Rugby: Rotorua Boys' shoot for top

Rotorua Boys' Jessie Williams ( right) celebrates after his side reached the Top 4 tournament. Photo /Ben Fraser

Rotorua Boys' High School get hometown advantage when their 1st XV attempt to win this year's secondary schools' National Top 4 rugby tournament this weekend.

The National 1st XV Championships begin at the Rotorua high school tomorrow.

Four co-ed and four boys' schools from the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes and the southern regions will fight it out for secondary school supremacy.

Aorere College and St Kentigern College represent the Blues, Cambridge High School and host Rotorua Boys' represent the Chiefs, Feilding High and Scots College represent the Canes and St Andrew's and Otago Boys' represent the southern region.

The New Zealand Rugby Referees' wider training squad will provide four referees to officiate at two of the top four games tomorrow and two of the finals on Sunday, including the big one.

Up-and-coming Bay referees Mate Samuels, George van den Anker and Jamie Bell will handle the other three games.

"It's a great opportunity for our local referee talent to be seen by Vinny Munro, NZ Rugby Referees wider training group manager," said Bay of Plenty referee manager Pat Rae.

"With a pathway to the top now firmly in place, it's vitally important for Bay referees to keep our ITM Cup and Super Rugby guys on their toes.

"Our ITM Cup/Super Rugby and World cup referees Glen Jackson, Nick Briant, Shane McDermott and Brett Johnson have paved the way and Jamie, Mate and George are potentially the next cabs off the rank," Rae said.