Which secondary school can legitimately claim to be New Zealand’s biggest sporting powerhouse? The Herald’s 2025 power rankings have the (debatable) answers.
With only the national secondary school cricket tournaments yet to be decided (held in December), the winners of the major school trophies for 2025 have had their names engraved into the silverware.
Last year’s top boys’ schools were Christ’s College and Hamilton Boys’ High School (tied), while the top girls’ school was Christchurch Girls’ High School.
The 2025 results are in, and they reveal a new leader in both genders.
Also featuring in this year’s awards is volleyball. In a glaring omission in 2024, the country’s second most-played sport among secondary school students was not included. Tauranga Boys’ College should feel the most aggrieved about that.
The Herald’s power ranking formula allocates five points for current national champions, three points for runners-up, two points for third – and if applicable, one point for fourth.
It also rewards recent success by granting three points for the previous year’s winner, two points for the year before and one point beyond that – as far back as 2020.
On that basis, one boys’ school clearly stands out from the pack.
Westlake Boys’ High School (16 points) has had an incredible year across multiple codes and seasons. At the top of their achievements is winning rowing’s Maadi Cup for the first time in 41 years. The senior boys coxed eight powered home on Lake Karapiro in March, beating South Island champions St Bede’s College and Christ’s College.
Their First XV once again qualified for the Top Four national rugby finals in Palmerston North after winning their local competition and then accounting for King’s College (29-24) in the Blues regional final. They were run down by a quality Feilding High School side in the semifinal (39-34) but not before they threatened a comeback of their own well after time was up. They eventually finished fourth after falling to Southland Boys’ High School (21-19) in the playoff.
Their footballers also finished fourth, while their First XI hockey and basketballers managed one better – placing third at their national tournaments.
Their First XI cricket side also managed third in the Gillette Cup late last year.
To achieve so much in national competitions across so many sports in a period of 12 months is phenomenal. Each of those results stand alone as a great achievement – but together they surely make Westlake Boys’ High School New Zealand’s best in sport.
In second place it’s a tie between Christ’s College (12 points) and Tauranga Boys’ College (12 points).
Christ’s College were top dog last year and weren’t far off Westlake this time around. They finished second to Shirley Boys’ High School at the national basketball champs last month and third at Maadi Cup. Their consistent success in previous years was key to their overall score.
Tauranga Boys’ College is a volleyball powerhouse, winning the national title for a second straight year. They’re also traditionally very strong in football and hockey. Their U15 rugby side also won the national tournament for the second year in a row – and while that doesn’t count for anything in these rankings, it does show that they’ll have a strong First XV in seasons to come.
In the girls’ rankings, there is a new leader – but the title will only move about a kilometre from one Christchurch school to another.
St Margaret’s College (15 points) have had a staggering sporting year, winning three national titles.
The first came on Lake Karapiro when their coxed eight senior girls collected the Levin Jubilee Cup ahead of Waikato Diocesan School for Girls and Rangi Ruru of Christchurch. Next was the national volleyball crown with a resounding 3 sets to nil win over Rangitoto College. They then won hockey’s Federation Cup in August, defeating St Andrew’s College (Christchurch) in the final.
St Margaret’s is a school of around 800 girls – but that’s across years 1-13. That makes their success even more impressive.
Westlake Girls’ High School (13 points). Up until they bowed out of contention at the national netball champs, Westlake Girls’ High was on track to match their male counterparts. They finished third behind Mt Albert Grammar and Howick College.
Their basketballers were unstoppable, winning their fourth consecutive national title. The four-peat came in Palmerston North at the start of the school holidays with a 30-point final victory over Hamilton Girls’ High School. In reality, they were pushed in only one game all tournament (winning 94-88 against Tauranga Girls’ College).
Mt Albert Grammar (13) went back-to-back at the football nationals, knocking over Otumoetai College in the final. They also claimed the national netball title with a tight win over defending champions Howick College. Coached by Waana Araroa and former Silver Fern Sulu Fitzpatrick, MAGs went unbeaten through the nationals and also beat Howick in pool play, reversing their quarter-final defeat at the Upper North Island Champs. The co-ed state school has had a year to remember.
Manukura (11). The Manawatū-based Māori-focused co-ed school maintained its dominance of one sport: rugby. National champions for the past four years, the school’s programme is run by a former Black Fern and Kiwi Fern, Kristina Sue and supported by high-profile former Black Fern, Sarah Hirini. The tiny co-ed school once again earned a place at both the netball and basketball national tournaments.
Honourable mention: Howick College (9). Howick’s netball team enjoyed unprecedented success last season and went close to retaining their national title before going down to Mt Albert Grammar in the final (34-32). Their First XV also had another stellar year, returning to the national Top 4 tournament. Howick College is a public school and, like Manukura and MAGs, it is co-educational.
Netball Girls – Mt Albert Grammar
Volleyball Boys – Tauranga Boys’ College, Girls – St Margaret’s College (Christchurch)
Rugby Boys – Rotorua Boys’ High School, Girls – Manukura (Manawatū)
Rugby League Boys – Kelston Boys’ High, Girls – Auckland Girls’ Grammar
Cricket Boys – Christchurch Boys’ High, Girls – Tawa College
Football Boys – Scots College (Wellington), Girls – Mt Albert Grammar
Hockey Boys – Timaru Boys’ High, St Margaret’s College
Basketball Boys – Shirley Boys’ High (Christchurch), Girls – Westlake Girls’ High School
Rowing Boys – Westlake Boys’ High School, Girls – St Margaret’s College