College Sport: Little interest in league leads to rethink

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

A lack of interest and funding has drawn the curtains on the New Zealand secondary school rugby league championships for this year.

Planning is in place for an Australian-style knockout tournament next year.

New Zealand Rugby League national development manager Richard Bolton said only five of eight schools showed interest in the $80,000 week-long national secondary school tournament after entries closed last week. The tournament will be revamped.

Bolton said a lot of planning was required for a challenge series in each region.

The New Zealand winner would travel to Australia for the Nutrigrain Cup, where national schoolboy champions St Paul's College from Auckland have progressed to the quarter-finals - the first time a New Zealand team has been invited to the competition.

They downed a fancied St Dominic's College from Penrith 13-12 after halfback Lance Wright kicked a last second field goal in Friday's round.

Australia have yet to commit a regular place for a New Zealand team, but Bolton said the Australians were making all the right noises.

"St Paul's have shown they are worthy competitors and fantastic ambassadors, we have a review meeting coming up and Australia have shown favourable interest," he said.

More pressing for Bolton will be finding the necessary funds to transport the St Paul's team back across the Tasman for a third time, after St Paul's entered the competition with the top 32 teams.

Each trip costs about $30,000.

Bolton is confident the team will be in Australia for the quarter-final which will be played on either August 9 or 16 against either Sydney's Farrar or Blacktown High Schools.

Meanwhile, St Paul No 8 Bethnel Siosi sealed a win for the under-15 nine-a-side with a 50m solo try in the final minutes in the final against Mt Albert Grammar.

St Paul's won 30-20.

Marcellin College proved they have come of age as a rugby league school, winning the Auckland senior first XIII final 34-20 against St Paul's at Carlaw Park. Unbeaten for the season, Marcellin continued where they left off last year when they made the finals for the first time. A 50m solo try by St Paul's No 8 Bethnel Siosi sealed the 30-20 win over Mt Albert Grammar in the under-15 nine-a-side final.

Aorere College dispatched any lurking disappointment from their loss to Avondale College in last year's College A final with a comprehensive 34-8 victory against Mt Albert Grammar.

CYCLING

Auckland schools were dominant at the North Island secondary school championships in Ngaruawahia, winning all but one of the races on Sunday. Robert Collins from Lindisfarne College (Hastings) was among the stand out performers, winning the under-14 boys 20km race in 32m 24s.

RUGBY

The Auckland A, Waikato and Bay of Plenty teams remain the only unbeaten sides at the Northern Region secondary schools provincial tournament in Taumarunui after two rounds of competition.

Defending champions Auckland A will meet Bay of Plenty tomorrow. Waikato were too strong for North Harbour, winning 23-19 to maintain a clean slate going into their final round robin match against Northland tomorrow.

This week:

* Today:

St Paul's College v St Dominic's College Nutri-Grain Cup match screens Sky Sport 5.30pm.

New Zealand Area Schools tournament, Dunedin, continues until Friday.

Northern provincial A secondary school rugby tournament, Taumarunui continues until Saturday.

Northern region secondary school boys soccer trials, Auckland July 2-5.

* Friday:

New Zealand secondary schools karate championships, Wellington, July 5-7.

* Monday:

New Zealand secondary school boys soccer trials, July 8-12.

Northern provincial B secondary school rugby tournament, Counties Manukau, July 8-13.