The second match will also be away, on June 8 against Palmerston North BHS, who last year took the Hurricanes region berth in the national schools Top 4 playoffs out of Hawke’s Bay for the first time since 2015.
Napier’s first match this year in the Super 8 is also on June 8, against Gisborne BHS in Napier.
It’s something both Napier and Hastings are out to achieve as the ultimate goal, with advantage point available when they meet in their big annual match, on June 15, at Hastings BHS. While there is the perennial goal of tipping over Hamilton BHS, which Napier did last year (17-15) for the first time in more than a decade, although they were beaten 56-52 in the final.
Both have had a string of pre-championships games, including two each in the Tranzit First XVs Rugby Festival, in which Hastings, captained by second-year player and hooker JJ Lilo-Iosefo, beat Wellingon College and Feilding High School, while Napier also defeated Wellington College, after being downed by Saint Patrick’s College Silverstream.
Among Hastings’ early matches was a 28-26 win over Auckland school Kelston BHS in the RG Sturch Memorial Cup match at Hastings on April 12.
Hastings have featured in six Super 8 finals since the competition started in 1998, winning in 2016 and sharing the honours with Hamilton in a drawn match 12 months later, while Napier have been in 10 finals, winning in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Hamilton have dominated the competition with 10 wins and a draw in the last 12 finals.
Lindisfarne College opened their CNI Schools competition with two home games, being beaten 20-17 by Hamilton school St Paul’s Collegiate in the opener but bouncing back for a 29-25 win on Saturday against Wesley College, from near Pukekohe. Lindisfarne travel this Saturday to play unbeaten St John’s Hamilton.
But fellow Hastings school St John’s College are yet to score a point, being beaten 38-0 away by Wairarapa school Rathkeale College in the first match and 90-0 by co-educational Feilding High School on Saturday in Hastings. This Saturday they host Whanganui Collegiate, who have also lost both games to date.
The only match in Hawke’s Bay schools grading-round matches on Saturday will be between Taradale High School and Wairoa College at Taradale .
Te Aute College, who won the national schools title in 1984, beat Hato Paora (Feilding) 49-33 in a First XV match between the two Māori boarding schools at Te Aute on May 11, and on Saturday have a Hawke’s Bay schools Division 1 match against Hastings BHS Third XV.
Other schools fielding First XVs in local competition are Havelock North, Karamu and Central Hawke’s Bay, while Napier schools Tamatea High and William Colenso College continue to field a combined junior school combination as Ahuriri.
Wednesday also featured the first of weekly high school girls’ rugby skills sessions at Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park at Hastings, with Hawke’s Bay Rugby community rugby manager Sean Davies saying the concept will then be developed into competition matches, hopefully with an increase on the total of about 130 who took part last year.
In light of the Hawke’s Bay Tuis’ Farah Palmer Cup NPC semifinal placing last year, he said: “We’ve got a real focus on girls rugby to give them opportunities, to stay in Hawke’s Bay without having to go further afield.”
