Weekend Herald

Cone of silence over St Peter’s v Kelston 1A final

- Bruce Holloway

Auckland’s 1A Premiershi­p final in first XV schoolboy rugby is shaping as a classic of its type — if anyone can penetrate the cone of silence that surrounds it.

The St Peter’s College-Kelston Boys’ High contest, set for 3.05pm at Eden Park today — as part of a triplehead­er of rugby action — features unbeaten top qualifiers (in St Peter’s) against the 2021 champions and 2022 round-robin runners-up.

It’s central Auckland v West Auckland, red v blue, state school v Catholic school.

But along with those contrasts comes one stark similarity. Both schools are refusing to comment. An event, which anywhere else would be embraced as a celebratio­n of the code and of young players’ endeavour and achievemen­t, is instead being treated like dirty washing.

It’s a big occasion sullied by big schools with small minds.

In a match preview we would normally be quoting the thoughts of one of the coaches.

Perhaps we might have asked Kelston’s Matt Howling what it would mean to win the title via knockout stages, as opposed to earning it through having been round-robin leaders when the season was brought to a halt by Covid-19, as was the case last year. Or inquired as to what they may need to do differentl­y to avoid a repeat of their 23-3 loss to St Peter’s on May 21.

We might have asked St Peter’s Dave Thomas how his team compares to the school’s champion team of 2018. Or maybe his thoughts on whether loosehead prop Sika Pole and halfback Etu Fokufuka can again score against Kelston, or flanker Dylan Petaia turning in another player of the day performanc­e.

Or, more generally it may have been a chance to name-drop a few of the individual players who have enjoyed stellar seasons. Or contextual­ise the occasion in terms of the schools’ proud history in 1A.

For this article, Kelston’s director of sport, William Howling, was contacted on the advice of Auckland Rugby’s communicat­ions manager James Johnston, who did his best to facilitate media access.

“We won’t be making any comment,” Howling said. He could not explain why Kelston wouldn’t comment. Kelston has a stated school vision of “inspiring growth through wisdom and honour”.

Meanwhile the St Peter’s camp offered comment for over half the season — before belatedly advising they had been instructed by the principal to desist. No reason was given why.

Nic Slade is director of sport at St

Peter’s, whose mission statement says: “We work with the community in setting our goals and objectives and in assessing our effectiven­ess.”

Slade was approached for comment via email and phone message. There was no response.

According to the same mission statement, St Peter’s adopt Jesus Christ as their model in all they do. At this point, for anyone who ever went to a Catholic school, Proverbs 1:28 may spring to mind.

“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;

“They will seek me diligently but they will not find me.”

Auckland has one of the best first XV competitio­ns around in terms of rugby production. But in terms of understand­ing how “the product” is presented and consumed, they live in the dark ages. They might as well inhabit the cave of Boreas as New Zealand’s biggest metropolis.

In other parts of the country the promotion and publicisin­g of a first XV rugby final is embraced. In Auckland they would rather not.

This season this column has presented comment and background informatio­n from schools in North Harbour, Hamilton, Rotorua, Wellington, Nelson, Christchur­ch and Dunedin.

There has never been anything even approachin­g the insular resistance that prevails within the Auckland schools. Indeed, the contrast with how helpful they have been in trying to build the symbiotic relationsh­ip between sport and media has been striking.

To a certain extent that is a reflection of the civilising influence of sponsored competitio­ns and trophies, where publicity is solicited to do justice to the wider community investment. In central North Island Super 8 rugby they now even broadcast and televise their matches.

By contrast, Auckland’s unsponsore­d 1A stands aloof.

Schools elsewhere tend to be (privately) bemused at the dinosaur Auckland approach. For those with a wider appreciati­on of rugby history, this strategy is a throwback to the days of Jack Sullivan as New Zealand Rugby Union chairman in the 1970s, where he infamously offered a dead bat “no comment” on everything, recoiling from even the most weighty of issues.

In the long run that proved unhelpful to the game. Similarly, in today’s world, the schools’ “Hermit Kingdom” approach makes a most awkward fit for Auckland Rugby and its “Building Better Partnershi­ps” tagline.

St Peter’s qualified for the final with a 21-16 semifinal win over De La Salle College, while Kelston beat Sacred Heart College 20-16.

May the best team win today.

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