KEY POINTS:
The pressure will be on Auckland Grammar when they take the short walk to play St Peters in the opening round of the Auckland secondary schools rugby championship on Saturday.
The start of major sports in the winter programme will add real interest to what promises to be
a busy second term.
AGS, the defending champions, will be under some pressure as they have a much-changed side from the team who beat Kings in last year's final, with many of their senior players no longer at the school. St Peters too have a new-look team in the 12-team 1A championship.
Given these changes, De La Salle, on the back of some strong pre-season games, Mt Albert Grammar and Tamaki College are likely to be the early front-runners.
MAGS have a home game against Sacred Heart to kick-off their season while De La Salle are at home to Tangaroa College, who have yet to show their hand in a quiet pre-season.
Kings too have shown little in the build-up to the new season and face a testing away clash with Tamaki College first-up.
Promoted Papatoetoe High have a home game with St Pauls to open their 1A campaign while Kelston BHS meet St Kentigern in the other first round clash.
North Harbour champions Westlake BHS opened the defence of their title with a 24-8 win over Rangitoto College and are away to Orewa this week.
Rosmini, thumped 76-8 in last year's final, opened their season with a 34-6 win over Orewa and are away to Massey this week.
The Counties Manukau competition begins with two rounds of pre-season friendlies with the season proper starting on May 19.
The senior A1 soccer championship too kicks off on Saturday with defending champions Mt Albert Grammar away to newcomers Avondale College.
Most interest will centre on the Kings match against Westlake BHS.
BASKETBALL
Defending national champions Westlake BHS and Northcote College opened the defence of their Auckland premier championships with solid first-up victories in Friday's opening round.
Northcote held WBHS to just nine points after three-quarters of their game. Led by strong games from Robert Loe (26 points and 26 rebounds) and Luka Kablar (26, 13 ), WBHS pulled away in the final quarter to win 79-54.
After an even first quarter, free-flowing AGS pulled away in the second going on to beat MAGS 83-66.
In a game played in great spirit, Dilworth started and finished strongly to beat Avondale College 93-67.
In the closest match of the opening round, KBHS edged Rangitoto 82-76.
Apart from the blowout 105-11 win Northcote scored over Manurewa High School, girls matches were generally closer.
Despite scoring 30 points, Massey's Chevannah Paalvast could not lead her team to victory against Rangitoto.
A solid all-round effort from Rangitoto eventually wore down Massey as they won 66-59, a scoreline which suggests Massey will be difficult opposition this season.
SQUASH
Led by classy Lana Harrison, defending national champions St Cuthberts wasted little time or energy in beating WGHS in Friday's round.
Harrison beat Morgan Baker 9-0, 9-3, 9-0 to lay the foundation for her team's 4-0 win at Unitec.
She was well-supported by her three teammates who also won in straight games.
It was almost as clear-cut for EGGS who beat Diocesan 4-0. Nicola Blake was taken to five games by Ayrsha Kapoor but the other matches were won in straight games.
The other match was a classic with honours shared by Howick College and St Cuthberts B.
Howick won the first two matches three-straight before St Cuthberts bounced back to win the remaining two matches, also in straight games.
TABLE TENNIS
There has been unprecedented interest in winter table tennis competitions in Auckland (140 three-person teams) and North Harbour (more than 150 teams with WBHS entering 47).
Defending Auckland champions Macleans are expected to again make a bold showing with their sternest opposition likely to come from AGS and St Kentigern. WBHS and WGHS will defend their North Harbour titles.
The boys, with their team headed by New Zealand representatives of Hanson Ling and Jackson Chu and with solid back-up from Ben Jung, are favoured to repeat. Their biggest opposition should come from Rangitoto and TGS.
Rangitoto are expected to be the team for WGHS to beat in the girls championship.
THIS WEEK'S ACTION ...
Today: Hockey, North Harbour senior boys (all Crown Relocations Stadium), Rangitoto v Birkenhead 5pm, WBHS 2 v Kristin 5pm, WBHS v Orewa 6pm, Massey v Northcote 6pm.
Tomorrow: Hockey, North Harbour senior girls (all Crown Relocations Stadium), Rangitoto v WGHS 2 5pm, Kristin v Northcote 5pm, WGHS v Rangitoto 2 6pm, Massey v Carmel 6pm.
Friday: Badminton (Auckland Badminton Hall), premier boys (5pm), AGS 1 v Massey 2, Kings v Massey 1, Macleans v MAGS, MRGS v St Kentigern. Open A (3.30pm), AGS 2 v St Kentigern, AGS 1 v Massey, Baradene v Macleans, Dilworth v MRGS, Diocesan v Kings, EGGS v St Cuthberts.
Squash, premier (all 4pm), boys, Massey v Manurewa HS, Unitec 1, TGS v MAGS, Unitec 3, Kings v AGS 2, Kings, St Kentigern v WBHS, St Kentigern. Girls, St Cuthberts v St Cuthberts B, St Cuthberts, EGGS v Howick, Howick SC 1, WGHS v Diocesan, Eden Epsom SC.
Saturday: Rugby, 1A (2.30pm, home team first), KBHS v St Kentigern, MAGS v Sacred Heart, Tamaki v Kings, Papatoetoe v St Pauls, De La Salle v Tangaroa, St Peters v AGS. 1B (noon unless stated), pool 1, Edgewater v Aorere, Otahuhu v MRGS, Mangere v Southern Cross 11.30am, Penrose v Liston. Pool 2, Avondale v Howick, Dilworth v Waitakere, Hillary v Marcellin, Onehunga v Macleans. North Harbour (all noon, home team first), 1A, Orewa v WBHS, Massey v Rosmini, TGS v Rangitoto. 1B, Kaipara v Long Bay, Glenfield v Northcote, Kristin v Birkenhead, WBHS 2 v Mahurangi.
Soccer, senior A1 (all noon, home team first), AGS v Macleans, Kings v WBHS, St Peters v Rangitoto, Keith Hay Park, Avondale v MAGS. Senior A2 (all noon), Liston v Massey, MRGS v Pakuranga, KBHS v Onehunga, St Kentigern v Howick. Senior A3 (10am), Northcote v Green Bay, Long Bay v Kristin, Rosmini v Lynfield, Glendowie v Sacred Heart.