Rare clash between top rugby schools

A much-anticipated match between the top two boys’ schools in Manawatū rugby will take place this weekend.

The Palmerston North Boys’ High School and Feilding High School first XV teams play a pre-season game at Palmerston North’s Arena at 12.45pm today.

It is part of the first XV festival usually held between teams in the lower North Island. Feilding High aren’t typically part of the festival but were called in as a replacement for Scots College, who withdrew.

Boys’ High and Feilding are the region’s top two rugby schools but play in different competitions, the Super 8 and Central North Island competition respectively, so don’t compete against each other.

They wouldn’t cross paths unless they both reached the final of the Hurricanes knockout competition later in the year.

The two schools have played each other only four times since World War II. They didn’t play after the war until Feilding had a resurgence in the early 2000s. The last game was in 2015 when they played in Napier in a pre-season festival. Feilding won that game 25-15, but the two sides have won two each in the past four games.

Feilding coach Justin Lock was excited for the game against Boys’ High, the first time his team had played them since he started in 2018. “It’s great to see the fixture happening ... it should be every year.”

He said the players were concentrating on their performance.

Feilding High has nine players back from the side that won the Central North Island title last year, as well as 14 new players in the team this year. They have won all four of their pre-season games, and their first Central North Island game is on May 18.

Boys’ High coach Dan Turnock could not be reached for comment, but the team was coming off big wins against Francis Douglas Memorial College in Palmerston North (74-7) and Whanganui Collegiate School in Whanganui (47-10).

PAST MATCHES

Feilding High v Palmerston North Boys’ High

2015: Feilding High won 25-15 at Napier

2011: Boys’ High won 15-10 at the Arena

2008: Boys’ High won 20-15 at the Arena

2004: Feilding High won 31-25 at the Arena