Green Island is very proud to have held this prestigious National 7's Title on three occasions...

The Middlesex Cup is a prestigious trophy held by the national inter-club seven-a-side champion team. It was presented to the NZRFU by the Middlesex County Rugby Football Union in 1950. 

Green Island has held the title on three occasions: 1980, 2006 and 2007. 

The tournament was started in Dunedin in 1951 and first won by local club Zingari-Richmond. 

It is the job of the defending club to organise the defence of the trophy the next year. This has led to lapses and years when the event was not held.

The Cup was defended only three times in the 1990s and there was a danger that the importance of the tournament would be lost. There was a 10-year gap from 1996 to its revival a decade later in 2006. 

Current ORFU President, Des Smith (then ORFU's rugby operations manager), revived the competition in 2006... when it was won by Green Island.

The rules of the tournament state that each team can field one invitational player and one school-aged player.

As per the tradition of this tournament, all the country’s club sevens champions receive automatic invitations, and many accept the offer. 

As you look through the list of winners below, you will see the Cup has fiercely contested between clubs from the North and South Island, and crossed the Cook Straight on many occasions. 

The Wavell Wakefield Cup was valued by Dunedin jeweller and City Councillor John Bezett while he was looking after it and discovered that the solid lump of silver was worth $8000 - ODT, 5 February 2011

Title Winners:

2018 Eden (Auckland)

2017 Eden (Auckland)

2016 Melville (Waikato)

2015 Wainuiomata (Wellington)

2014 Rangataua (Bay of Plenty)

2013 Pakuranga (Auckland)

2011 Burnham (Canterbury)

2010 Otago University

2009 Alhambra‐Union

2008 Alhambra‐Union

2007 Green Island

2006 Green Island

1996 Otago University

1992 Otago University

1990 Otago University

1989 Ohai‐Nightcaps

1988 Central Pirates (Southland)

1987 Otago University

1986 Clinton

1985 Clinton

1984 Otago University

1983 Otago University

1982 Otago University

1981 Dunedin

1980 Green Island

1978 Zingari‐Richmond

1976 Hamilton Old Boys

1975 Otago University

1974 Clutha Valley

1973 Petone

1972 Clutha Valley

1971 Cromwell

1970 Technical OB (Ashburton)

1969 Technical OB (Ashburton)

1967 Taumarunui

1966 Taumarunui

1965 Putaruru Athletic

1964 Invercargill

1963 Pirates (Invercargill )

1961 Athletic (Taumarunui )

1960 Putaruru Athletic

1959 Taumarunui

1958 Auckland University

1957 Taumarunui

1956 Ranger F.C. (Millerton)

1955 Taumarunui

1954 Ardmore College

1953 Star (Invercargill)

1952 Star (Invercargill)

1951 Zingari-Richmond

Origin

The origin of the Middlesex Cup Tournament, which is conducted at Twickenham each year, was in May 1925, when the Middlesex County Rugby Football Union decided to hold a seven-a-side competition between Middlesex clubs.

In 1949, the Middlesex County Union offered cups in the county's name for a sevens competition in the "Dominions or Colonies". The Middlesex County "Wavell Wakefield" Cups were accepted by New Zealand, Australia and Rhodesia.

The Cup was brought to New Zealand by the manager of the 1950 Lions L B (Ginger) Osborne and was competed for in Dunedin for the first time in 1951.