Schools turn out for kapa haka contest
PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH
He Waka Kotuia (King's and Queen's high schools, above) competes in the Te Hautoka kapa haka contest at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin yesterday.
Fourteen groups — including Trinity Catholic College and Bayfield High School — from secondary schools across the South took part in the event that is held every two years.
Results from the qualifying Te Hautoka kapa haka contest held at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin yesterday.—
Groups to represent Otago/Southland at Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua nationals in Tauranga next year: Te Wharekura o Arowhenua (Invercargill), 1; He Waka Kōtuia (King's and Queen's high schools), 2.
Trinity Catholic College.
Non-aggregate.—
Kākahu (outfit): Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; Te Matahīapo (Waitaki Girls' and Waitaki Boys' high schools, St Kevin's Collage, East Otago High School, Hampden Intermediate), 2; Tianara Hakena (James Hargest College) and He Waka Kōtuia, equal-3.
Kaitātaki wahine (female leader): Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; Ngā Ara Wai (Mount Aspiring,College, Wakatipu High School, Dunstan High School, Cromwell College, Roxburgh Area School), 2; He Waka Kōtuia, 3.
Kaitātaki Tāne (male leader): Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; He Waka Kōtuia, 2; Te Matahīapo, 3.
Waiata Tira (choral): He Waka Kōtuia, 1; Te ihi o Māruawai (Māruawai College, Gore), 2; Wairua Pūhou (Otago Boys' and Otago Girls' high schools), 3.
Bayfield High School.
Aggregate.—
Whakaeke (entrance item): Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; He Waka Kōtuia, 2; Te Matahīapo, 3.
Mōteatea (lament): Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; He Waka Kōtuia, 2; Te Matahīapo, 3.
Waiata-a-ringa (action song): Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; He Waka Kōtuia, 2; Te Matahīapo, 3.
Poi: Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; He Waka Kōtuia, 2; Te Matahīapo, 3.
Haka: Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, 1; He Waka Kōtuia, 2; Te Ihi o Māruawai, 3.
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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
First XV rugby: Liston College stun King's in dramatic Auckland 1A upset
On a day when St Kentigern College became the new leaders with a fierce 48-26 win over St Peter's College and Sacred Heart College edged Kelston Boys' High School to maintain third place, Liston produced their best Cinderella moment yet (indeed, they often got to the ball first) in what is steadily unfolding as a fairy-tale season. Liston sub Josiah Fuaaletoelau scores his last-minute winning try against King's College. Photo / Bruce Holloway With six wins to date, Liston have morphed from previously unfancied also-rans into giant-killers – and their latest effort against King's reeked of character, determination and belief, even if victory was only snatched with the final play of the game. While St Kentigern now sit three points clear at the top and are perhaps overall title favourites, Liston, coached by a highly respected figure in former Waitematā club captain Rory Lord, have in one sense eclipsed everybody else by becoming the wider human-interest story of the 1A season. King's and Liston have quite diverse college characteristics, but share a common pursuit of enterprising rugby. King's, a highly resourced and pre-eminent Auckland institution, are historically familiar with success and chasing their 17th 1A title this year. But Liston – a smaller, 78-year-younger Catholic boy's school situated so deep in the boondocks of Henderson that many King's alumni might struggle to locate it, even with a GPS in the Range Rover – have never so much as made the semifinals. However, that could finally be changing this year, given they now sit four points clear of fifth-placed Kelston High School with three rounds to play. Compare that with their modest history of finishing 10th in 2022, eighth in 2023, and seventh in 2024. With time up on Saturday and Liston trailing by four points, but optimistically camped in King's territory, it was time for The Late, Late Show at Rathgar Rd. King's carelessly knocked the ball on near their own 22. There was nothing subtle nor complicated about Liston's response, as from the scrum, they duly worked their way forward, one muscular phase after another. Finally, replacement loosie Josiah Fuaaletoelau, bearing the facial grimace of someone auditioning to be a Braveheart extra, left tacklers sprawling in his wake as he made a gladiatorial charge over the final 10m to inspire an explosion of sideline joy. For good measure, Conrad Chaston converted, the whistle went and the crowd invaded. Liston sub Josiah Fuaaletoelau is congratulated by teammates after scoring the winning try against King's College. Photo / Bruce Holloway 'We gave you what you wanted – and what we wanted as well,' said Liston skipper Mitchell Veatupu in thanking exuberant home fans at fulltime, as players and families took selfies. King's had trailed 13-7 at halftime, but then looked to have weathered the storm midway through the second spell, when they carved out an 11-point lead. Earlier, King's made a bright start when athletic flanker Johan Schaumkell charged down a clearing kick and won the chase to the line. King's flanker Johan Schaumkell's charge-down a kick from Liston's Max Stocker led to the match's opening try. Photo / Bruce Holloway But Liston responded through a Veatupu try in the tight and eked out a handy lead through two Max Stocker penalties, the second from near halfway. Six minutes into the second spell, King's seized the lead back with a try to prop Keneti Fanuatanu. King's then further showed their class when they took a quick-tap free kick from well within their 22, spun the ball wide and surged 85m for skipper Marco Miln to score under the posts and convert for a 21-13 lead. With 15 minutes remaining, Miln kicked a further penalty, taking his personal tally for the day to 14 points – and his team to a 24-13 lead. At this point, King's looked set to wind the clock down and kill the game off, like all good table-topping teams do. But Liston had different ideas and hard-working lock Micah Fuimaono forced his way over with a bruising try to reduce the deficit to four. That in turn fuelled Liston's belief for the final assault. Liston First XV skipper Mitchell Veatupu speaks to his school's supporters after their victory over King's. Photo / Bruce Holloway For Liston, centre Jonathan Simote was a major first-half influence with his bustling runs while flanker Daniel Lawrence's commitment was almost dangerously unwavering and blindside Sione Katoa was also a major influence in the final result. Fullback Chaston played his part with two conversions. It was Liston's second victory over their more illustrious rivals, but their first over any team at the top of the table. Media bans would have you believe reporting on such deeds is dangerous, unhealthy hype. But underdogs overachieving are part of the essence of sport and usually a journey rugby followers enjoy reflecting upon. It's likely there will be Liston team reunions over this in years to come. Meanwhile, Sacred Heart were relieved to beat defending champions Kelston 25-21 in an entertaining contest out west, given a serious goalkicking mismatch between the teams. While Kelston first five-eighths and rising star Max Talbot kicked two 50m-plus penalties among his 11-point haul, Sacred will reflect on a tally of three missed conversions and two not-difficult missed penalties. But Sacred nevertheless came from 14-8 down at the break and a 21-15 deficit midway through the second half to bank their seventh win of the campaign – and almost certainly a top-four berth. Kelston scored the first try of the match by spinning the ball wide from a lineout. Fullback Kiaan Hakaraia entered the backline, Sacred missed a tackle and he put left winger Tariec Mulitalo away in the corner. Kelston No 8 Satali Asolelei Fretton added a second-half try while Sacred prop Ravai Faktaufon continued his fine season with a first-half try. Supporters run on to the field after Liston beat King's College. Photo / Bruce Holloway Leaders St Kentigern have now amassed a points differential of 304 in their eight wins, averaging a winning margin of 38 points every Saturday. While their victory over St Peter's at The Cage was by a smaller margin than usual (22 points), they can be more than happy to have come out of a bruising affair relatively comfortably. A St Peter's Facebook post described the contest as 'absolute warfare'. St Kentigern prop Riley Grant-faiva, almost a cult figure at the college, was credited with four of St Kentigern's seven tries while first five-eighths Jaydon Randall added 13 points. For St Peter's, Malakai Hafoka was accurate in making two conversions and four penalties, while there were tries to centre Tua Tapua'i-Soti and sub Shannon Pai. Auckland Grammar School secured a 27-12 away win over Mt Albert Grammar to retain the Jubilee Cup for another year. There were tries to midfielder Nico Stanley, first five-eighths Rokko Walker, halfback Bobby Neels and fullback Luke Thomson, while Walker kicked seven points. After seven losses on the trot, you might say it was a blessing for De La Salle College to finally register their first win of the season, 11-10 at home to Botany Downs Secondary College. And victory was also partially due to a Blessing – left wing Blessing Toa-Elisala to be exact, after he dotted down in the 15th minute with his team's only try in a very tight contest. De La Salle's other points came from the boot of fullback Kohen Masoe with two first-half penalties. De La Salle have now risen off the bottom of the table to be replaced by Botany Downs, for whom centre Connor Bowden scored a first-half try. It was also a good week for St Paul's College, who won the Auckland premier schools rugby league final 24-0 midweek, then beat Dilworth School 33-17 on Saturday. The remarkable thing is not just that Ponsonby-based St Paul's are prepared to have a decent crack at both codes when so few of the bigger schools can be bothered, but that they do so from a total school roll of just 425. Try scorers against Dilworth included fullback Siokatame Kali, winger Sebastian Smith, prop Jones Cocker and halfback Drew Scott. The next round of matches is on July 19. Auckland 1A Points: St Kentigern 38, King's College 35, Sacred Heart 33, Liston 30, Kelston 26, Auckland Grammar 24, St Peter's 21, St Paul's 15, Mt Albert Grammar 10, Dilworth 7, De La Salle 5, Botany Downs 3. Hamilton Boys' find winning form Hamilton Boys' High School look a different team when they have skipper Alex Arnold on the pitch. That was one conclusion to be drawn from Hamilton ending an uncharacteristic three-game losing trot with a much-needed and tightly contested 15-7 away win over defending Super 8 champions Tauranga Boys' College. Arnold is the heart and soul of the defending national champions and certainly made his presence felt after having been out with injury in Hamilton's previous three losses. The blindside flanker was huge on defence and disrupted the opposition's lineout. He carried strongly all day as his team controlled the tempo slightly more. In the only scoring play of the first half, it was his good work, along with prop Deon Fifita, that engineered an opening for No 8 Corban Dunlop in the 24th minute. Dunlop crashed forward, and after he wasn't held, found further traction to burst over the line, with Jackson Botherway converting. The game was back in the balance when fleet-footed Tauranga fullback Tommy 'Ethereal' McQuoid intercepted a Hamilton backline move and – with the college's big band setting down a rhythm accompaniment – spectacularly sprinted 60m to score under the posts in the 54th minute. But in the final five minutes, Hamilton conjured up two tries. In the 65th minute second five-eighths Max Kara – who had also been terrific on defence – surged down the left wing, sold the dummy and scored in the corner. And while Botherway couldn't convert, the icing for Hamilton came just minutes later when sub Caleb Grice spotted a hole in the defence and four phases later Dunlop made the game safe with his second try. For Hamilton there was another huge game from prop Liam Der Heyden, while for Tauranga halfback Will Baker was lively. Even with the win, Hamilton are languishing in fifth place on the table, with their final two matches away to Gisborne on July 19 and then at home to Hastings a week later. So it is a tough proposition for them to make the Super 8 final, which means their win over Tauranga was probably cheered more loudly in Rotorua and Hastings than anywhere else. Hamilton and Tauranga contest the Don Clarke Boot. Before Super 8, the schools shared 18 wins apiece. In the first six years of Super 8, the ledger stood even at 3-3. Since 2004, Tauranga's only Super 8 victories over Hamilton have been in 2009, 2021 and 2024. Rotorua retain the Moascar Cup Rotorua Boys' High School have retained the Moascar Cup after an exemplary first-half display of wet-weather rugby, trouncing Napier Boys' High School 29-7 after trailing 22-0 at halftime. Rotorua scored four tries in the opening stanza, kicking supremely and mauling like a rapid submarine on a slushy field. Hooker Bronson Van der Heyden, lock Hunter Weaver, and loose forwards Jake Hutchings and Te Ariki Rogers were the headline writers in an imperious forward effort. Rotorua's five try scorers were winger Luke Rakuraku, sulphur-skipping fullback Tokoaitua Owen, blindside flanker Solomone Mailulu, lock Luke Worsp and Van der Heyden. Industrious hooker Riley Mullany scored Napier's solitary try. No 8 Carter Pirie was determined throughout. Rotorua hadn't beaten Napier since 2021, while the 22-point margin of victory is their largest since a 47-7 thrashing in 2019. Super 8 points: Palmerston North 24, Rotorua 20, Tauranga 17, Hastings 16, Hamilton 13, Napier 7, New Plymouth 5, Gisborne 4. Rosmini still leading in North Harbour The top four teams in Kyocera-sponsored North Harbour competition all had comfortable wins ahead of the holiday break and nobody else looks capable of forcing a semifinal berth. Leaders Rosmini College beat Massey High School 40-7, though the biggest excitement there as of Monday morning was the fact the North Harbour Rugby website was still incorrectly suggesting that Massey had won 7-0. Westlake Boys High School had a seven-try, 45-0 away win over bottom-placed Orewā College, while Whangārei Boys' High won 50-15 at home to Mahurangi College. The biggest contributor to victory was centre Kawana Te Iringa with a hat-trick of first-half tries, while first-five Loky Chapman scored two for Mahurangi. Elsewhere, Rangitoto College resoundingly beat Takapuna Grammar 31-7. Points: Rosmini 44, Westlake 43, Whangarei 38, Rangitoto 33, Massey 20, Mahurangi 16, Takapuna Grammar 6, Ōrewa 1. St Peter's Cambridge on target to finish top in Central North Island Life is good at St Peter's School in Cambridge. So much so that First XV coach Carl Perry was able to head off for a holiday break in Fiji this week, warmed by the knowledge that his well-rounded team are all but certain to finish top in the Central North Island championship and earn a home semifinal, following their eye-catching 47-38 away win over second-placed Lindisfarne College. St Peter's are three points clear with just a home game against pointless St John's Hastings to play and signs that they still have plenty of attacking ammo left for the playoffs. 'I'm more than happy with how we have tracked,' Perry said from a deck chair outside his Fiji resort bure, as turquoise waters gently stroked the white sand along an idyllic stretch of pristine beach. 'We've had a one-week focus, with a plan for every opponent, but against Lindisfarne it was just a ding-dong battle.' Perry was non-committal on whether he would be buying any duty-free cigars upon his return to New Zealand, but his team certainly impressed in kicking on from a 26-28 halftime deficit with a strong second half. It helped that St Peter's had skipper Izzy Kamana back in the fold at second five-eighths and he chipped in with three tries, while immediately outside him Flynn Morey picked up two and halfback Luca Morrison one. Year 11 hooker James Powell also got on the scoresheet. First five-eighths Alapati Tusa Soagia (who has featured in a Warriors development team) put St Peter's into the right areas while up front prop Jackson Edwards and blindside Ollie Barnes had strong games. Alapati Tusa Soagia in action with the Warriors development side. Photo / Photosport Meanwhile Feilding High School, with a couple of games in hand, now look a good bet for a home semifinal against Lindisfarne in weeks to come. Central North Island points: St Peter's 34 (7 matches), Lindisfarne 31 (8 matches), Feilding (6 matches) 27, Wesley 18 (6 matches), St Paul's 15 (6 matches), Whanganui 12 (6 matches), St John's Hamilton 11 (7 matches), Francis Douglas 6, St John's Hastings 0. Quadrangular Tournament standouts The convivial atmosphere of the Quad always fosters enthusiastic discussions about emerging talent. Proud parents, curious alumni, representative selectors, and professional agents closely observe four schools that have collectively produced 97 All Blacks (which accounts for 8% of the 1223 ever selected) engaging in healthy speculation about who might be the next star. If there were a player of the tournament this year, it would be difficult to overlook Tom Perkins, the Nelson College captain (see golden cap comments below). However, his similarly striking colleague, Will Horncastle, also made a sizeable impact at a lock. Hooker Jack Potter is known for his straightforward approach, as is loosehead prop Tawhiao Te Kotua. Centre Flynn Simkin was efficient in a workmanlike backline. The Wellington College scrum was immovable, anchored by Julius Toimata and Hyrum Betham. However, the real power came from the back row, featuring Z'Kdeus Schwalger and Dru Faletolu. Faletolu is a massive improver in recent showings, colliding into opponents with the force of a missile. Swathed in bandages, captain and centre Carisma Faitala was both inspirational and elusive. Christ's College looked to comparatively undersized Alf Markham for leadership. The technically proficient and tireless blindside was a Crusaders U18 representative in 2024 and could be joined by industrious prop Tom Hazeldine and hard-edged South African hooker Jan-Adriaan Van Wyk. Christ's midfield lacked punch, so Gavin Holder enthralled the first-day crowd with his best impersonation of Damian McKenzie. Whanganui Collegiate conceded 84 points in two matches, but their effort couldn't be faulted. James Olds alternated seamlessly between lock and No 8, while second five-eighths Jonathan Solomona exhibited silky skills. Block prop Rory Nugent-O'Leary lost his shorts early in the second half against Christ's, and with no replacement available, sniggering echoed from the surrounding embankment. But Nugent-O'Leary didn't complain. He continued making tackles, carried the ball with gusto, and even threw in a couple of lineouts. New Zealand Schools coach Paul Tito noticed his perseverance, but it's unlikely such slapstick would be seen at a higher level. Perhaps All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, who also attended part of the tournament, could at least arrange a pair of complementary Jockeys for the lad. What an effort. A golden cap for Tom Perkins The closing afternoon tea of the 99th annual quadrangular tournament at Christ's College featured a glossy video produced by the Whanganui Collegiate marketing department (schools have those, these days), inviting guests to centenary celebrations in 2026 while trumpeting the legacy of the longstanding tourney. And Tom Perkins has left his indelible mark on that legacy by winning the tournament twice and captaining Nelson to glory in 2025. Tom Perkins, the Nelson College First XV captain. Photo / Supplied Nelson topped Whanganui Collegiate 43-17 and Wellington College 31-24 to triumph for the 26th time last week. Furthermore, the strapping lock or loose forward boats a gold cap with his school uniform. He has played 38 games for the First XV – quadruple the number of games required to earn a standard cap, which is nine. 'To get a gold cap, you have to play every game for three seasons, essentially, and even some playoffs,' Perkins explained. 'I was lucky to debut in Year 11 and played all the games last year when we won the Quad in Nelson and got second in New Zealand. 'When I got my gold cap, there was a video from those who also got it. Harry Inch, Ollie Gibbons, Ollie Inch, Samaki Samaki, Teina Thompson, Zyon Ford, William Havilii and Jack McDonald-Hill, our current physio, congratulated me. That was so special, massive actually. They're amazing players.' Perkins is one of just five returnees from Nelson's generational 2024 team that stampeded their way to the South Island title and made their first National Top Four final. The 2024 Nelson College First XV with their spoils, South Island champions and Moascar Cup holders. Photo / Tasman Rugby Union Such an exodus of talent necessitated a positional switch for Perkins alongside greater influence in an inexperienced team that is growing. 'I was a lock last year, where my primary role was to secure lineouts, kickoffs and hit rucks. 'This season I've got more of a license to roam wider and carry while being the best leader I can be.' In the Quad final win over Wellington College, Perkins scored a try and secured the last turnover, which extinguished Wellington's bold comeback from 24-7 down. 'I saw the ball pop out and thought I've got to go for it. When the whistle blew, I wasn't sure if the call was for me or against me. My eyes were shut, and my heart was racing. It was such a relief to get the rub of the green. 'Their backline was always a threat, especially their centre, who kept carving us up. They were a lot more physical than South Island teams, who typically play faster and use the ball more to avoid contact. 'It was a turning point when they scored first after half time. They got momentum and showed we were too relaxed. I had to get the boys together and remind them to stay focused.' Perkins said this was where the leadership group helped, breaking the game down into manageable parts, collaborating and building trust. 'We've lost a few games this year, but our defence at the end shows we're headed in the right direction. 'It was awesome to get a try in the final. Basically, the boys did the mahi up the middle, and I found myself on the edge unmarked.' Perkins, who enjoys English, business, and health science, rated All Blacks Rugby World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw as his rugby role model. 'Richie trained with us earlier in the year and it was surreal. He said, 'Do the things you don't like more, all the little extras like running when you can't be bothered or training small faults in your game that don't seem like a big deal'.' An older brother, Charlie, captained Nelson to Quad success in 2020. One-sided contests in Wellington Half of the 30 matches in the Wellington Premiership have been decided by 20 points or more, and this trend of one-sided matches continued in round six. On Wednesday, unblemished leaders St Patrick's College, Silverstream, crushed Hutt International Boys' School 78-12. Hibs were competitive for half an hour, holding the Catholics to 17-12 before the floodgates opened. Tries for Silverstream were scored by Ashton Steere, Abraham Smith, William Davis, Riley Browne, Jahvan Hunt, Axel Daken, Taylor Moananu, Ryder Thompson, Elijah Solomona, Kingston Hill and Corus Taylor Lefao (2). Fletcher Cooper converted nine times. St Patrick's College, Wellington, remained in second place, overpowering St Bernard's College 43-15 on a muddy pitch. First-five Gia Johnston continued his impressive form. Captain and openside Ethan Lepou was influential, as were front-rowers Anesi Taliau and Herman Tuia-Va'aua, who repeatedly made powerful runs. Speedsters Zack Kimmins and Ashton Hamer were active and each scored tries. For St Bernard's, Captain TJ Fonoti led by example, and Arlo Cross provided spark at first-five eighths. An injury-hit Wellington College narrowly beat Wairarapa College 29-14 in a potentially fraught fixture in Masterton. Despite numerous changes to their starting XV from Thursday's Quad final, Wellington prevailed with two tries from hooker Noah Aliva. Rathkeale College defeated Tawa College 75-12 after leading 46-0 at halftime. In their first Wellington season, Rathkeale have won four of six matches and, with fixtures against lower-ranked Scots College and St Bernard's College, they have a strong chance of reaching the semifinals. Scots College retained the John Fiso-Dave Meaclem for the 11th year running, narrowly beating winless Rongotai College 13-11. Wellington Tranzit Coachlines Cup points: Silverstream 29, St Pat's Town 26, Wellington 25, Hibs 21, Rathkeale 18, Scots 11, Wairarapa 10, Tawa 7, St Bernards 5, Rongotai 4. Big wins for Christchurch Boys' High Flanker Jonty Leary led the way with three tries as Miles Toyota Premiership leaders Christchurch Boys' High School continued their perfect season with a 87-3 demolition of Rangiora High School. Lock Dylan Giles and second five-eighths Nikao Panapa grabbed a brace in the 13-try extravaganza, while winger Hanroux Wessels accounted for 15 points and sub Cam Jones12 points. That win came after an equally convincing 45-14 victory midweek over Otago Boys' High at Littlebourne, in which winger Jones scored two tries and kicked three conversions. The turning point in the contest came after 10 minutes with a 70m try from centre Will Brown after an encouraging start from the hosts. Leary and prop Sam Hewitt delivered dynamic performances. The traditional rivalry, which dates back to 1894, now sees Christchurch holding a 58-48 overall advantage, having won the last four encounters. This current winning streak is their best since achieving six consecutive victories between 2003 and 2008, which included a record win of 44-0 in 2006. Second-placed Marlborough Boys' College also made it eight from eight by beating Selwyn Combined 38-17 while Shirley Boys' High School moved up a spot with a 36-22 win over St Bede's College. Third-placed St Thomas of Canterbury enjoyed their biggest winning margin of the season in beating St Andrew's College 51-5, and scoring eight tries Miles Toyota Premiership points: Christchurch 40, Marlborough 39, St Thomas 28, Nelson 24 (7 matches), St Andrew's 20, Shirley 18, Christ's 15, St Bede's 13, Selwyn 13, Rangiora 2. Southland Boys' still unbeaten - but only just Southland Boys' High School remain unbeaten in the Freeman Roofing Southern Schools Rugby Championship after overcoming King's High School 15-12 in a mammoth tussle for the Mitch Pereira Memorial Trophy in Dunedin. Pereira was a promising rugby player from Invercargill who attended King's and tragically passed away from bowel cancer in 2019. King's injury-depleted squad is now largely healed, but was left to lament a sluggish start and a wobbly lineout in yet another slender setback against the 2023 national champions. In 86 inter-school matches, Southland have won 54 times compared to King's 22 victories. The last of their nine draws occurred in 2022. Southland started assertively casting an anchor inside King's half, maintaining a polished preservation of possession. King's resistance was stubborn until lock Jack McKeay powered over after ample phases. Clean breaks from Zeke Siolo, Charlie Byrne, and Luka Salesa went unrewarded as the visitors turned with a 7-0 advantage at the break. A Jimmy Taylor kick was regathered skilfully by Siolo, who dotted down in the corner to make it 12-0 with 25 minutes remaining. Following the subsequent restart, Southland pressed hard again, but impatience led to a turnover and a lapse in discipline. A raft of penalties awarded to King's from scrums allowed imperious tighthead Henry Hunter to score a try from a quick tap, with Lafa Tofiga adding the conversion, bringing the score to 12-7. Southland wrestled back the initiative when openside Josh Cairns was held up over the line. But after the dropout was fumbled, King's rallied, and halfback Jaxon Moeahu slithered over for a try. Deadlocked at 12-12, Southland forced a penalty and Taylor calmly slotted the goal for a 15-12 advantage. McKeay burgled a plethora of lineouts and snaffled the last steal for Southland as King's, despite growing momentum, fell short. Montell Penese was the best on the ground. The King's openside had previously only played 10 minutes of rugby in 2025, yet he produced a hefty tackle count and won a ton of turnovers. Southland have stretched their competition-winning streak to 18 successive games. In other Division one matches, John McGlashan College edged past Southland Second XV 18-15, with captain Oscar Crowe scoring 13 points. Otago Boys' High School overpowered St Kevin's College 43-5. Freeman Roofing Southern Schools Championship points: Southland 9, Otago 9, King's 6, John McGlashan 5, Southland Second XV 1, St Kevin's 0. # Disagree with anything here? We welcome alternative viewpoints. Email us at nzschoolboyrugby@
Otago Daily Times
2 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
New 150ha ski basin opens
Members of Dunedin's He Waka Kōtuia group, Bianca Carvalho (left) and Ripeka Potiki, enjoy the snow near the Soho Basin before performing the karakia and kapa haka at the opening ceremony. Photos: Rawan Saadi Cardrona is officially home to the largest skifield in the country after the grand opening of a new basin. Cardrona Alpine Resort held the opening ceremony for the long-awaited Soho Basin on Sunday. The event was attended by local iwi, dignitaries and Cardrona staff. The 150ha of new terrain has taken over a decade to complete, and includes a new chairlift and retail building. Cardrona declined to say how much was spent in total on the project, other than to say $50 million had been spent on upgrading it in the past year. A view of the Soho Basin terrain from the new Soho Express lift. The basin was celebrated yesterday with a karakia from representatives of Ngāi Tahu and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Real NZ chief executive Dave Beeche said it was a big milestone in Cardrona's history. "[This is] an important turning of the page in its new chapter, making it New Zealand's largest skifield." Other speakers said the extended field presented a myriad of benefits for the local economy, tourism and athletic development. The basin's slopes will include both groomed runs and off-piste areas, making it appealing to both intermediate and advanced skiers. Queenstown Lakes District deputy mayor Quentin Smith is eager to celebrate the new basin. Wānaka Snow Sports Club committee member Bonny Teat said the new terrain would bring more opportunities for the club's athletes and spread the load evenly across the mountain. "It means that our athletes get so much more terrain that they can have for themselves," she said. "The alpine racers have their own pistes, the freeskiers have their jumps and now the freeriders have got more stuff to go for," she said. Tourism Minister Louise Upton said the efforts of everyone involved in the project meant the field would become even more of a destination for thousands of New Zealanders and would ensure the area would attract more visitors from across the globe. After the ribbon was cut, the new Soho Express chairlift was open for attendees to take a ride and get a bird's eye view of the new terrain. Despite the weekend's snow, the basin still required a further 10cm-15cm on its base before it could open to the public, a spokeswoman said.
Otago Daily Times
22-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
St Kevin's show competitive ability
Photo: file Perhaps the co-educational schools are finally closing the gap in the Southern Schools Rugby Championship. St Kevin's stuck with King's for 35 minutes in a division 1 game at Kettle Park on Thursday. They went into the break tied 12-12. King's finished strongly to seal a 36-12 win. St Kevin's coach Justin Fowler was partially satisfied with the effort. "We were definitely happy with that first half," he said. "I think we controlled territory quite well and we had a couple of try-scoring opportunities which we capitalised on. "Defensively, we weren't too bad either. "But just in the second half, I think we lost our way a little bit by doing too much in the half. We put ourselves under pressure." Powerhouse No 8 Siu Fisipuna carried strongly and got St Kevin's over the advantage line, while openside Sam Fluksa covered a lot of ground. First five Lachlan Neal shone in the opening half. "We probably have [bridged the gap a bit]. But, look, it is early days for us. But we're pretty excited with what we've got, we've just got to sort of limit our mistakes." St Kevin's play Waitaki Boys' in the Blood Match this Saturday and will back up on Sunday with a game against Otago Boys', which is a big ask. In the other division 1 games this round, Otago Boys' beat John McGlashan 17-12 at Logan Park, and Southland Boys' beat Southland Boys' 2nds 63-5. In division 2, Wakatipu edged rivals Mt Aspiring 22-21 in Queenstown, Waitaki Boys' posted a 43-36 win over Dunstan in Oamaru, and South Otago beat Otago Boys' 2nds 27-14 in Dunedin. In division 3, Taieri College beat Cromwell 26-17 in Mosgiel, Central Southland recorded a 32-17 win over Māruawai/Menzies in Winton, and King's 2nds beat John McGlashan 2nds 28-26 at Bishopscourt.
