The debate over Year 14s playing secondary school sport has erupted again. Photo / Supplied
The debate over Year 14s playing secondary school sport erupted again recently with coverage of the Marlborough Boys’ College First XV and their five returning students.
Is it fair to their opposition? Is it fair on their fellow students? Is it led by the school to increase its chances of winning? Should it be banned?
There’s more emotion than fact in many of these arguments.
A “Year 14” refers to a student who returns for an unscheduled year of schooling. High School ends at Year 13 (the old “seventh form”), but if a student feels that they need an extra year of schooling – they’re free to return.
They’re not necessarily free to represent their school in sports, however. They must (with some exceptions) be under the age of 19 on January 1 in the year of the competition.
Some sports take a harder line.
Rowing does not permit Year 14 students at the sport’s showpiece Maadi Regatta.
Rugby does allow Year 14 students, but they must not be 18 years or over before January 1 in that year. Nationally, it is an Under-18 competition.
So, for a Year 14 student to be eligible, they have always been young for their school year, going right back to the choice of Year 0 or Year 1.
The young Year 13 student who is eligible to be a Year 14 in the First XV will have never been a Year 0 in primary school – and may have been “put up”. It’s possible that they will go through school in the same year group as others who are almost a year older.
That’s the case for “Player X”, a current Year 13 boy who the Herald knows is considering returning in 2026. Speaking anonymously, one of his parents said that his young age had disadvantaged him.
“Right throughout high school, he has been younger [than his classmates]. He’s physically behind a lot of his friends and his year group are actually anywhere between eight to 12 months older than him.
“He’s missed a couple of opportunities. Some rep [representative team] decisions, he wasn’t allowed because he was younger – even though he was in the year level with his peers that were getting in,” they said.
They felt that coming back in Year 14 would be beneficial if he chose to pursue rugby as a career.
“Ultimately, it is giving him a chance to play top-level rugby when he is of the same size and age as his peers – and giving him opportunities in what we believe is an incredibly valid career. One that he’s passionate about pursuing,” they said.
Crusaders captain David Havili was unexpectedly quizzed about the subject on the eve of his side’s semifinal against the Blues last week. The former Nelson College student answered diplomatically.
“If it’s in terms of education, like they’re coming back for that and then rugby is a bonus, then I think that’s fine. But if you get to the point where you’re coming back solely just to play rugby – it’s probably time to move on,” Havili said.
If he does return, Player X plans to use it as a year of academic discovery, the parent said.
“Apart from playing rugby, he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do. Although he could get into university with his grades, there’s no particular course he’s interested in and we don’t want him wasting money kind of pursuing tertiary education when he’s not sure,” they added.
All returning students are required to meet attendance and participation standards to be eligible for sporting competitions.
The academic requirements of First XV players can vary from school to school – but most top-performing schools build that into their rugby programme.
It’s happened before that players have been stood down from a team because their academic achievement hasn’t reached the level required.
In February this year, rowing banned Year 14 competitors at the Maadi Cup regatta.
The rowing comparison isn’t necessarily apples with apples. The Maadi Regatta is held in March, which meant that Year 14 students could effectively return to school for six weeks to compete – and then leave. It also had Under-19 criteria.
The competitive rugby season doesn’t start until May and can run until September. The school year finishes in November for most Year 13 students. Some finish earlier if they’re not sitting exams. It seems unlikely that a student would commit to that much of a school year without completing it.
The topic was picked up by Sport Nation’s breakfast radio team of Scotty Stevenson and Israel Dagg. The pair did not miss with their criticism of Year 14 inclusions.
“I want to know how many classes they’re attending,” Dagg asked.
The former All Blacks fullback played 66 tests and won 60 of them. He was a lot more familiar with being second-best at Lindisfarne College in Hawke’s Bay.
“Fifth form [2004], came up against a Hastings Boys’ High team that was stacked with second-year sevenths [seventh formers]. And it was embarrassing. We got embarrassed. We got bullied. We got blown off the park,” Dagg said.
“Stacked” might have been an overstatement.
The Hastings team did have a few “returners”, according to their captain and Dagg’s former test teammate – All Black number 1086, Hikawera Elliot.
A coach from that team suggested there were four - including Elliot. At that stage the criteria was Under-19 – though the former All Blacks hooker would have been eligible under today’s regulations as well.
Former All Blacks halfback Alby Mathewson was also a Hastings Boys’ returner in 2004.
“These boys were far more developed than us and it was quite deflating really – getting 90 put on ya,” Dagg said.
It was 82-3. Hastings Boys’ High School won the Super 8 competition that year but were beaten by Christchurch Boys’ High School in the national semifinal.
Elliot was the captain of the New Zealand Secondary Schools team that year. As a Year 14.
Now involved with Rotorua Boys’ High School rugby, Elliot came out in support of Marlborough Boys’ College on social media.
“Under-18 is Under-18. Technically, the boys are playing in the right age group. I don’t see an issue with it,” Elliot posted on Facebook, adding that he’s a “stickler” for the rules.
As it stands, provided the player is under 18 on January 1 of that year, they’re eligible to play First XV rugby. That could change. School Sport New Zealand is in the process of revisiting the issue, with any changes likely to be revealed next week.
It’s not outside the realms of possibility that a blanket ban on Year 14s could come into effect, removing the debate entirely.
That would have some bearing on what options are open to Player X in 2026. But his preference could also change – as is the way with teenagers.
“We’ll probably wait right until the bitter end to kind of go, you know, what’s the right thing for him?” the parent said.
Whatever the decision, it’ll be his to make, without outside influence.
“I don’t really accept that schools should be convincing students to stay or promoting it for school results. It absolutely should be whatever is best for the individual students,” the parent added.
Rangiora High School principal Bruce Kearney says his school doesn’t have any boys at all in Year 14, let alone the First XV – neither does he have an issue with other schools fielding them.
“If they are under 18 and the rules state that age is the defining factor, then I am okay with that,” Kearney said.
What he says he’s not okay with is the proposal by boys’ schools to exclude co-educational schools from the top tier of South Island schoolboy rugby. He says he is “completely over” where schoolboy rugby is headed at the moment.
“Now they are turning on each other because they seem to believe a student who is in Year 14 but under 18 gives them an advantage,” Kearney said.
Christchurch Boys’ High School (CBHS) headmaster Nic Hill said his school has had a couple of Year 14 players in his time – and that they were “pursuing meaningful qualifications”.
“From a CBHS perspective, the key thing is that they are a student at our school; we don’t have different categories of students. If you are enrolled at CBHS, reflecting our values, working hard in class and attending regularly, you can play,” Hill said.
Speaking about the outcry aimed at Marlborough Boys’ College (MBC), Hill did not hold back.
“The lack of independent and effective governance has again been demonstrated. We currently have decision-makers whose schools are facing relegation, and that isn’t fair to the boys in the MBC team, all of whom will have their own back story and ambition.
“Do the MBC detractors care about kids or results?” Hill asked.
St Thomas of Canterbury College principal Steve Hart said the student’s year level is often misleading and at times irrelevant.
“The complexity is much more than what has been commented on. For example, we have some Year 12 students that are older than Year 13 students because the Year 13 students have birth dates so late in the year. In some cases, June,” Hart said.
He also spoke out in support of Marlborough Boys’ College.
“St Thomas of Canterbury trusts the integrity of principals to make a fully rounded decision in the best interests of their young people with regards to Year 14 students. In this case [Marlborough Boys’ College headmaster] Jarrod Dunn has done that,” Hart said.
Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.
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