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🌍🏆 WFR XXXI EARTHQUAKE TROPHY ROUND OF 16 — CHAMPIONS FALL AS THE EARTHQUAKE CLAIMS MORE GIANTS If the opening round shook WFR, the Round of 16 caused a full-scale rupture. Bordeaux Les Damiers stunned Leeds Tigers 41–14. Silverstream Wild shut out Southern Swashbucklers 32–0. Galway demolished Hawkes Bay 59–5. Wellington put 52 on Tokyo. Peninsula Pioneers dumped Durban 40–25. Edinburgh survived a 29–26 thriller. New Mexico ended BC's first Trophy adventure, while Capitol Rhinos recovered from 21–0 down to eliminate Santiago. Eight remain. And now there are no second chances. 🇫🇷 BORDEAUX LES DAMIERS 41–14 LEEDS TIGERS CHAMPIONS CRUSHED! — BORDEAUX SEND LEEDS TUMBLING OUT This is the result that will reverberate around WFR. The reigning WFR XXX Premiership champions were 20–0 down at halftime on their own ground. Bordeaux attacked immediately. Donovan Taofifenua scored after three minutes, Thomas Dolhagaray crossed at 13 minutes, Aymeric Luc added a penalty and Clement Laporte's 35th-minute try completed an extraordinary opening half. Leeds finally responded after halftime through Epi Rokodrava and Fraser Dingwall, with George Ford converting both, but Bordeaux never surrendered control. Final: Bordeaux 41–14 Leeds. Bordeaux scored six tries — Pierre Bourgarit, Thibaud Flament, Dolhagaray, Taofifenua and a Laporte double — and advance to face Silverstream. WFR TV Headline: 🚨 THE CHAMPIONS ARE OUT! BORDEAUX PRODUCE AN EARTHQUAKE TROPHY SHOCKER! 🌿 SILVERSTREAM WILD 32–0 SOUTHERN SWASHBUCKLERS ANOTHER SHUTOUT! — THE WILD HAVE STILL NOT CONCEDED A POINT This is becoming frightening. After destroying Harlequins 54–0 in Round 1, Silverstream marched into a meeting with WFR XXX runners-up Southern and did it again: 32–0. Salesi Rayasi scored after two minutes and again after five. Jordie Barrett's penalty made it 15–0 before halftime. Sam Gilbert — the four-try hero of Round 1 — struck immediately after halftime, Barrett converted, and the Wild never looked back. Rayasi finished with two tries, while Gilbert and Leni Apisai also crossed. Barrett supplied three conversions and two penalties. That means Silverstream have opened their Earthquake Trophy campaign: Silverstream 54–0 Harlequins Silverstream 32–0 Southern Aggregate: 86–0. Two knockout matches. Zero points conceded. There is one concern: Sam Gilbert was listed among Silverstream's injuries after the match. Next up? Bordeaux. 🔥 That quarter-final has become enormous. 🐕 GALWAY GREYHOUNDS 59–5 HAWKES BAY MAGPIES GREYHOUNDS UNLEASHED — GALWAY SCORE 59 IN DEVASTATING DISPLAY Hawkes Bay actually scored first. Geoff Cridge crossed after 12 minutes to give the Magpies a 5–0 advantage. But Cam Millar was then lost to injury, and what followed was an avalanche. Dave Heffernan put Galway ahead, Ross Byrne landed a drop goal, Tadhg Beirne scored, Byrne added a penalty, then Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose crossed. Halftime: Galway 34–5 Hawkes Bay. It didn't stop. The Greyhounds eventually reached 59 points, with Beirne completing a hat-trick and van der Flier scoring twice. Ross Byrne's personal contribution was remarkable: six conversions, three penalties and a drop goal — 24 points from the boot. Galway also controlled 71.25% possession. Their reward is a fascinating quarter-final against Wellington. 🐬 WELLINGTON DOLPHINS 52–12 TOKYO SHOGUNS FOUR FOR FALEAFAGA! — DOLPHINS SWIM INTO THE LAST EIGHT Meet one of the stars of the Round of 16: Joe Faleafaga. The Wellington centre scored after 11 minutes, did it again three minutes later and helped the Dolphins build an early 17–0 advantage. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen extended the lead to 24–0 before Jacob Umaga finally got Tokyo on the board just before halftime. Faleafaga ultimately finished with FOUR TRIES. Wellington scored seven in total — Faleafaga x4, Toomaga-Allen, Damian Penaud and Ruben Love — while Carter Gordon went a perfect 7/7 from conversions and added a penalty. Final: Wellington 52–12 Tokyo. The Dolphins had 66.25% possession, but suffered an injury to Nikora Broughton; Tokyo also lost Jacob Umaga. Now comes: 🔥 GALWAY GREYHOUNDS v WELLINGTON DOLPHINS Two teams that just scored a combined 111 points. 😈 NEW MEXICO DIABLOS 27–7 BC LUMBERJACKS DIABLOS END THE LUMBERJACKS' DREAM BC's first Earthquake Trophy campaign produced a memorable opening-round victory, but New Mexico proved a step too far. AJ MacGinty opened with a penalty before Christian Dyer scored twice, giving the Diablos a 17–0 advantage. Tyler Ardron's converted try brought BC back to 17–7 before halftime. Killian Coghlan struck immediately after the interval and New Mexico took control. Final: New Mexico 27–7 BC Lumberjacks. Dyer's double was the decisive individual contribution, while MacGinty kicked three conversions and two penalties. BC leave the competition having shown they belong on this stage. New Mexico move on — and waiting for them are the Peninsula Pioneers. 🏴 EDINBURGH CANNON 29–26 PENINSULA WHALERS THREE POINTS! — CANNON SURVIVE A WHALERS FIGHTBACK The closest match of the entire round. Edinburgh came out firing. Blair Kinghorn kicked an early penalty before Chris Harris crossed, and Gregor Brown extended the advantage to 15–0. The Whalers responded through Chay Fihaki to trail 15–7 at halftime, but Edinburgh immediately struck again through Kinghorn after the interval. Then the Whalers came storming back. Fergus Burke and Fihaki both ultimately finished with two tries, but Edinburgh had just enough. Final: Edinburgh 29–26 Peninsula Whalers. Kinghorn was hugely influential — a try, three conversions and a penalty — while Edinburgh also had tries from Harris, Brown and Sam Byrd. It came at a cost: Charlie Chapman and Gregor Brown were injured, while Byrd spent ten minutes in the sin bin. But the Cannon survive. Next: Capitol Rhinos. 🟢 PENINSULA PIONEERS 40–25 DURBAN SPORTS CLUB PIONEERS STORM DURBAN — 18 SECOND-HALF POINTS TURN THE TIE What a knockout match. Durban led 22–20 at halftime after Grant Williams scored twice and Malcolm Marx also crossed. Peninsula stayed right on their heels through a Tom Sanders double and Jack Taylor. Then, almost immediately after halftime: Alex Harford drop goal. Peninsula were suddenly ahead 23–22. And the Pioneers took over. Noah Hotham and Adam Gualter added tries as Peninsula accumulated 40 points and knocked out another Premiership club. Final: Peninsula Pioneers 40–25 Durban. Harford was outstanding: three conversions, two penalties and a drop goal — 15 points. Durban's Johnre Stopforth and Ruan Nortje both received yellow cards. The Pioneers' Round 1 win was convincing. This one was bigger. 🦏 CAPITOL RHINOS 38–21 SANTIAGO CONDORS Headline: FROM 0–21 TO 38–21 — THE RHINOS PRODUCE THE COMEBACK OF THE ROUND! Santiago looked like they had this. Adam Radwan. Max Schlesinger. Santiago Videla. Three converted tries. Condors 21–0 Rhinos after 27 minutes. Then David Kriel scored. 21–5 at halftime. And the entire match changed. Beauden Barrett crossed shortly after halftime and converted his own try to reduce the deficit to 21–12. From there, Capitol erupted. Barrett eventually scored twice, Stedman Gans scored twice, Werner Kok joined the party, and the Rhinos scored 38 unanswered points after Santiago's 21–0 start. FINAL: CAPITOL RHINOS 38–21 SANTIAGO CONDORS Capitol finished with 63.75% possession and a remarkable 17–8 lineout advantage. From seemingly dead and buried to the quarter-finals. That is knockout rugby. 🌍🏆 EARTHQUAKE TROPHY — QUARTER-FINALS Wednesday 23 September 2026 Straight Knockout — Winner Advances Quarter-final Match QF1 🇫🇷 Bordeaux Les Damiers v Silverstream Wild 🌿 QF2 🐕 Galway Greyhounds v Wellington Dolphins 🐬 QF3 🟢 Peninsula Pioneers v New Mexico Diablos 😈 QF4 🏴 Edinburgh Cannon v Capitol Rhinos 🦏 And these are four very different quarter-finals. Bordeaux v Silverstream pits the team that just eliminated the WFR champions against a Wild side that has now scored 86 unanswered points across two knockout matches. Galway v Wellington could be explosive. They scored 59 and 52 respectively in the Round of 16 — 111 points between them. Peninsula Pioneers v New Mexico brings together two sides that just eliminated Premiership opposition, with the Pioneers' 40–25 win over Durban one of the round's major results. And Edinburgh v Capitol matches the survivors of completely contrasting thrillers: Edinburgh held on by three; Capitol came from 21 points down. 🌟 WFR TV Round of 16 individual performances Joe Faleafaga — 4 tries. Tadhg Beirne — 3 tries. Ross Byrne — 24 points. Alex Harford — 15 points, including a drop goal. Salesi Rayasi — 2 tries. Christian Dyer — 2 tries. Beauden Barrett — 2 tries and 4 conversions. 📺 ROUND OF 16 HEADLINE GRABBERS 🌋 CHAMPIONS BURIED! — BORDEAUX STUN LEEDS 41–14 🧱 86–0! — SILVERSTREAM'S EARTHQUAKE TROPHY DEFENCE REMAINS UNBREACHED 🐕 GALWAY GO NUCLEAR — GREYHOUNDS HAMMER MAGPIES 59–5 ⭐ FOUR-TRY FALEAFAGA! — WELLINGTON DESTROY TOKYO 52–12 🦏 THE GREAT ESCAPE — RHINOS TURN 0–21 INTO 38–21 🟢 PIONEERS STRIKE AGAIN — DURBAN DUMPED 40–25 🏴 CANNON HANG ON — EDINBURGH SURVIVE 29–26 THRILLER 😈 DIABLOS HALT BC — NEW MEXICO MARCH INTO THE LAST EIGHT But perhaps the biggest statistic entering Wednesday is still this: SILVERSTREAM WILD — PLAYED 2, POINTS FOR 86, POINTS AGAINST 0. And now Bordeaux — the team that just knocked out the defending WFR champions — gets the first opportunity to break that wall. The Earthquake Trophy is down to eight. Wednesday, somebody's world shakes again.