​​​​​​​Rugby is part of NZ's culture and is widely considered our national sport.  

Rugby is played by almost 300 Secondary Schools around New Zealand with almost 30,000 students involved in the game.

Registering to play rugby is easy, contact your schools sports coordinator to find out about teams and trainings.  

In the most recent years, the Hurricanes Cup (tournament played by all the 1st XV’s in the Hurricanes region) was won by a Hawke's Bay 1st XV team: in 2016, 2017 and 2019 by Hastings Boys' High School and in 2018 and 2021 by Napier Boys' High School. Unfortunately Napier boys didn't get to compete at the top 4 competition last year due to covid. 

The first XV’s at Lindisfarne College and St John's college both compete in the Central North Island competition. They compete against 10 other schools based in the central north island area. The competition began in 2014. St John's finished 3rd in the competition last year. 

Secondary School Girls Rugby

It is an exciting time to be playing rugby for our secondary school girls! We have launched a range of new initiatives in 2024 to suit any young aspiring female rugby player. These initiatives range from non-contact rugby variations to the classic rugby we know and love. All interested secondary school girls will have equal opportunity to develop their rugby skills regardless of the high school attended. Head to the ‘Women’s and girls’ Rugby tab or click on the button below to learn more!