Tauranga Boys' College are leading the Super 8 competition. Photo / Jen Jones
Super 8 First XV rugby competition leaders Tauranga Boys’ College are a very anchored team this year.
Tauranga surged to the top of the highly competitive Super 8 competition with a 32-14 win over Palmerston North Boys’ High in the only match of the round which was not postponed because of weather conditions on Saturday.
Just as significantly, Tauranga’s rise has been built around a new cultural catch-phrase of being “anchored by values”, which the college’s rugby programme has instituted, based partially on the city’s geographical heritage.
There are four key values Tauranga expects its players to “anchor to” within the rugby programme. They are: courage, appreciation, resilience and ethics, which when combined, have starting letters that spell CARE, reflecting how the programme wants to create a culture of care.
The anchor reference reflects the fact that in Māori “Tauranga” means “a place of anchorage - a safe and settled haven”, explained Tauranga First XV coach Aidan Kuka.
“We’ve taken the ‘anchored by values’ catch-phrase and stripped it right back,” he said. “Tauranga was traditionally a safe harbour to anchor and prepare your waka [canoe] and it is something that is uniquely ours.
“We respect the Tauranga name and this season our First XV walks out onto the pitch with an anchor. It is now our identifiable symbol.”
Associated with this was an over-riding vision of representing Tauranga with distinction.
“We want to be a team the community can be proud of and connect with.”
To be fair, that’s a general proposition that applies to all Super 8 schools.
But equally, it’s hard to avoid the stark contrast with Auckland’s 1A schools, where rather than “connect”, the principals have gone in the opposite direction and steered a more insular, detached and inward-looking culture by instituting a first XV media ban.
And that’s come at the very time when competition prestige has been diminished by no longer even being the top dogs in the wider Blues region (currently Westlake Boys’ High in North Harbour).
Tauranga have finished fourth in Super 8 for the past two seasons, but with previous wins over Napier Boys’ High, New Plymouth Boys’ High, Rotorua Boys’ High and Gisborne Boys’ High, they are looking good for a berth in this year’s Super 8 final.
However, they face their biggest challenge on Thursday (June 29) at 12.35pm, when they host national champions Hamilton Boys’ High School, who sit third, four points behind but with a game in hand.
Hamilton have been a real thorn in Tauranga’s side in recent years. Last year Tauranga registered worthy victories over all the other top four national finalists - John McGlashan College, Napier Boys’ High and Westlake, as well as Canterbury champs Nelson College - and also briefly held the Moascar Cup, only to then lose it to Hamilton by three points.
“We didn’t quite fulfil our potential last year,” said Kuka, who has strong links with the school, as a teacher, an old boy and a coach in his third season after a decade under his belt elsewhere.
“Hamilton are the real powerhouse of schoolboy rugby in the country. They play to a really high standard and it is up to the rest of us to try and knock them off. It is a short turnaround for us so it is a really great challenge.
“But our boys work very hard and hold each other accountable. They have done the work and they believe in each other.”
Standout players for Tauranga so far this season have been lock Aisake Vakasiunola and fullback Landen Monks, who is also a New Zealand touch player.
“A lot of energy comes from those two.”
Another to show out has been No 8 Aidan Spratley, who scored two tries in the win over Palmerston North, and was player of the day. “He epitomises the team’s hard-working culture.”
Looking at the broader state of schoolboy rugby, Kuka fears the code has “taken a hit”.
“Our young men are not as engaged in the game any more. The invention of the internet and social media has changed the world and there is a wider range of activities.
“It was simple 30 years ago - you got into sport and you could count the choices on one hand. Now there is a whole heap of things.”
Indeed, a number of significant state schools in the Waikato-Bay of Plenty regions no longer have a first XV, while even the ongoing success of the Super 8 has its downside.
“Super 8 has become so desirable for aspirational young men and their families that they are drawn to the schools that have built their legacy through it.
“It is hard for other schools to compete with that, and the wedge between the two is probably getting bigger. However they are doing some good stuff in the Central North Island competition as well.”
With Auckland schoolboy team coaches no longer allowed to comment on issues like this, perhaps the code also suffers through less cross-pollination of leading ideas. So it becomes more important than ever for voices such as Kuka’s to be heard.
The top four schools all had comfortable wins in the latest round of Auckland 1A first XV competition and the only change at the top of the table was Kelston moving ahead of third-placed St Peter’s College on points differential after a 54-7 win over Dilworth.
St Peter’s beat Liston 20-5, and leaders St Kentigern cruised to a 44-8 win away to King’s College. The biggest win of the day was second-placed Sacred Heart College’s 73-0 away hammering of Tangaroa College. But best overall effort was De La Salle College winning 31-7 at home to Mt Albert Grammar, to move ahead of them on the table.
There are three rounds remaining in Canterbury’s Premiership and the race to avoid regulation is just as intense as the pursuit of a top-four semifinal place, Adam Julian reports.
The 10th and last-placed team are automatically regulated in a change of format from previous seasons.
Presently Timaru Boys’ High School are set for the drop. Winless in six games, and with the worst points differential in the competition, Timaru can revive their survival chances by beating ninth-placed Shirley Boys’ High School this Saturday. Shirley are only five points ahead of Timaru.
Selwyn Combined are flirting with danger in eighth place on seven points. On Friday they blew a royal chance to knock over third-placed St Thomas of Canterbury College.
Selwyn led 19-12 at halftime and relentlessly attacked the hosts’ line in the second half, only to be denied by hearty tackling and a growing quagmire. Selwyn did collect a crucial bonus point in an agonising 24-19 defeat.
Selwyn found profit with astute kicking behind the St Thomas defensive wall and were able to find gaps close to the ruck with quick switches. Hooker and captain Shaun Kempton scored a try and was busy and combative. Loose forwards Sam Stalker and Quinn Pywell thrived in the heavy conditions, as did their damaging opposites Tino Leuta and Jokini Rayalu, who made huge inroads at crucial moments.
Marlborough Boys’ College looked like they stayed on the bus in the first half at St Bede’s College. Marlborough were down 17-0 in as many minutes and trailed 31-7 at the interval.
Marlborough were conspicuously quiet and lacked intensity, falling off several tackles as they were punished by a more hungry and clinical St Bede’s outfit. St Bede’s second five-eighths Jamayne Feast was impressive in scoring two tries.
St Bede’s biggest opponent in the second half was their own lack of discipline, conceding a bundle of penalties. Marlborough found some passion and accuracy. With two minutes remaining they scored a fourth try to earn a bonus point in a 36-22 loss. Forwards Thomas Large, Will Flynn, and Ben Gibbons played with guts and effectiveness. Marlborough are nine points clear of last place.
At the opposite end of the table, Nelson College and Christchurch Boys’ High School look likely to finish first and second with St Thomas, St Bede’s, St Andrew’s College, and Christ’s College fighting for the last two semifinal spots.
Saturday’s 1A draw (Saturday 2.30pm, home team first): Tangaroa v St Kentigern; Kelston v De La Salle; Sacred Heart v Liston; Mt Albert Grammar v St Paul’s; King’s College v St Peter’s; Dilworth v Auckland Grammar. Points: St Kentigern 34, Sacred Heart 29, Kelston 28, St Peter’s 28, Auckland Grammar 25, De La Salle 21, Mt Albert Grammar 17, Liston 13, King’s College 10, Dilworth 1, St Paul’s 0, Tangaroa 0.
Super 8 draw: Tauranga v Hamilton, Thursday 12.35pm. New Plymouth v Hastings Saturday 12 noon. Points: Tauranga 19, Napier 16, Hamilton 15, Palmerston North 13, Hastings 6, Rotorua 6, Gisborne 2, New Plymouth 0.
North Harbour 1A, Round 9: Rosmini 20 Whangarei 10; Manurewa 0 Takapuna 56; Massey beat Ōrewa by default; Rangitoto 0 Westlake 54.
North Harbour draw (home team first all Saturday 12pm unless stated): Takapuna v Rosmini, Wednesday 3.30pm; Massey v Whangārei; Rangitoto v Ōrewa; Westlake v Manurewa, 1pm. Points: Westlake 44; Takapuna Grammar 34; Massey 33, Rosmini 32; Whangārei 23; Rangitoto 11; Ōrewa 5; Manurewa 0.
Central North Island: St Peter’s Cambridge 17 St Johns Hamilton 40. Points: Whanganui 31, St John’s Hamilton 27, St Paul’s 23, Feilding 22, St Peter’s 21, Wesley 19, Francis Douglas 6, St John’s Hastings 5, Lindisfarne 5, Rathkeale 1. Draw: Saturday 12 noon: Wesley College v Rathkeale College.
Wellington Premiership, Round 5: Rongotai 12 Silverstream 28; Wairarapa 7 Scots 59; Wellington 7 St Bernard’s 14; HIBS 44 Mana 3; Tawa 6 St Pat’s Town 38. Points: Scots 30, Silverstream 30, HIBS 18, Wairarapa 18, St Pats’ Town 16, Wellington 12, St Bernard’s 11, Rongotai 10, Tawa 0, Mana 0.
Canterbury Premiership, Round 5: St Bede’s College 36 Marlborough 22; Shirley 12 St Andrews 31; Selwyn 19 St Thomas 24. Points: Nelson 34, Christchurch 26, St Thomas 25, St Bede’s 19, St Andrews 19, Christ’s 15, Marlborough 10, Shirley 6, Selwyn 6, Timaru 1.
Otago Championship (Division 1) Part 2, Round 1: King’s HS 51 South Otago 7; Southland 66 John McGlashan College 21; Wakatipu HS 0 Otago 45. Points: Otago 10, Southland 10, King’s 5, John McGlashan 4, Wakatipu 1, South Otago 0.
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Christchurch Boys' High won a thrilling match against St Thomas 61-40.