Cullinane College players Sam Monaghan and Brett Cameron were victorious in the inaugural national Catholic School 1st XV on Saturday afternoon as they defeated a Wellington Centurion club XV 32-10 in the capital.
Chosen for the elite 23-player squad, selected from 49 Catholic schools around the country, midfield back Monaghanand first-five Cameron both came off the bench in the second half of what was proving a very tight game. NZ Marist rugby chief executive Tony Meachen said the pair did well as the whole team really got going later in the piece the squad having been given licence to use a bit of innovation in their play, within reason.
Meachen said the team had been supremely focused after being told before the match that, as the first wearers of a New Zealand Catholic Schools jersey, it had not been just given to them they had to earn it.
The formation of the Catholic team was driven by Marist New Zealand and Meachen said the experiment was very successful.
