Top sporting schools. Image / NZ Herald
Which island holds the balance of power in secondary school sports? Which school can legitimately claim to be New Zealand’s biggest sporting powerhouse? The Herald’s power rankings have the (debatable) answers.
With the exception of the Gillette and Venus Cups – secondary school cricket tournaments held in December – the winners of the major school trophies in 2024 have been decided. And for the boys, it has brought a major shift in inter-island supremacy.
Last year, South Island schools held five of the seven biggest titles in boys’ secondary school team sport.
Southland Boys’ High School had won their first-ever national First XV title; Christchurch Boys’ High School became – and remain – Gillette Cup champions; St Thomas of Canterbury won their first national rugby league crown; St Bede’s held rowing’s Maadi Cup; and Timaru Boys’ High School won hockey’s Rankin Cup.
But 12 months later, it is a very different story.
The Top 4 rugby title moved back to Hamilton Boys’ High School – along with the Moascar Cup, despite the best efforts of Nelson College in the national decider.
The Maadi Cup went that way too, with Hamilton Boys’ wrenching the famous prize from St Bede’s in the coxed-eight final.
Timaru Boys’ High School surrendered the Rankin Cup to Tauranga Boys’ College in a gripping final that was decided by a shootout.
There was, however, still plenty of success for the south this year. Christ’s College returned the national basketball trophy to the mainland at the start of the school holidays, while St Thomas of Canterbury College added a second consecutive rugby league title to their cabinet and Christchurch Boys’ will be Gillette Cup champions for another couple of months at least.
But with Sacred Heart College continuing the North Island’s near decade of dominance in secondary school football, the balance of power shifted from south to north.
For the girls, it was more of the same.
In 2023, the south had one major trophy – Rangi Ruru paddling their way to back-to-back-to-back Levin Jubilee Cups. They failed to add a fourth this year, but the title remained in the 03 with Christchurch Girls’ High School prevailing.
Every other championship winner was from the north. Westlake Girls’ High retained their basketball title, Manukura won their third straight Top 4 rugby championship, Southern Cross Campus won the league, Howick College are netball champions, Mt Albert Grammar claimed the premier football trophy, St Matthews Collegiate hold the Venus Cup in cricket and Diocesan School for Girls won hockey’s Federation Cup.
7-1. Ouch.
The Herald’s power ranking formula allocates 5 points for current national champions, 3 points for runners-up, 2 points for third – and if applicable, 1 point for notable placings.
It also rewards recent success by granting 3 points for the previous year’s winner, 2 points for the year before and 1 point beyond that – as far back as 2019.
Two schools top the boys’ rankings, one from each island.
In the South Island, it’s elite Christchurch private school Christ’s College (12 points). The school’s success is spread across multiple sports. The current national basketball champs also won that title in 2022 – the same year that the school collected cricket’s Gillette Cup. They lifted the Maadi Cup in 2021 and finished in the top five in this year’s Rankin Cup (hockey). The oldest private school in New Zealand has a roll of almost 750 boys, making the depth of the sporting success even more impressive. A new $16 million gymnasium will only enhance an already formidable sporting record.
Matching Christ’s College for points is Hamilton Boys’ High School (12). The serial Top 4 winners reclaimed that title (and the Moascar Cup) this year, having also held it in 2022, and are also reigning Maadi Cup champions. Whilst the school’s national success is largely across only two sports, they are arguably the most prestigious trophies in secondary school competition.
Just behind them is Westlake Boys’ High School (11 points). Westlake doesn’t hold one of the major trophies but is frequently at the pointy end of secondary school tournaments. The school were runners-up in the Gillette Cup, finished third in the football and fourth in the Rankin Cup. The first XV was also one match away from going back to Top 4, having lost the 2023 final to Southland Boys’. The school’s rowing programme isn’t too shabby either.
Honourable mention – Tauranga Boys’ College (10). The 2024 Rankin Cup winners and runners-up in football, Tauranga Boys’ were, arguably, the best team not at the Top 4 First XV tournament. They are also a traditionally strong cricket school.
There is an outright winner in the girls’ rankings.
Again, it is a South Island school – but unlike the boys’ powerhouse, this one is a public school. Christchurch Girls’ High School (13 points) is another that has talent across multiple sports. Holders of rowing’s Levin Jubilee Cup, CGHS also achieved notable successes on the rugby field (fourth in Top 4) and hockey turf (third) this year and are traditionally strong in cricket.
Westlake Girls’ High School (11). There’s something in the water on the North Shore. The girls hold their own across many sports but they are the dominant force of secondary school basketball, winning the last three national titles. This year their netball team also enjoyed some success under the coaching of former Silver Fern April Ieremia – narrowly missing out on a place in the final, before finishing fourth.
Manukura (10). The Manawatū-based Māori-focused co-ed school makes the list by dominating one sport – rugby. National champions for the past three years, the school’s programme is run by a former Black Fern and Kiwi Fern, Kristina Sue. But there’s so much more to their story – like the staggeringly tiny roll of 171 in 2024. Just over half of that roll are girls. They also featured in the AA Basketball nationals this year and have traditionally excelled in netball under the coaching of Yvette McCausland-Durie.
Honourable mention – Howick College (8). Howick’s netball team enjoyed unprecedented success this season, going undefeated and claiming a triple crown of sorts. Before the team won the nationals in Christchurch last week, they won the Auckland school competition and the Upper North Island tournament. But that wasn’t the school’s only success in girls’ sports. Their First XV were runners-up in the Top 4 as well, with the multi-talented Unuhia Crosby-Te Whare a starter in both sides. Howick College is a public school and, like Manukura, it is co-educational.
The North Island has dominated secondary school netball since 2009. Villa Maria College was the last South Island winner. Former Silver Fern and current Columba (Dunedin) coach Jodi Brown told the Herald there is a definite gap between the islands – but it’s not quite as wide as the Cook Strait.
“I think the Aucklanders are just stronger all around and they have a little bit more, I guess netball nous, I would think. I think they have that flair and their ability just to play a little bit more into the space,” says Brown, who also believes the gap is closing.
The south faced a similar drought with the Top 4 rugby trophy staying in the North Island from 2007 until 2023 – when Southland Boys’ took it home to the deep south. Prior to that, Christchurch Boys’ had won it in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Whilst Nelson College fell just short of keeping that title in the South Island, Southland Boys’ coach Jason Dermody suggested the gap has closed considerably between the islands. Having beaten the North Island’s best in 2023, he heaped praise on Nelson College after their South Island final.
“They’d be one of the best sides we’ve played in the last five years. From what I’ve seen they are the team to beat, without a doubt,” said Dermody.
The Gillette Cup cricket finals will be contested at Lincoln University in December. That title has been in the South Island since 2019, with Wellington College the last North Island school to hold it.
When the final whistle blew in the 85th minute of the Meads Cup semifinal in Timaru, it was “The Hammers” of Mid Canterbury who emerged victorious (17-16) over neighbours and title-favourites, South Canterbury.
The home team had amassed an astounding 39 wins in a row – a record in New Zealand domestic rugby, winning three consecutive Meads Cups and a Lochore Cup.
But that streak came to an end at the boot of Tom Reekie, who slotted a match-winning penalty – much to the delight of his rookie coach, Matt Winter.
“I used to have a tradition when I was in club footy and I always used to stand behind the post. I never watched the kick. But now you’re sitting in the box, there’s nowhere else really to look, otherwise you’re looking at the brick wall. I had to watch. I’m glad I did,” says Winter.
At just 33 years of age, Winter hasn’t long hung up his playing boots. The results in 2024 already speak volumes of his ability to manage talent.
“I’ve got an unbelievable coaching group. So, obviously B.B. [former Matatū head coach Blair Baxter], huge to have the resource of him there with his knowledge and his experience and just his manner I suppose is... awesome,” Winter says.
“I’ve got an unbelievable two assistants, but defence coach Brett Williamson obviously earned his stripes on the weekend. We made 140-odd tackles versus... they only had to make 50 or 60. My forward coach, Jimmy Mcleod has just done wonders with that pack.”
Winter is a proud Mid Cantabrian. A homegrown product who loves to represent his province and took on the coaching role with some clear goals in mind.
“We felt like over the last few years there’s probably just been a little bit of a disconnect between the Mid Canterbury side and I suppose the general public,” says Winter.
“We certainly weren’t getting the numbers in the stands and at the ground like we used to back in the glory days. We really wanted to play a brand and carry ourselves in a way that can make every young person in Mid Canterbury want to be a ‘Hammer’ and I think we’re getting there.”
Bringing home the Meads Cup will be another huge step in the right direction. They’ll face a very classy Thames Valley in Te Aroha on Saturday. They didn’t face each other in the round robin.
“We’ve got a few ideas of where we can attack them and ideas about where they’re going to probably try and attack us. But at the end of the day, it’s about the team that shows up that, are willing to do whatever it takes and just keep, keep showing up for each other,” says Winter.
Just like they showed up in Timaru last weekend.
Meanwhile, West Coast will head north to Te Kūiti in a bid to win back-to-back Lochore Cups. The Coasters will have it all to do against a strong King Country side, who thumped them 43-17 in Taupō the last time the two teams met a month ago.
The return of international rugby league to Christchurch is officially a sell-out, with the last tickets snapped up earlier this week. The double-header on October 27 will feature New Zealand versus Australia in both men’s and women’s test matches.
New Zealand Rugby League CEO Greg Peters told the Herald that bringing the biggest test of the year to Christchurch was part of a long-term strategy for the game in the south.
“The appeal of that particular game to the Christchurch public, I think is different than the Pasifika games that we traditionally do really well from in Auckland,” said Peters.
“Not only that, it’s leading into bringing the national youth tournament down there next year and the opening of Te Kaha [the new stadium] in 2026. So, it’s kind of like a bigger picture build for that part of the world, which is fantastic, I think for us, for the game” said Peters.
The teams will assemble in Christchurch next week with Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns training sessions open to the public on Tuesday from 9am at Ngā Puna Wai.
Hopes of an all-New Zealand final were dashed but Kelston will play for the title.