Bruce Holloway and Adam Julian
Auckland 1A rugby runners-up St Kentigern have signed up to compete in the 2025 Rugby XV Cup at the World Schools Festival in Abu Dhabi in the week before Christmas.
New Zealand schools have a proud record in this event with Hamilton Boys’ High winning in 2022, Westlake triumphed in 2023 while Kelston Boys’ High beat South Africa’s Paul Roos Gymnasium 20-12 in last year’s final.
St Kentigern have been very consistent performers in 1A rugby, finishing as beaten finalists for the past three years, while they also have international pedigree, having won the 2013 Sanix World Youth Rugby Tournament in Japan, beating favourites Hartpury College (England) 40-8 in the final.
This year’s Champions Cup runs from December 14-20 at the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub.
Also confirmed for the competition is the first Fijian side to compete at the Abu Dhabi World Schools Festival in the form of Suva’s Nasinu Secondary School. Nasinu were runners-up to Ratu Kadavulevu in Fiji’s 2025 Super Deans competition.
The World Schools Festival began life in South Africa, then Thailand, and last year was switched to Abu Dhabi, which is considered more travel-friendly.
New Zealand Schools’ October tour to Canberra may have been extremely disappointing results-wise, but it hasn’t stopped several squad members from lifting their profiles.
Most notably, versatile Nelson College loose forward Tom Perkins has signed a four-year contract with Newcastle Knights in Australia’s NRL. The 1.96m Nelson First XV skipper switched from lock to No 8 this year, and enjoyed game time for New Zealand Schools at No 8, blindside and openside flanker on their Australian tour.
New Zealand Schools first five-eighths Jimmy Taylor, of Southland Boys’ High School, has been named Southland Secondary School Senior Boys Athlete of the Year.
Versatile New Zealand Schools fullback Noah Rogers, of Lindisfarne College, has won the Central North Island First XV competition’s MVP award for 2025.
Rogers attracted 17 points across the season from opposing teams (on a 3, 2, 1 basis) with four schools awarding him three points. A point back was Whanganui Collegiate’s second-five Jonathan Solomona, with St John’s (Hastings) winger Filise Naufahu third with 15 points.
Meanwhile, promising Auckland Grammar 16-year-old five-eighths and winger Rokko Walker has signed a four-year deal with St George Illawarra, joining their Harold Matthews Cup (U17s) squad in Sydney.
He is the son of former Highlanders first five-eighths Willie Walker, and while he didn’t get a lot of Auckland 1A game time this year, is considered to have elite pedigree and tactical maturity beyond his years.
His signing from a school renowned as an All Blacks factory illustrates the NRL’s growing footprint in New Zealand youth rugby.
Brother Michael Taylor, Sacred Heart’s long-time rugby oracle and coach of the 1965 1A-winning team, died on Sunday, aged 96. A memorial service for Brother Michael, who also coached Sacred teams that finished second in 1966, 1967, 1970 and 1971, is expected to be held at the college on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Mt Albert Grammar have signed Shalom Senara as their new First XV head coach. Senara was previously assistant coach at St Kentigern and has a history of having worked with North Harbour, Auckland Marist and Moana Pasifika teams.
Matamata College have joined the Central North Island First XV competition for 2026.
It’s a move which reflects the college’s growing rugby programme and comes after they won the Waikato Secondary School’s First Division Championship, going through the season undefeated.
Last month, Matamata coach Alex Bradley was named Secondary Schools Coach of the Year award at the Waikato Rugby Awards, while forwards Zayden Bradley and Ben Murray were named in the 2025 Waikato U18 team.
In 1973, Matamata had possibly the best First XV in New Zealand. They beat the 1A Auckland champions, Mt Albert Grammar, at Eden Park. Under George Simpkin, later a legendary coach for Waikato, Fiji and Sri Lanka, Matamata won 109 out of 134 matches.