With qualifying complete, the 2025 College Premiership gets underway this week with the now-regular opener this Wednesday afternoon; the Traditional clash between St Pat’s Town and Wellington College which is at Evans Bay this year.

St Pat’s Silverstream are the defending champions, having atoned for their in-season loss to Wellington College to prevail on a misty drizzly day at Jerry Collins Stadium last August. The Upper Hutt side have had a solid build-up, with wins over Napier Boys’ High School and St Bede’s College bracketing losses to Hastings Boys’ and Palmerston North Boys’ High School. Co-captains Elijah Solomona and William Davis-Lenz will be busy men leading their side while one to keep an eye on is massive prop Vaitupu Vaitupu. Silverstream hasn’t missed the final since 2017. They’ll be the competition favourites heading in.

Last year’s final was probably Wellington College’s worst outing of the year, and for returning members of their side will be something they’ll want to redeem. They’ve also had a busy pre-season programme although culminating in a hefty loss to Hamilton Boys’ High School this past Saturday in a Moascar Cup challenge. Archie Sims will run the side in his last year at school, while the prodigious talent of Z’dkreus Schwalger – now minus his trademark head of hair – will be counted on for plenty of go-forward.

St Pat’s Town have been just as busy as their rivals, but have been somewhat under the radar by comparison. Last years season fell apart – rather understandably – after the sudden passing of their coach Willie Leota, and this one will be played in his memory. There’s plenty of talent in Kilbirnie and they should be semi-finalists at minimum, but do they have enough to challenge the two sides above?

Scots College have been perennial contenders for the past decade and have produced a long line of players to have gone and forged impressive careers at both the professional and local level. Scots will be eager to play well and make the final again in August. They are particularly hard to beat at home at Strathmore.

Along with those four, five others return for 2025.

Rongotai College headed into the year with confidence and belief they could match it with the other heavyweights, but got a rude reminder when Hutt Valley High School beat them in their first qualifying game. The combined Newlands-Onslow team was dispatched in week two, but they only booked their place with a hard-fought win over Beard Trophy holders Tawa College on Saturday. At the very least that part of the season will remind them of the difficulties of this level, and what they’ll need to do to contend.

St Bernard’s College also had to go the long way and beat Mana in their third match after earlier beating Paraparaumu and then being humbled by Rathkeale. That bumpy start has been matched off the field with a coaching departure already, but the Lower Hutt school has a proven pedigree at this level and at minimum will want to maintain that.

Bar one season, Wairarapa College have been a Premiership side each year since joining Wellington. They also had to play a do-or-die match after a loss to neighbours Rathkeale and a comfortable win over Bishop Viard College, but made little race in beating Paraparaumu College. They’ll be far from the biggest side in the grade but are tigerish defenders and have a surprisingly expansive attack. They’ve made Masterton a tough place to visit in recent years and that will be key for them.

Hutt International Boys’ School had last weekend off after beating Tawa and HVHS in their matches. The Trentham school are now an established part of the competition, and this year’s squad will be looking to repeat the semi-final efforts of two years ago. HIBS didn’t win a game in 2024 but lost five times by inside a converted try. The early weeks will determine if they’re genuine dark horses again.

Tawa College return to the Premiership after missing out in the qualifying rounds and Hutt Valley High School earning that place instead. But HVHS have declined to take up Premiership status and will be playing in the Premier 2 competition. Tawa College play an attacking brand of rugby led by second five and co-captain Malachai Osman. They have a potentially busy winter coming up with potentially four more midweek Beard Trophy challenges to come as well, so if they find their groove they could surprise.

Rathkeale College rounds out the competition this year. Located just north of Masterton, Rathkeale College have joined the Wellington competition after exiting the Central North Island one and will be keen to make their mark. With a lengthy preseason already under their belt courtesy of a tour of South Africa, they perhaps should have been for more comfortable winners over Wairarapa College than they were, but their thumping of St Bernard’s College the next week to book their place is more reflective of where they’re at. Semi-finals should be their immediate goal.

In Premier 2, the Silverstream and Wellington College 2nd XV’s return by right, and they’ll be joined by coast duo Paraparaumu College and Kapiti College, western bays duo Porirua College and Mana College, Hutt Valley High School, the St Pats Town 2nds, Taita, and the Silverstream 3rds.

Premiership Draw Round One (at the home school’s venue unless stated):

Wednesday 21 May

• St Pat’s Town v Wellington College, Evans Bay Park, 1.00pm (Williment Challenge Cup match) UPDATE the kick-off time is now listed at 1.00pm (previously 1.30pm, so best to be early just in case). 

Saturday 24 May

• St Pat’s Silverstream v Wairarapa College, 1.00pm
• Rathkeale College v Rongotai College, 1.00pm
• Hutt International Boys’ School v St Bernard’s College, NZCIS 3, 2.30pm
• Tawa College v Scots College, 2.30pm

Article added: Thursday 22 May 2025