The Auckland 1A Rugby Championship makes its return for 2023 this weekend, and once again, twelve Auckland schools are set to compete for one of New Zealand’s most prestigious schoolboy rugby titles. Kelston Boys High School will be attempting to make it a three-peat this season, having defended the title last year with a thrilling 24-22 victory over St Peter's School in the final. And they’ll be joined by their rugby league rivals St Paul’s School in the competition for 2023, who claimed the 1B title last season and thumped Aorere 53-5 in the promotion/relegation match to rejoin the top division. Plenty of controversy has surrounded the championship in the offseason, with the headmasters of competing schools coming together to decide that no matches from the 2023 season will be broadcast on Sky TV or any other platform. It’s a decision that has been met with plenty of criticism, and aims to protect the intense pressures placed on young schoolboys in the sport. The show must go on though, and it’s fair to say Auckland’s premier schoolboy rugby competition looks as competitive as ever in 2023. Look no further than the opening round to get the blood pumping either, with a couple of blockbuster encounters to kickstart the new season. Here’s my quick rundown and prediction of each first round game:
King's College vs Sacred Heart College
Arguably the game of the opening round features traditional powerhouses King's College and Sacred Heart College out south in Otahuhu. These two have put together one of the most competitive rivalries in recent seasons, with the ledger split at two wins apiece and a draw from their five meetings since 2018. Their clash at the ‘Pit’ last season was one of the matches of the season, Sacred Heart securing their place in the semi-finals and ending King’s championship hopes on the final day of the round-robin with a 28-21 victory. It marked the first time King’s had missed out on finals football since 2017 and as such, they’ll be out for revenge in the opening match of the new season. Kings preseason form has been somewhat worrying though, with uncharacteristic thrashings at the hands of Scots College and Southland Boys High. The word is that this is a young side in 2023 and I’m backing the extra experience of the boys from Sacred Heart to open up with a good win away from home.
Prediction: Sacred Heart College by 7 points
Auckland Grammar School vs De La Salle College
These two proud schools endured incredibly contrasting seasons in 2022. It was one of major disappointment for Auckland Grammar, who suffered some heavy defeats and recorded one of their lowest-ever finishes in ninth. Meanwhile, De La Salle were finally able to put together some consistent form and ended their finals drought with a semi-final appearance. The early preseason signs suggest we will see a much-improved Grammar side in 2023 though, having registered impressive wins over Rotorua Boys High, Christchurch Boys High, and Otago Boys High, to start the year. All signs point towards a belting opening round clash between these two then, with De La Salle hungry to carry on from last campaign and push for an overdue 1A Championship title. Home ground advantage may just get the city boys home in this one, and I’m picking Grammar in an incredibly tight first-round blockbuster.
Prediction: Auckland Grammar by 5 points
Kelston Boys High School vs St Paul’s College
One of schoolboy rugby league’s fiercest rivalries translates over to the fifteen-a-side game this season, with defending two-time 1A champions Kelston Boys High taking on newly promoted St Paul’s College in the opening round. Newly promoted sides normally struggle with the big boys in the top division, but there’s reason to believe St Paul’s will be a competitive 1A outfit in 2023. The Catholic college took out the Auckland rugby league schoolboy competition last season, alongside the 1B, and will be confident after ending Aorere College’s lengthy stint in the 1A with a 53-5 demolition. Kelston hasn’t exactly had smooth sailing through their preseason, but they are the two-time defending champions for a reason and should remain very competitive. Plenty of the boys who compete against each other on Saturday will have played in some heated rugby league encounters over the years, and this one will not lack that same intensity. Kelston might just have too much experience and know-how on this stage and format though, and I’m expecting a victory for the defending champs, albeit with some troubling moments.
Prediction: Kelston Boys High School by 15
Dilworth School vs Mt Albert Grammar School
Dilworth School and Mt Albert Grammar is one of the more intriguing fixtures of the opening round. Dilworth have steadily improved in recent years, to the point where they have consistently pushed the top eight and come close to several scalps. Whether they can continue to build and go one step further with a couple of wins against some of the bigger boys remains to be seen. The challenge of Mt Albert Grammar on home soil in their opener provides them with the perfect opportunity to do just that though, and will be a great test of where either school stands in 2023. MAGS were a solid outfit in 2022, but were ultimately disappointing in failing to reach finals football in the school’s centenary year. It’s now been seven years since Mt Albert last played finals football in 2016, and they’ll be desperate to end that barren run. Matches between these two schools have been competitive over the past five seasons, and Dilworth even famously picked up a pair of wins over MAGS back in 2017 and 2018. I’m backing the boys in blue to get off to a solid start in 2023 though, however not without a challenge.
Prediction: Mt Albert Grammar by 10 points
St Peters School vs Tangaroa College
St Peters School were left heartbroken by their nail-biting 22-24 defeat to Kelston in the title decider last season, and they’ll be raring to avenge that in 2023. Last season’s runners-up have had a mixed bag of results through the preseason, with a win over St Thomas College and a loss to Rotorua Boys High. They’ll be expected to be among the frontrunners for the 1A title again this season though, and have been given a favorable opening round draw with Tangaroa College at home. The Southsiders enjoyed one of their most successful campaigns in 2022 however, claiming the school’s greatest-ever result with a 19-16 upset of Auckland Grammar. They’ve improved steadily as a rugby programme in the 1A since joining in 2019, and have caused some problems for St Peters over the years. The Catholic powerhouses should have too much firepower on Saturday though, and I’m expecting St Peters to open their campaign with a comfortable home victory at the ‘Cage’.
Prediction: St Peters College by 19 points
St Kentigern College vs Liston College
The final match-up of the opening round sees St Kentigern College welcome Liston College out to their luxurious premises in East Auckland. The co-ed Presbyterian school comes in as one of the favorites for the 1A title in 2023, having warmed up with the annual Quad series title down South. They were desperately unlucky to miss out on finals football last year, and with a combination of both experience and talent this campaign, St Kent’s should go much further. For Liston, last season was one of great success, registering their first victory in the 1A competition since 2018. A tenth-place finish was also their highest since 2017. They’ll have a tough time trying to replicate that this season though, and given the abundance of blowout scores between these two schools in recent meetings, I’m suggesting nothing but another big St Kentigern win to kickstart the latest 1A season.
Prediction: St Kentigern College by 45 points
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