Students trash rebuilt Tongan college

By KATHERINE HOBY

A Tongan college, rebuilt by New Zealand donations, has been destroyed by students from a rival school for a second time.

After a fierce rugby match between Tonga College near Nuku'alofa and Tupou College, two Tonga College students, including the captain of the first XV team, were set upon by a mob of students from Tupou College.

Buildings including the gymnasium, administration block, and dormitories, were trashed in the early morning raid.

Tonga College's truck, computers and musical instruments were also destroyed.

Estimates of damage range from $500,000 to $2 million.

New Zealand aid money and donations from Tongans living in this country rebuilt the college after the last clash between the schools five years ago.

PINA Nius news agency reported that 200 students had been summoned to appear in court on charges of wilful damage.

Tonga College's Deputy Principal, Ilai Toli, said the destruction followed several clashes between students of the two colleges after successive rugby victories by Tonga College.

Students will die during future clashes between the two colleges in a hundred-year rivalry, warns a New Zealand-based Tongan lawyer.

Nalesoni Tupou, an Auckland lawyer who also works in Tonga, said Tupou College lost a tough rugby game last week.

"The game was all right - tough but all right. But the aftermatch was not all right."

Students exchanged insults in the streets, and baited each other, he said.

When a bus carrying Tupou College students passed through the state school compound, the bus was attacked and stones hurled through windows, Mr Tupou said.

Last Tuesday night, over 200 Tupou College students left the college grounds and marshalled themselves in a military-style unit to march the 8km to Tonga College.

"They were organised. They arrived at 2am with a clear goal in mind: destruction. There was team A who were to target the gym, and team B who were to go to the dorms," Mr Tupou said.

The rugby team were sleeping in the rugby room and were woken by the noise.

The team captain, who went to investigate, was set upon by a group of students and had his arm broken. Another student was also injured.

Police arrived at the scene and detained 200 Tupou College schoolboys. Charges are yet to be laid over the incident.

Mr Tupou said the damage to the college would cost at least $500,000 to repair, but the bill could go as high as $2 million.

Tonga College is 114 years old, and Tupou College 124 years old. Mr Tupou said the rivalry had been vicious for at least 100 years.

"In the past there have been one-on-one fisticuffs but now they just aim to trash each other's gear," he said.

"And there will be retaliation for this. Someone will be killed."

With the groups involved as large as 200 students, Mr Tupou said the police force was helpless to do anything.

The rivalry was based around the rugby field and between state school (Tonga College) and church school (Tupou College).

"It goes way back and it is ugly and festering."