First XV rugby finalists decided: Feilding and Rotorua to square off for Top Four title

Bruce Holloway and Adam Julian

Feilding High School will face Rotorua Boys’ High School in the final of the boys national First XV rugby championships in Palmerston North on Sunday.

Feilding, third-place finishers last year, showed great poise to come from a 24-5 deficit shortly after half time to overcome Blues region champions Westlake Boys’ High School 39-34 in their semifinal. Rotorua produced the day’s most emphatic performance to beat 2023 champions Southland Boys’ High 41-10 in windy conditions.

The victory over Westlake came in Feilding’s second successive appearance at the National Top Four and played out in front of a big home crowd.

They had made it to the semifinals by defeating Hastings Boys’ High School the week before, a match in which they cruised to a 56-26 home win.

Westlake had made it to the Top Four rolling Auckland 1A champions King’s College 29-24 in an electrifying Blues regional final.

Rotorua’s result continues their run of success in a fine season. This year, they have managed 16 wins with just three defeats, outscoring opponents 646 to 352.

They had reached the Top Four semifinal after defeating Wesley College 17-6 in the Chiefs regional final.

The result against Southland mirrored a famous victory for Rotorua – they defeated the southerners 17-12 in a 2001 semifinal, marking their 25th consecutive win of that season. Future All Blacks in that game included Liam Messam (Rotorua) and Jamie Mackintosh (Southland).

Meanwhile, in the girls final, defending champions Manukura School will face Hamilton Girls’ High School. Palmerston North-based Manukura finished strongly to beat Howick College 37-22 in the semifinals after it had been 22-22 with 15 minutes to go, while Hamilton Girls’ High beat Christchurch Girls High School 17-15.

Manukura won the title in 2023 and 2024, after sharing it with Christchurch Girls’ High School in 2022.