School Rugby 2025
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@Bovidae said in School Rugby 2025:
I was disappointed with Raviyawa in the SF as he seemed to spend most of the time out wide and therefore didn't have as much impact as he should have. The Westlake and Rotorua halfbacks both looked good in the games I watched.
I agree that Raviyawa went missing for much of the semi-final, not only staying on the wing but making some poor decisions as well. He was better in the final, in my view, showing some nice touches out wide.
Raviyawa does make sense to me as an edge forward: he's fast, can beat defenders and has an offloading game. He's difficult to defend out there and he also doesn't strike me as a player who just wants to smash into his opposite. But it can be a frustrating watch when the forwards dominate possession in the middle and one of your best players is barely involved.
Agreed that the Rotorua and Westlake halfbacks were good. I suppose my point on the halfbacks was that there wasn't really anyone who massively stood out, in the way, for example, Sinton did for Tauranga last year. Not a lot of halfbacks who dominated with their leadership and play this year or, at least, not that I noticed.
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I checked and the RBHS halfback (Arthur-Pep Chisholm) isn't even amongst the Chiefs U18 Dev camp list, so maybe not rated that highly or still quite young. RBHS's strength in recent years has been their forwards, and in particular their lineout drive. Of the form team you selected, the one RBHS loose forward you didn't choose (Jake Hutchings) was in the NZS squad last year, so would be a very good chance again. Their hooker Bronson Van der Heyden was in the Barbarians U18s along with Fakava. They could be the NZS hookers this year.
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@Bovidae said in School Rugby 2025:
Of the form team you selected, the one RBHS loose forward you didn't choose (Jake Hutchings) was in the NZS squad last year, so would be a very good chance again. Their hooker Bronson Van der Heyden was in the Barbarians U18s along with Fakava. They could be the NZS hookers this year.
Hutchings indeed has a very good chance of making the NZS team, perhaps a better one than someone like Te Ariki Rogers who I think is still a Year 12. But I wasn’t always convinced of some of Hutchings’ decision-making and I thought his general work rate could improve as well. He’s definitely not a traditional openside, neither in the defensive nor in the breakdown sense. Should be a good blindside, though.
Bronson Van der Heyden is a good player. Probably a better thrower than either Fakava or Salesa and works hard around the field. But I was impressed with the physicality of both Fakava and Salesa, they look very strong in contact.
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Dam he looks like his dad...
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They have had a long term issue with bullying in the Hostels.
Wesley College principal says progress overshadowed by past issues - Franklin Times
Wesley College Principal Brian Evans says the South Auckland school is being unfairly portrayed in some reports that describe it as “embattled.” Evans says the label does not reflect the school’s reality or the hard work undertaken by its community to evolve and improve. “That term is unfair and...
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Back to an even number of teams. Matamata is the next best 1st XV in the Waikato outside of HBHS and the other CNI schools.
Matamata College Joins Central North Island (CNI) Rugby Competition for 2026
The Central North Island (CNI) Rugby Competition is proud to announce the inclusion of Matamata College into its competition lineup for the 2026 season. This exciting development marks a new chapter for both Matamata College and the CNI Rugby community, further strengthening the competition’s commitment to fostering high-performance schoolboy rugby across the Central North Island -
Matamata was an absolute power house rugby school in my day (George Simpkin).
Remember Murray Taylor hitting the big time straight of school. Then did his knee, and that was kinda fatal in those days, never quite the same afterwards. -
@taniwharugby said in School Rugby 2025:
@Steven-Harris yeah I played some golden oldies with his dad, who is still a unit.
Brock has always been one of those kids who was just a bit bigger but hasn't rested on that and has some skills.
Think he was in the Blues u16 squad last year too?
Have read Brock is named in a Southland academy for next year. Post seems to have come down though.
So looks like he is heading to Dunedin and aligning himself to Southland.
Didn't make any national reps teams?
A 10/15 signed out of Timaru as well.
The other four kids are local. Most pleasing to see Jayden Broome named as a year 2 academy player after he fell off a roof earlier this year. Here is hoping he can recover and get back doing what he loves.
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@SouthernMann said in School Rugby 2025:
The other four kids are local. Most pleasing to see Jayden Broome named as a year 2 academy player after he fell off a roof earlier this year.
Good to hear. That sounded like a horrible situation. I remember watching him play for the Māori U18s, out of Māruawai College in Gore.
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@SouthernMann dont think he made any national sides, but was in Blues u18 squad...he is still in the Northland high performance squad, for all that is worth.
Is a smart kid, was captain, head boy, should have some growth still in him too.
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@taniwharugby said in School Rugby 2025:
@SouthernMann dont think he made any national sides, but was in Blues u18 squad...he is still in the Northland high performance squad, for all that is worth.
Is a smart kid, was captain, head boy, should have some growth still in him too.
Here's hoping he gets an opportunity to develop down in Dunedin before playing for Southland. Would be good if he is another Casey!
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@taniwharugby was the best player on the paddock in the Whangarei v Westlake Boys final this year
I did the digital commentary call for the Westlake site and my co commentator who was a Westlake Boys high stalwart picked Brock as the best player on show and the MOTM . -
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@mohikamo said in School Rugby 2025:
@Bovidae
Kit "we will score more off the field than on" Fawcett went to Matamata.Yes, he was one of the Matamata ABs. He was my PE teacher at school. Plenty of stories even then. Brendon Leonard, and Craig Innes started there before moving to Sacred Heart. Tim Mikkelson in the AB7s.
