Grammar goes from brawl to bawl

Auckland Grammar players are consoled by their supporters after losing 11-43 to Mt Albert Grammar. Photo / Herald on Sunday

For Auckland Grammar it all ended in tears. After a week of being painted as the hard boys of school sport, they were left sobbing after being thrashed in the secondary school rugby final yesterday.

The rugby final against Mt Albert Grammar School's 1st XV at Auckland's Eden Park was subdued, with a 43-11 win to Mags in front of a crowd of 6000.

The loss came a week after a semifinal brawl between Grammar and Kelston Boys' High School in which up to 100 players and supporters clashed.

In the fallout, four Grammar boys were suspended from playing for six weeks while five Kelston students received bans of 10 to 16 months.

Yesterday, a stand of seating was kept empty to divide the two schools. Both teams' reserve players sat on the opposite side of the field to the crowd.

Security guards and police spoke to a handful of students for egging the crowd on or chucking rubbish. Police handcuffed one boy after a streaker, in grey underpants, ran out from the Mags' seating.

"The boys played their hearts out," said Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris. "I'm very proud of the boys. Today they showed what the school's about."