Collegiate School played big role in NZ rugby

Collegiate School is hosting the 96th New Zealand quadrangular college rugby tournament next week. Photo / Bevan Conley

When Stephen Perofeta was last week named to play against Ireland next month he became the fourth Whanganui-born Collegiate School-educated All Black.

The school, which is hosting the 96th New Zealand quadrangular college rugby tournament next week, has provided four Whanganui-born All Blacks over the past 129 years.

Whanganui's previous WCS-educated NZ internationals, who were also born in the city, were halfback Andrew Donald (20 matches between 1981-84), winger Arthur Bullock-Douglas (15 games 1932-34), and hooker Peter Murray (One game v 1908 visiting Anglo-Welsh team).

Taranaki has provided four of Collegiate's 15 All Blacks including the first two — the highly talented Good Brothers, Alan (1893) and Hugh (1894), from Urenui.

They were not only fine wing three quarters but also top-class track and field athletes who had the rare distinction of both winning senior titles at the 1898 New Zealand athletic championships at Cooks Gardens.

Because Taranaki did not possess a championship club in those days both Alan (born in 1867) and Hugh (1871) represented the host Wanganui club.

It was the first time the nationals had been held in Wanganui with Alan Good winning the long jump with a distance of 19ft 9.5in and Hugh the high jump with a height of 5ft 5.78in.

Most capped of the WCS Taranaki All Blacks was Hawera-born second five James (Jimmy) Hunter with 45 NZ games between 1905-08 including test skipper in Australia before the incredible 1905-06 tour of the British Isles (34 wins and a controversial 3-0) loss to Wales.

Another Collegiate Taranaki All Black, hooker Roger Boon, a replacement to South Africa in 1960 for injured Ron Hemi, was to become a Whanganui selector-coach 22 years later.

Longest serving WCS All Black was Manawatu lock Sam Strahan with 45 NZ matches between 1967-73.

Wellington-born halfback David Kirk, who wore All Black colours while playing for Otago and Auckland between 1983-87, including scoring a try when captaining New Zealand to beat France 29-9 in the l989 World Cup final at Eden Park, wore the Silver Fern 39 times.

The next most capped WCS All Blacks were Jimmy Hunter with 36 appearances, Gisborne-born Otago prop Mark Irwin (26) and Andrew Donald (20).

Collegiate's 15 All Blacks and the years they represented NZ —
Allan Good (1893) — Taranaki. Born Urenui 1867. Three-quarter. Four NZ caps to Australia. NZ long jump champion 1898.
Hugh Good (1894) — Taranaki. Born Urenui 1871. Three-quarter. One cap v NSW. NZ high jump champion 1898.
John Blair (1897) — Wanganui-Kaierau, Born Porirua 1872. Forward. Nine games in Australia. 33 games for Wanganui (1890-1900)
James Hunter (1905-08) — Taranaki. Born Hawera 1879. 2nd Five. 36 NZ caps. Captain to Australia 1905. Toured British Isles 1905. Played v Anglo-Welsh tourists 1908.
Peter Murray (1908) — Wanganui-WHSOB. Born Wanganui 1884. Hooker. One game v Anglo-Welsh. 39 games for Wanganui (1901-09).
Stanley Siddells (1921) — Wellington. Born Wellington 1897. Winger. One game v South Africa. Wanganui-WCOB rep 1914-15 (2 games).
Jack Tuck (1929) — Waikato. Born Tikokino 1907.Utility back. Six games in Australia.
George (Arthur) Bullock-Douglas (1932-34) — Wanganui-Wang & OB). Born Wanganui 1911. Winger. 15 games, 15 tries, two trips to Australia. 28 games for Wanganui 1931-36.
Mark Irwin (1955-60) — Otago. Born Gisborne 1935. Prop. 25 games v Australia, British Isles and South Africa.
Roger Boon (1960) — Taranaki. Born New Plymouth 1935. Replacement hooker for injured Ron Hemi (Waikato). Six games in South Africa. Wanganui selector-coach 1982-84.
Sam Strahan (1967-73) — Manawatu. Born Palmerston North 1944. Lock. 45 games v Australia, France, South Africa, England.
Andrew Jefferd (1980-81) — East Coast. Born Gisborne 1953. 2nd Five. Five games v Fiji, Scotland and South Africa.
Andrew Donald (1981-84) — Wanganui — Ohakune. Born Wanganui 1957. Halfback. 20 matches v Romania, France, England, Scotland, Australia, Fiji.118 games Wanganui 1975-86.
David Kirk (1983-87) — Otago-Auckland. Born Wellington 1960. Halfback. 34 games v England, Scotland, Australia, France. Captain 1987 NZ World Cup champion team.
Stephen Perofeta (2022) — Taranaki. Born Whanganui 1997. Named to play touring Irish team. Whanganui rep 2017 while at Collegiate (7 rep games).

150th Milestone

It is fitting that the 150th jubilee of the Wanganui and OB Rugby Club should be held next week to coincide with the 96th annual quadrangular college tournament at Collegiate School.

There has been a close association between the club (founded on July 20, 1872) and school where rugby was first played in 1882.

Two of Collegiate's locally born 15 All Blacks — 1908 hooker Peter Murray and 1932-34 winger Arthur Bullock-Douglas — were amongst the club's five New Zealand representatives as was 1921 Wellington-born winger Stanley Siddells who also schooled at Collegiate.

The other Wanganui club All Blacks were 1896 winger Peter McDonnell v Queensland; 1905-08 winger Mona Thomson v Australia, in the UK, France and America; and 1972 prop Sandy McNicol v France.

Wanganui club players who later became All Blacks were 1931 Wellington winger Kelly Ball, 1922-25 Buller winger Snowy Svenson and 1913-20 Wellington five-eighths James Tilyard.

The most capped WHSOB Whanganui rep players included 1976 North Island lock Graeme Coleman 144 (1973-83), Kerry Whale 100 (1985-88 including Hua and Taihape), 1974 All Black trialist John Knofflock 91 (1970-77), John Karatau 62 (1953-59), Bo Cox 61 (1969-87), Jock Fitchet 59 (1951-63) and Trevor Stent 50 (1957-51).

The club, which won its first club title in 1889, won 14 championships before the start of combined competitions in 1959 and since union-wide series commenced in 1978 won the title in 1985 and in 1990 (as Wanganui Counties).

Wanganui withdrew from local premier rugby in 2001 but fielded junior grade teams until four years ago.

There will be a 20-a-side social match at Collegiate School at 2pm on Tuesday for former club members and Collegiate 2nd XV players.

A meeting will be held to discuss the future of the club.

Rough Sailing

The staging of the 96th quadrangular college tournament at Whanganui Collegiate School next week brings back reflections of the first recorded school match Collegiate was involved in.

It was an away game against Wellington College in 1885, three years after the first mention of Collegiate school teams and five years before the inaugural tournament (then triangular) was held.

The 1885 game in the Capital was played during the last year before the railway was completed and the Collegiate team sailed by sea on the Huia, leaving on a Tuesday and arriving the next day.

It was a very rough sailing along the coast with so much buffeting of the players that the game was postponed until the Friday to enable the travellers to recover. They were well beaten 24-0.

Five years later Collegiate beat Wellington 1-0 (by a goal) at the first triangular tournament, won by Christ's College who beat Collegiate 1-0.

The following year Collegiate beat Wellington 8-0 and won the tournament title for the first time in 1892.

Collegiate has been involved in busy inter-college fixtures over the years including first matches against Wellington 1885, St Pat's 1887, Christ's 1890, Nelson 1891, Otago BHS 1894 and Te Aute 1897 before the turn of the century,

Nelson joined the college tourney ranks in 1925 and next week is seeking to win the title for a fourth successive year after edging out Christ's 27-25 in the final on home soil in 2021.

Collegiate, beaten 41-14 by Nelson last year and 24-15 winners over Wellington in the minor final, plays Christ's at 2pm in the first round on Monday preceded by Nelson v Wellington at 12.30.

Wellington has won or shared the title 38 times, Nelson 27, Collegiate 21 and Christ's17 times.

Shield at stake

Main interest in the penultimate qualifying round of the Tasman Tanning Whanganui premier club championship on Saturday will centre on Dallison Park.

Both visitors Byford's Readimix Taihape (29 pts) and hosts Waverley Harvesting Border (22) are already assured of hosting semifinals on July 9.

The prize for this weekend is the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield which Taihape has held all season including an earlier 77-7 home thrashing of thunder-struck Border.

The defending champions have recovered to win twice in the past fortnight but will need to be in top form to have any chance of containing unbeaten Taihape.

Border has one card up its sleeve — it has never lost at home to Taihape since returning from Taranaki in 2011. That will be a very difficult record to maintain this weekend.

There will also be plenty of interest in the Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri v, Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau encounter a few miles away up the Waitotara Valley.

The sides are third equal with 11 points and the result looks certain to decide which way the clubs travel for the semifinals.

Ngamat, beaten 30-12 by Border last Saturday, beat Kaierau 57-41 in the first round but the maroons played well to beat Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 32-19 in a key match last weekend.

In the tightly-bunched senior championship Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau take the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield away to tackle McCarthy Transport Ruapehu; top of the table Ali Arc Solutions-TD Brick & Block Marist Celtic are away to J J Walters Marton; and Ratana host Black Bull Liquor Pirates.

Bennett's Taihape (v McCrea Scanning Counties) and Kelso Hunterville (v Utiku OB) have senior consolation home fixtures with Marist Buffalos on bye weekend.