2024 School Rugby
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Here is the key part:
Major changes to Auckland First XV rugby are in the pipeline, with a proposal all but agreed to create a city-wide lower-tier competition that will enable schools from North Harbour, Counties Manukau and Northland to win promotion to the elite 1A league. Opening the 1A competition to teams in the wider Auckland region would be one of the most significant changes in the competition’s 129-year history, but the Herald understands that there is a strong view among principals of nearly all schools in the city that the game is in crisis and more needs to be done to retain participants and keep rugby as the number one sport of choice for teenage boys. ...... If this new proposal is agreed, the Auckland 1B league will become a region-wide competition, with 24 teams split into three pools of eight in geographic zones.The top two in each pool will move into an elite conference, with the top two teams from that then winning the right to face off against the bottom two teams from the 1A league.The proposal is now in the final stages of being drawn up and is understood to have the full support of all the schools likely to be impacted by the change -
Manurewa HS and Pukekohe HS would be the two best Counties teams unless Wesley joins also. OAS/Tuakau combined won counties two years in a row but would probably be the fourth best Counties based team.
There is a new Catholic college that has opened that is between Drury and Pukekohe (St Ignatius) I don't know how good they will be. Puke High would have lost students to there.
St Stephens/Tipene at Bombay will re-open in 2025 (Y9/10 to start) so if this continues 1A could be a goal for them.
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Some preseason results that I have noted - new here - and since no one else published I might as well start
St John’s Hamilton
45-0 over Tangaroa College
0-45 against St Paul’s College (Auckland)
28-7 over Sacred Heart CollegeSt John’s College Hastings
27-26 over NOBM ColtsLindisfarne
53-14 over Rathkeale -
In one of the biggest upsets in SA school history, Jeppe Boys beat Grey College at the Nord/Suid festival on Monday, 22-19. It is the first time Grey have lost at this festival in their history, and the first time that they have ever lost to a boys school from Johannesburg.
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A nice little fact:
A unique achievement for the Withy family, with Taine named as the captain of our First XV for 2024 - taking the team to Japan and beyond.
Taine's brother Sean captained the side in 2018, while Aaron captained the side in 2021 - and now three years later, it’s Taine's turn. -
@Dolamite said in 2024 School Rugby:
Anyone have results of preseason games so far?
Here's a few results I've seen:
Palmerston North BHS 22 - 5 St Paul's Collegiate
St Peter's College 27 - 31 St Thomas of Canterbury
Rotorua BHS 22 - 15 Auckland Grammar
New Plymouth BHS 7 - 15 Wellington College
