School News

HBHS' 1xt XV game versus Wesley College on Saturday was described by Coach Greg Kirkham as 'a very torrid affair.'  He exlained:

We spent a lot of time defending what was probably the biggest team we've played this season.  Size-wise the competition was very much David versus Goliath.  It was one of those games that went right down to the wire, with only five points difference in the end result of 14 - 9.  An individual try by Ben Finau gave us the crucial difference, otherwise it was just penalty kicks backwards and forwards. 

We invite supporters to join us at Rotorua Boys' High School on Saturday at 12 o'clock. 

The 1^st XV has regrouped after winning the Sanix World Youth Champions, and begun their New Zealand campaign by beating St Paul’s Collegiate 29 – 17 in a live televised game on Sky’s ‘The Rugby Channel’. Ben Finau, Isaac Te Tamaki and Te Raina Richards-Coxhead each scored break-out tries in the the first half, with conversions creating a half-time score of 17 – 3. St Paul’s made a valiant attempt to get back into the game in the second half, but Hohepa Gibb and Joe Walsh put paid to any hopes of a win, with two more tries.

Safe travels and best wishes to our 1st and 2nd XV as they head down to Palmerston North this morning in order to take on the Palmerston North Boys' High School 1st and 2nd XV teams.  The 1st XV take with them the Moascar Cup, which they have already successfully defended against Rotorua Boys' High School and New Plymouth Boys' High School after winning it from Auckland Grammar School.  We wish our teams the very best of luck and will report on match results tomorrow as soon as they come to hand.  The !st XV would like to thank their sponsors, Heartland Bank, Jacanna Customs and Freight, Lodge Real Estate and Pacific Auto Carrier.

The HBHS 1st XV began their Chiefs Cup campaign in fine style this afternoon, with a 64 - 0 win over St Paul's Collegiate 1st XV at St Paul's.  Coach Mr Greg Kirkham was understandably pleased with the team's performance, and with the way that the team had played to the game plan throughout the match.  The half time score was 38 - 0.  The Chiefs Cup is the 1st XV competition for teams throughout the Investec Super Rugby Waikato Chiefs catchment area.  In other HBHS rugby results, the 2nd XV did not have a match, and the 3rd XV beat the Forest View High School 1st XV 66 - 0.

Due to a number of enquiries and requests, the 2012 playing schedule of HBHS 1^st XV Rugby is included below: 

Term 1

12^th   March                   Senior Trials

31^st March                      Manurewa                                           Manurewa  12.00

10^th April (Tuesday)     Christchurch Boys’                            Hamilton  11.00 am

17^th-19^th April                Boot Camp                                         Waihi Beach (Holidays)

HBHS 1st XV beat Napier Boys’ High School 32 – 14 on the 24th of July. The game was broadcast on Sky’s Rugby channel as part of its season of school boy rugby.  We would like to invite you to attend the second live-broadcast game from HBHS, this Saturday (kick-off, 12.15).

Coach Nigel Hotham explains the significance of these games:

The performance was good, but it highlighted a lot of areas that we need to get right before our game against Tauranga Boys’ High School on Saturday.  We made some positional changes that in some ways were a bit risky, but it has given us a few options at the business end of the season.

The kick off for the next game is here (at HBHS, on the Number 1 Playing Field) at 12.45, and goes to air at 12.30.  Tauranga have had an up-and-down season this year; they only lost to Rotorua Boys’ High School 13-10, and we worked particularly hard to beat that same team. 

The game on Saturday is for the Moascar Cup, which is like the National school boy Ranfurly Shield, but it is also about the rivalry between the two schools.  There is a trophy called ‘The Boot’, which was one of famous All Black Don Clarke’s boots, that was won from us last year by Tauranga.  They were the only team to beat us last year, and we had held ‘The Boot’ for many years before that, so it brings a certain kind of tension to the competition.

Click here to see an excerpt from Sky’s commentary prior to the game.