensmann, L.Campbell (Newtown), W.Wilson (Athletic). Bench: H.McGuire, B.Childs.

Rugby League Cup

On several occasions Wellington has held the Rugby League Cup

Rugby League Cup

The Rugby League Cup is a New Zealand rugby league trophy that is currently contested between districts on a challenge basis. The trophy was originally known as the Northern Union Cup...

 (previously known as the Northern Union Cup 1910-1969) for interprovincial competition played on a challenge basis. Wellington won it off the West Coast in 1947 for the first time and held it for three years. Wellington held it last in 1990.

1990s

In 1990 Wellington defeated the touring Great Britain side

Great Britain national rugby league team

The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....

 30-22. This was Wellington's first, and to date only, win over a touring side.

1994-1996: Lion Red Cup

Between 1994 and 1996, Wellington was represented by the Wellington City Dukes

Wellington City Dukes

The Wellington City Dukes were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Wellington City in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. In 1997 one of the two Wellington Rugby League sides that competed in the Super League Challenge Cup was also called the Dukes.-Season Results:...

 and Hutt Valley Firehawks

Hutt Valley Firehawks

The Hutt Valley Firehawks were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Hutt Valley in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. In 1995 there nickname was shortened to just "Hawks" and 1996 they were known as the Hutt Valley Dolphins....

 in the Lion Red Cup

Lion Red Cup

The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a...

. One player from the Dukes, Earl Va'a

Earl Va'a

Earl Va'a is a Samoan rugby union footballer. He plays as a fly-half.-Rugby league:Va'a started his career playing rugby league for the Wainuiomata Lions in New Zealand and in 1994 and 1995 he represented the Wellington City Dukes in the Lion Red Cup...

, later went on to represent Samoa

Samoa national rugby union team

The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...

 in Rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

. Both teams folded along with the competition in 1996.

Team	Season	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Position	Finals
Hutt Valley	1994	22	9	0	13	458	489
18	Eighth	N/A
Wellington City	1994	22	8	0	14	470	508
16	Ninth	N/A
Hutt Valley	1995	22	13	0	9	544	443	101	26	Fifth	Lost Elimination Play-off
Wellington City	1995	22	10	2	10	440	514
22	Seventh	N/A
Hutt Valley	1996	22	11	2	9	444	469
24	Sixth	N/A
Wellington City	1996	22	9	0	13	536	532	4	18	Eighth	N/A

2002-2007: Bartercard Cup

In 2000 and 2001 the region was represented in the Bartercard Cup

Bartercard Cup

The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...

 by the Porirua Pumas

Porirua Pumas

The Porirua Pumas were a team representing the Porirua region in New Zealand's Bartercard Cup Rugby league competition. The Pumas were one of two Wellington-based teams in the competition, the other being the Wainuiomata Lions. They were replaced in 2002 by the Wellington Orcas...

 and Wainuiomata Lions

Wainuiomata Lions

The Wainuiomata Lions are a New Zealand rugby league club based in Wainuiomata, Wellington. They compete in the Wellington Rugby League competition.-Noted Players:...

. However in 2002 it was decided that one team was needed in the competition. They narrowly missed out on a finals spot in 2002, being on equal points but with a lower For and Against than the Marist Richmond Brothers

Marist Richmond Brothers

The Marist Richmond Brothers were a New Zealand rugby league franchise that played in the Bartercard Cup. They were a joint venture between two Auckland Rugby League clubs, the Richmond Bulldogs and the Marist Saints. In 2005 the competition was reorganised and the club, along with the Mt Albert...

. Unfortunately this was a high point for the franchise with the team never making the play-offs.

The Orca nickname was adopted for the 2006 season, adopting the name from the Southern Orcas consortium - a group attempting to gain an expansion National Rugby League

National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 competition license that was instead granted to the Gold Coast Titans

Gold Coast Titans

Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...

 group. Previously they were known as Wellington Franchise.

Notable players included Ben Matulino

Ben Matulino

Benedict Andrew Matulino is a rugby league player who has represented his country. He currently plays for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League...

 and Simon Mannering

Simon Mannering

Simon Alexander Mannering is a New Zealand professional rugby league player who currently plays for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League competition...

.

Season	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Position (Teams)	Finals
2002	16	9	1	6	547	449	98	19	Sixth (Twelve)	N/A
2003	16	4	1	11	460	646
6*	Eleventh (Twelve)	N/A
2004	16	8	1	7	465	409	56	17	Sixth (Twelve)	N/A
2005	16	5	3	8	418	459
13	Eighth (Twelve)	N/A
2006	18	6	0	12	452	549
12	Seventh (Ten)	N/A
2007	18	10	0	8	509	529
20	Sixth (10)	N/A

*Wellington were docked three points for registration infringements.

2008-2009: Bartercard Premiership

Wellington Rugby League were awarded a place in the new six-team National Provincial Competition. The team plays its home matches at Porirua Park.

Season	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Position	Finals
2008	5	2	1	2	146	138	8	5	Fourth	N/A
2009	5	2	0	3	142	120	22	4	Fourth	Lost Semi Final