
A far from vintage weekend for Wellington at the Condor Sevens at Mount Maunganui’s Blake Park.
St Mary’s were the only shining light, reaching the Cup semifinals before falling 10-26 to Howick College. St Mary’s had topped their pool on Saturday, with wins over Rosehill College (36-0), hosts Mt Maunganui College (43-7), and then heavyweights Mt Albert Grammar (22-5) and Hamilton Girls High (21-17). That saw them face and beat Cambridge High (17-12) in the quarterfinals on Sunday morning before taking on Howick and concluded their tournament by thumping Auckland Girls Grammar 36-14 to take third.
In contrast, it was a torrid weekend for Wellington East Girls’ College who lost all four pool matches on Day 1 to St Mary’s (Auckland), St Andrew’s, St Hilda’s, and Howick. That put them in the bottom four on Sunday where they were beaten by Rosehill College but finished on a high and avoided the wooden spoon by beating Waikato Diocesan 19-0.
Over in the Boys it was the worst overall result for Wellington sides in recent memory. Local winners Hutt International had a brutal time of it, losing in pool play to James Cook High (10-15), Christchurch Boys (5-26), and perennial winners Hamilton Boys (12-28) saw them slide into the bottom four for Sunday. Like WGC they lost again there (to Nelson College 17-22) but also finished with a win and avoided last place with a 33-24 win over Masterton’s Rathkeale College.
For Scots College, it was a weekend to forget. A 26-5 win over Rathkeale was bracketed by losses to Dunedin’s King’s High (7-21) and a 12-46 trouncing by Auckland’s Sacred Heart. Sunday saw them lose three more times; to Hastings Boys (12-24), Christ’s College (10-45), and finally James Cook High (12-15) to wind up one place ahead of HIBS in 24th
St Pats Silverstream finished 8th at the U15 tournament held over Thursday and Friday, winning three from four in pool play to qualify in the top eight, but lost all three matches on day two.
The Boys saw a first-time winner, with Tauranga Boys crushing Sacred Heart 36-7 in the final and joining Hamilton, Rotorua, and Gisborne Boys as winners of this title from the Super 8 competition.
Tauranga won the First XV Super 8 competition in such a resounding fashion it was unfathomable when they were eliminated from National Top Four contention the following week by a Rotorua side, they’d beaten 57-14 earlier in the season.
Driven by palpable regret Tauranga steamrolled its way to maiden Condors glory to underscore their credentials as the best rugby school in New Zealand in 2024. Yes, Hamilton won the National Top Four but Tauranga beat Hamilton twice, won all three Super 8 rugby crowns, four Bay of Plenty Sevens competitions, and the National Under-15 invitational tournament. Tauranga with three New Zealand Schools players in their squad outscored six opponents 221-40. Kele Lasaqa was named player of the tournament. Former old boys and Bay of Plenty representatives Charles Baxter (All Black Sevens) and Te Aihe Toma coached the side.
In the Girls coemption Howick College reclaimed the title, beating Hamilton Girls 24-29 in the decider for their third title to go win their triumphs in 2018 and 2020.
The decider was an absolute thriller with Howick’s Unuhia Crosby-TeWhare scoring a match-levelling try with the last play of regulation time. Controversially, the officials missed a knock-on that seemed too implausible. Crosby-TeWhare reached towards the ground to plant the ball but it bobbled after interference from a diving Hamilton defender’s hand. A replay captured by a stream that could only be described as amateur clearly picked up the fumble.
Earlier with an explosive surge, Hamilton’s Girls’ Amber Mundell left two defenders sprawling with fierce right-hand fends. While sauntering in-goal toward the centre of the crossbar Mundell had the ball slapped from her grasp by the comparative diminutive Rochelle Christie. It was a pickpocket so uncharitable even the deplorable Mary Fifth would have applauded.
Christie’s save also went some way towards winning Howick the title. In extra-time Howick pressed urgently in defence, twice fumbling forwards after rigorous contact. Eventually Howick secured possession and from halfway bold and brilliant offloading created the avenue for a euphoric Avah Sila gallop.
With a bleach-blonde Cyndi Lauper haircut, Ruby Hart was the undoubted rockstar of the tournament. She scored three tries in the final for Hamilton Girls’ with two from past halfway. Throughout Hart was cunning, dogged, and urgent.
Tauranga Boys College Results
Pool Play: Marlborough Boys’ College, 34-0
Pool Play: Francis Douglas Memorial College, 31-7
Eighth Final: St Peter’s College, Auckland, 48-5
Quarter-Final: St Bede’s College, 32-7
Semi-Final: Rotorua BHS, 40-14
Final: Sacred Heart College, 36-7
Howick College Results
Pool Play: St Mary’s College, Auckland, 31-0
Pool Play: St Hildas Collegiate, 40-10
Pool Play: St Andrew’s College, 41-7
Pool Play: Wellington East Girls’ College, 29-5
Quarter-Final: Feilding High School, 17-14
Semi-Final: St Mary’s College, Wellington, 26-10
Final: Hamilton GHS, 29-24 (Extra Time)
Boys tournament team: Aiden Spratley (Tauranga) Bradley Tocker (Palmerston North) Brayden Neilson (New Plymouth) Charlie Sinton (Tauranga) Finn McLeod (Christchurch) Jack Wiseman (New Plymouth) Kele Lasaqa (Tauranga) Max Morgan (Sacred Heart) Ollie Guerin (Hamilton) Rewiti Ngarimu (Scots College) Wiremu Brailey (Rotorua) William Haig (Christchurch)
Girls tournament team: Amber Mundell (Hamilton) Rubi Hart (Hamilton) Danii Mafoe (Mt Albert Grammar) Braxton Sorensen-McGee (Auckland Grammar) Asha Taumoepeau-Williams (Howick) Te Maia Sweetman (Manukura) Avah Sila (Howick) Litia Bulicakau (St Mary’s Wellington) Hana Paterson (Hamilton) Taufa Bason (Feilding) Ana Kerr (St Mary’s Wellington)