2018 School Rugby

Bovidae

AFAIK HBHS bring a Fijian player over each year, Reece being a more recent example. But they won't be alone there across the NZ schools, and have a hostel for out-of-town boarders. The zonal thing isn't that restrictive if you have a father or sibling who attended. I was out of zone when I went there.

If it comes down to money then St Paul's and, especially St Peters, should attract the majority of the rugby and wider sporting talent in the Waikato. St Peters have Ricki Herbert as their director of football, amongst a who's who of coaches.

middleman

@bovidae
Do you have any idea how much the rugby budget is for some of the big schools especially in Auckland.? We hear some almost unbelievable sums quoted compared with what happens here in the provinces. There does seem to be a major trend for outside coaches with big pasts and/or reputations.
Hastings has played some year 14 students but except for one they were all available for NZSS.
I must admit to milking our success a bit ( or even a lot ) because strength like we have had recently is a once in 20 year thing. No boarding facility is a bit of a hindrance but Napier gets some strength from that.
A couple of other Hurricane regional teams that are missed by many are Fielding High and Francis Douglas.
Thanks for all the information in the recent posts.
Thanks for all the info

Bovidae

@middleman No idea. Perhaps some of the Aucklanders know. I do remember reading something a few years ago about St Kents but can't recall the specifics.

BTW, FDMC is now in Chiefs country.

taniwharugby

Was listening to somethign last week and they were saying some of the Auckland schools are doing upto 14 training/coaching sessions a week, but this is not all physical stuff, includes the video analysis and tactics, but 14 thats still alot!

Bovidae

The final games this weekend:

BLUES
Boys - Westlake BHS v St Peter's College
Coed - Takapuna GS v MAGS
Girls - Aorere College (Qualified for Top 4)

CHIEFS
Boys - Hamilton BHS v Wesley College
Coed - Manurewa HS v St Peter's Cambridge
Girls - Rotorua GHS v Hamilton GHS (on August 29)

HURRICANES
Boys - Napier BHS v Hastings BHS
Coed - Wairarapa College v Feilding HS
Girls - Manukura (Qualified for Top 4)

SOUTH ISLAND
Boys - Christchurch BHS v Otago BHS
Coed - Rangiora HS v Gore HS
Girls - Southland GHS (Qualified for Top 4)

JK

Any idea where the WBHS vs St Peters game is being played?

Bovidae

@jk At Westlake after some googling.

JK

Cheers. Confirmed in Westlake fb page 1pm kickoff

Chester Draws

@bovidae

It's not money, it's prestige.

No school pays boys to play, that I know of, so private schools have no advantage over a Boys High. Sure they can say the scholarship is "worth" $50,000 a year, but to the kid it is the same -- a free education.

So if the school is good academically, as HBHS is, then what do they gain by going to the private? They lose playing for a better team and often a terrible social time ( I've taught a fair few kids at a private school on scholarships who hated it -- fish out of water).

It's a winner take all situation. Because HBHS is the best (quite possibly in the world) lots of ambitious kids want to go there. Kudos to the school to get there, but it does strip the rest of the Waikato of talent with which to compete.

Bovidae

@chester-draws
Agree that success breeds success, and that kids of any sport will be attracted to a school that offers them the best chance to succeed in sport and academics.

My comment about money was related to being able to have first class facilities and top level coaches. I do know that HBHS lost at least one 1st XV rugby player and a 1st XI footballer to other schools (in the Waikato and Auckland, respectively) via a scholarship in recent years.

ploughboy

hamilton boys players dont seem to have much success post school though?

Bovidae

@ploughboy said in 2018 School Rugby:

hamilton boys players dont seem to have much success post school though?

Fair comment, and probably a reflection of the lack of success of Waikato in the NPC in the last 5-6 years. Coaching? Waikato hasn't had much representation in the Chiefs either, irrespective of what school the players went to.

There are a number of ex-HBHS players in the current Waikato squad, and a few in other teams (NH, BOP, Canterbury). You've also got Ware and Webber in the NZ sevens but TKB is the last Waikato-schooled AB.

Nepia

@bovidae said in 2018 School Rugby:

@ploughboy said in 2018 School Rugby:

hamilton boys players dont seem to have much success post school though?

Fair comment, and probably a reflection of the lack of success of Waikato in the NPC in the last 5-6 years. Coaching? Waikato hasn't had much representation in the Chiefs either, irrespective of what school the players went to.

There are a number of ex-HBHS players in the current Waikato squad, and a few in other teams (NH, BOP, Canterbury). You've also got Ware and Webber in the NZ sevens but TKB is the last Waikato-schooled AB.

Have many come through the NZSS and U20s recently? Might we expect to see more Hamiltonians in 1st class rugby in the next few years?

Bovidae

@nepia said in 2018 School Rugby:

Have many come through the NZSS and U20s recently? Might we expect to see more Hamiltonians in 1st class rugby in the next few years?

I have high hopes for Alaimalo, and Tupaea has already graduated from last year's NZSS team. There were also a couple of front rowers from St Pauls in that squad. All of them are in the Waikato U19s. Add in Roe and McWhannell (St Peters) from this year's U20s. Sullivan too, although he's one of yours via Auckland.

I forgot about Leger at C-M.

Nepia

@bovidae said in 2018 School Rugby:

@nepia said in 2018 School Rugby:

Have many come through the NZSS and U20s recently? Might we expect to see more Hamiltonians in 1st class rugby in the next few years?

I have high hopes for Alaimalo, and Tupaea has already graduated from last year's NZSS team. There were also a couple of front rowers from St Pauls in that squad. All of them are in the Waikato U19s. Add in Roe and McWhannell (St Peters) from this year's U20s. Sullivan too, although he's one of yours via Auckland.

I forgot about Leger at C-M.

Is Alaimalo related to Solomon? Solomon didn't got Hamilton though did he? He went to a Chch school IIRC?

Edit: Didn't know Sullivan was originally from the Bay.

Bovidae

@nepia said in 2018 School Rugby:

Is Alaimalo related to Solomon? Solomon didn't got Hamilton though did he? He went to a Chch school IIRC?

Solomon went to St Bedes.

Charles is his younger brother, so from Chch. He was at Ham BHS, the starting 6 in 2016-17.

taniwharugby

@nepia younger brother...and was a reason why I thought if he left Northland it'd be to Waikato

Nepia

@bovidae said in 2018 School Rugby:

@nepia said in 2018 School Rugby:

Is Alaimalo related to Solomon? Solomon didn't got Hamilton though did he? He went to a Chch school IIRC?

Solomon went to St Bedes.

Charles is his younger brother, so from Chch. He was at Ham BHS, the starting 6 in 2016-17.

He was pretty awesome in the games I saw him play last year (against Hastings).

Stargazer

@bovidae Yep, Sullivan is a Bay boy who went to Napier Boys before spending 2 (?) years at King's College.

Stargazer

Charles Alaimalo - the big nomad

This time last year Charles Alaimalo was playing rugby league in Melbourne. Twelve months later he returns to Australia as a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team.
 
The flanker/lock was a standout for Hamilton Boys’ High School who won the Super 8 title and narrowly lost the National Top Four final against Hastings Boys’ High School. Alaimalo explains how he ended up in the Waikato.
 
“My Dad got a good job in Melbourne so that’s why we moved from Christchurch to Australia. I missed the atmosphere of First XV rugby in New Zealand. When my brother Solomon got in the Chiefs I decided to come home,” he says.
 
In year 11, Alaimalo started every game for St Bede’s College who won the UC Championship. Since Alaimalo left, St Bede’s hasn’t made the top four.

Solomon’s lifestyle in Hamilton wasn’t conducive for hosting a schoolboy. When the hostel at Hamilton Boys’ was full, Charles was homeless.
 
“I was blessed to be taken in by the Gordon family. They have looked after me very kindly. I am grateful,” Alaimalo accalims.
 
Former All Black Steve Gordon has three sons, Mac, Baxter and Arie, who have passed through Hamilton Boys.’
 
Hamilton coach Nigel Hotham was delighted to welcome Alaimalo to his squad, describing him as “a piece of gold that stumbled into our arms” and praising his worth ethic.
 
“Charles is a great kid who arrived here after a year of no rugby. It took him a while to adapt to tough trainings, but he 'got it' by the middle of Super 8 and was consistently our hardest working ball carrier all season. We couldn’t keep him off the field even when he was injured,” Hotham praised.

Alaimalo agrees there was a period of adjustment while settling into Hamilton.
 
“It's different to St Bede’s, way more intense. We train eight times a week which is tough, but the hard work pays off.”
 
Hamilton won the Super 8 by scoring a record number of points after a shock loss to Rotorua Boys’ High School in the Chiefs Cup final.
 
“It took us a while to find our combinations, but we had a really good culture. I am real happy for Tauterangi marie Kapea and Quinn Tupaea who also made the New Zealand Schools.” Alaimalo enthuses.

The Silver Fern

2018 School Rugby