College sport: All Blacks descend on school en masse for gala

All Blacks past and present will swap their playing strip for black ties to attend a gala dinner in Auckland next month.

Auckland Grammar, the only school to boast 50 All Blacks among its past pupils, will have all its 26 living All Blacks at a fundraising gala evening at Sky City on June 1.

Its 50th All Black, Ben Atiga, who played the last few minutes of one match at the 2003 World Cup in Australia, will be joined by Doug Howlett, All Black No 49 and 24 others at the the $250-a-head dinner, which aims to raise $200,000 towards the school's new $1.5 million sports pavilion. Former All Blacks captain Sir Wilson Whineray (patron of the New Zealand Rugby Union) will be among them.

Present All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who coached the school's first XV from the mid-1970s, and former All Blacks captain and AGS headmaster John Graham (who the school cannot lay claim to as one of its All Blacks) will also be there.

Wives of former old boys/All Blacks Kelvin Tremain and Cyril Pepper will be guests at the function, which will feature an auction of framed, limited-edition jerseys accompanied by photographs and details of the school's 50 All Blacks.

* There are around 200 tickets left for the gala dinner. For ticket enquiries contact: AGS Development Office on (09) 623 5420 or visit www.ags50.co.nz

HOCKEY

Defending champions King's College, without 2005 ASB College Sport young sportsman Simon Child, face a testing start in defending their Auckland Open A title.

They meet the promising Macleans College XI at Lloyd Elsmore Park tonight in what should be the feature first-round match. Perennial contenders Auckland Grammar are at home to St Kentigern.

The girls' Open A championship hits off tomorrow, with St Cuthbert's and Diocesan again expected to dominate. There will be two rounds played next week.

Westlake BHS will again start the North Harbour boys' Grade One competition as warm favourites following their success in reaching the inter-city final last year.

They play Birkenhead tonight at Crown Relocations Stadium.

Westlake GHS and Rangitoto College will again be the teams to beat in the girls' championship. Their title race begins tomorrow.

RUGBY

The keenly contested 1st XV championships kick-off on Saturday with action in Auckland, North Harbour and Counties Manukau.

Defending champions King's College begin their defence of the Auckland title with a home game against Sacred Heart College. Traditional contenders Auckland Grammar are away to De La Salle while St Kentigern, back in the 1A championship after a two-year absence, are away to Tangaroa College.

In a replay of last season's final, Massey High have the home advantage against Westlake BHS, with the visitors looking to win first-up in the defence of their title.

The Counties championship has been thrown wide open with defending champions Wesley College opting to play in the Counties Manukau under-19 club competition.

Wesley will, however, be represented by their second and third XVs.

There will be some interest in Manurewa High first XV, who are looking to build on their good pre-season results, which included wins over Western Heights (Rotorua), Rangitoto College, Mt Roskill and St Peter's and a hard-fought 19-19 draw with Mt Albert Grammar.

Headed by rugby academy director Andrew Talaimanu, the school has high hopes, especially as all but two of last year's 1st XV are returning. They begin their season with a home game against Waiuku College.

The girls kick off their new season on Monday with play in the Central/South and North Harbour competitions.

Defending champions Papakura - they beat Onehunga 12-10 in last year's final - are away to James Cook in their first game, and Onehunga meet Penrose away first up.

Mahurangi have the first round bye in the North Harbour competition, with only nine teams entered.

WEIGHTLIFTING

Te Kauwhata High had a double celebration at the Australian age-group championships in Adelaide during the school holidays.

Pupils Cody Cole (under-16 56kg) and Justin Lamb (under-16 62kg) won gold as members of the New Zealand team at the championships.

The only other New Zealand gold medal winner was Chantal Lambrechs (Glenfield College), in the under-18 63kg class.

Other medallists were Simon Heeney (Auckland Grammar), who was second in the under-18 94kg, and Southland Girls High representatives Sheena Phillips, third in the under-18 63kg and Tulua Sekone-Fraser, third in the under-16 75kg+ class.

David Starkey and Noel Hall finished fifth in their competitions.

The national school league has started with Te Kauwhata College, Macleans College, Penrose HS and Hutt International Boys School the top four schools after two rounds.


RESULTS

TOUCH

Regional play-offs

Zone one, girls, Rangitoto 1, WGHS 2, Avondale 3, Boys, WBHS 1, KBHS 2, Whangarei BHS 3.

Mixed, Northcote 1, MAGS 2, Massey 3.

Zone two, girls, Papakura 1, Baradene 2, AGGS 3. Boys, St Peter's 1, Howick 2, St Paul's 3.

Mixed, Tangaroa 1, Papakura 2, The Manurewa HS 3.


COMING UP

Today: Hockey, Auckland open A boys, King's v Macleans, Lloyd Elsmore Park 6pm, MRGS v AGS 2, MRGS 5.30pm, AGS 1 v St Kentigern, AGS 6pm, Howick v MAGS, Lloyd Elsmore Park 6pm.

North Harbour grade one boys (all Crown Relocations Stadium), Rangitoto v Northcote 6pm, WBHS 2 v Mahurangi 6pm, Massey HS v Kristin 7pm, WBHS 1 v Birkenhead 7pm.

Tomorrow: Hockey, Auckland open A girls, (all Lloyd Elsmore Park unless stated), Diocesan 1 v Macleans 6pm, EGGS v St Kentigern 5pm, St Cuthberts 1 v Diocesan 2, AGS 5.30pm, St Cuthberts 2 v Kings 5pm.

North Harbour grade one girls (all Crown Relocations Stadium), Rangitoto v Mahurangi 6pm, Carmel v WGHS 2 6pm, WGHS 1 v Northcote 7pm, Kristin v Massey 7pm.

Saturday: Auckland 1A (all 2.30pm, home team first), De La Salle v AGS, King's v Sacred Heart, MAGS v Otahuhu, St Paul's v St Peter's, Tangaroa v St Kentigern, Tamaki v KBHS.

1B (all noon), pool A, Aorere v Liston, Dilworth v Hillary, Edgewater v Macleans, MRGS v Papatoetoe. Pool B, Howick v Avondale, Marcellin v Waitakere, Penrose v Mangere, Southern Cross v Onehunga.

North Harbour (all noon), 1A, Massey v WBHS, Rangitoto v Rosmini, TGS v Mahurangi. IB, WBHS v Birkenhead, Long Bay v Kaipara, Orewa v Northcote, Glenfield v Massey.Counties Manukau (all noon), James Cook v Pukekohe, Manurewa v Waiuku, Papakura v Wesley 3rd XV, Rosehill v Wesley 2nd XV.

Monday: Hockey, Counties Manukau boys' A grade (home team first), Pukekohe 1 v Pukekohe 2 4.15pm, Rosehill v Waiuku 2 6.15pm, Waiuku 2 v Manurewa 5.15pm.
Girls' A grade, Rosehill v Manurewa 5.15pm, Waiuku v Papakura 6.15pm.
Auckland Open A boys, MRGS v King's, MRGS 5.30pm, Macleans v AGS, AGS 6.30pm, AGS 2 v MAGS, AGS 5.30pm, St Kentigern v Howick, LEP 6pm.

Rugby, girls (4pm, home team first), Central, pool one, AGGS v Avondale (Coxs Bay), Lynfield v KGHS. Pool two, Penrose v Onehunga, Tamaki v St Marys. South, pool one, Aorere v Sir Edmund Hillary, Otahuhu v McAuley, Papatoetoe v Tangaroa. Pool two, James Cook v Papakura, Manurewa v Rosehill, Southern Cross v Mangere. North Harbour, WGHS v Orewa, Northcote v Kaipara, Glenfield v Massey, Rangitoto v Long Bay.

Tuesday: Hockey, Auckland Open A girls (LEP unless stated), EGGS v Diocesan 5pm, Macleans v St Cuthbert's 6pm, St Kentigern v King's 5pm, Diocesan 2 v St Cuthbert's 2, St Cuthbert's 4pm.