THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS

The Aucklander honours Auckland's 2008 secondary schools' winter sport champions - from Pukekohe to Mairangi Bay and everywhere between. Some codes are still to decide their winners.
Many school teams will compete in the Winter Tournament Week - the national championships for most codes including basketball, football, rugby, hockey and netball - in various cities from September 1-5.
RUGBY Auckland De La Salle College beat Kings College in the final of the 1A Championship of the NZ Police-sponsored Secondary Schools Competition to take the title that has eluded it since 2005. De La Salle winger Karl Savelio scored a hat-trick of tries in the Eden Park final to take his side to a 33-15 win over its Manukau City rivals. De La Salle College 33 (K Savelio 3, J Tupe, K Hifo tries; Hifo con, 2 pen) Kings College 15 (J Toto, A Rogers tries; D Collier con, pen).
Counties Manukau Despite losing to Wesley College, the rugby powerhouses of the south, Pukekohe High First XV players are holding their heads high. Wesley blew the Pukekohe team apart in a 15-minute spell before halftime to win the Counties final 51-8. Wesley College 51 (C Piutau 3, AW Pulu, P Makutu, M Lea, S Akauola, A Lavemai tries,MTaufa 4 con, 1 pen) Pukekohe High 8 (Q De Jager try, BH Kingi pen).
North Harbour Westlake ruined Rosmini's perfect 2008 record to win the North Harbour First XV championship. Both teams dominated the regular home-and-away season and found good form heading into the final series. The final was the third encounter between the two this season. Rosmini had won the two early games, but Westlake won when it was most needed. Westlake Boys 13 (J Cooke try, C winks 2 pen, 1 con) Rosmini 11 (M Olsen try, G Anscombe 2 pen).
RUGBY GIRLS Manurewa High School won the Auckland competition for the second year on the trot, beating Auckland Girls Grammar 31-5 in the final. The South Auckland school dominated the season and many of its players will be selected for the Counties team which will defend its Northern Region title this month. Manurewa High 31 (L Falala 2 tries, J De Vries, M Davis 1 try, T Tipelu 1 try and 3 con) Auckland Girls 5 (M Taufa, try).
FOOTBALL Auckland Provincial Championship (girls) Epsom Girls Grammar won back-to-back titles in a replay of last year's grand final against arch-rivals Mt Albert Grammar. It's the 11th championship win for the Epsom school - the most successful college in the soccer competition. Epsom was missing three of eight New Zealand representative players, but still dominated much of the play, winning 3-1. Epsom 3 (A Longo, L Milne, H Wall) Mt Albert 1 (S Burton).
Auckland Premier League (boys) Mt Albert Grammar First XI coach Kevin Fallon and captain Johnny Raj have led their team to the winners' circle again. It's the fifth consecutive year Mt Albert has won the championship. Mt Albert ended the season by drubbing relegation-bound Kelston Boys 7-0 to finish two points clear of Auckland Grammar. Those two schools will play off in the knock-out competition final on September 10.
RUGBY LEAGUE St Pauls College has again walked away with the University Shield. The Ponsonby school beat a gallant Southern Cross Campus side. Despite going in favourites, the national champions didn't have everything go their way. Southern Cross took the lead for several minutes in the first half but fell away during the second half. St Pauls 26 (T Fungavaka 2 tries, 3 con, J Taufa, H Purcell, K Fraser try) Southern Cross 18.
NETBALL Auckland secondary schools Mt Albert Grammar went into the final against Epsom Girls Grammar with a perfect record, but was in trouble early. Epsom had a three-goal lead before Mt Albert managed to score. The goal difference swayed between eight and two, but Epsom was always on top. Perhaps it didn't help Mt Albert that the team had played - and won - the Waitakere final just 24 hours earlier. Epsom 32 Mt Albert 28.
Counties Manukau Pakuranga College edged St Kentigern Team Ham by three points to win the Counties Manukau Wednesday night competition. There are no finals in this competition, but Pakuranga had played well throughout the season to safely secure top spot on the ladder going into the final round.
North Harbour North Harbour Netball runs two college championship grades. In the College Premier Championship, Westlake Girls High came out on top with Carmel College only one point behind. In the College Open A grade, Rangitoto College 2 beat Westlake Girls High 2. In the Hartley Cup, played every year between Northcote and Birkenhead Colleges, Northcote 1 beat Birkenhead 1 27-18.
Waitakere Mt Albert Grammar defeated Massey High, 70-36, and will compete at the Upper North Island Secondary Schools tournament in Papakura.
HOCKEY Boys intercity Auckland Grammar staged a second-half comeback to steal the title from Westlake Boys High. In a replay of last year's final, Westlake started strongly and took an early 2-0 lead. Grammar scored before the halftime buzzer to reduce the gap. In the second half the Auckland boys came out hard to score three goals and take the cup from last year's champions. Auckland Grammar 4 (S Neal 3, J Crooks) Westlake Boys 2 (L Cox, J Coughlan).
Girls intercity A late flurry of goals from St Cuthbert College saw the team beat a gallant Diocesan School in the final. St Cuthbert led 1-0 at halftime and extended the lead 10 minutes into the second half. With 10 minutes left Diocesan clawed one back, but with only a few minutes remaining St Cuthbert slotted another two goals to take the title. St Cuthbert 4 (J King 2, A James 1, S Michelsen 1) Diocesan 1 (M Garner).
- Candice Reed, Helen Laurent