Southland Boys’ and Girls’ reach national high
Southland’s promising rugby players, both male and female, are flying the province’s flag proudly on the national stage. The 2016 Southland Boys’ High School and Southland Girls’ High School first XV teams are both South Island champions and will both compete in their respective top four national finals in Palmerston North this week. For Southland Boys’ it will be the first time at the national finals since 2003 and for Southland Girls’ it will be the fifth straight year they will take part. It is the first time the schools will both attend the national finals in the same year. Southland Boys’ qualified on Saturday after they beat Christchurch Boys’ in the South Island final in Christchurch. ‘‘It’s a bit surreal at the moment; it probably hasn’t sunk in,’’ Southland Boys’ captain Flynn Thomas said. ‘‘It hasn’t really sunk in that that we are going to the top four, which is the pinnacle of first XV rugby throughout the country.’’
Southland Girls’ was the first to qualify after it beat Motueka High School 57-18 in the South Island final in Oamaru.
‘‘Like Flynn said, it’s the pinnacle for us, we are very proud to make it and to be continually performing at that top level of rugby in New Zealand. That’s something we want to keep striving for,’’ Southland Girls’ captain Kendall Buckingham said.
Thomas said it was nice for Southland Boys’ to qualify this year and have both teams attending.
It is a family occasion for the Thomases, with Flynn’s sister Bree part of the Southland Girls’ team.
‘‘It’s exciting; Girls’ High have been stealing a bit of the glory lately with [qualifying] the last five years in a row,’’ Thomas said. ’’I think it’s good for the province to showcase the talent we’ve got down here and show them we are not just the people living at the bottom of the South Island.’’
Buckingham said it would be good to have another Southland team with them at nationals this year.
‘‘I think it’s really great that we can support each other and have that other team there to boost you along,’’ she said.
Southland Boys’ will play Mt Albert Grammar in their national semifinal, while Southland Girls’ will play Hamilton Girls’ High School.