Tuesday 8 September 2026
Held at Bruce Pullman Park in Takanini, our Senior Boys' Rugby League team played across two days at the 2026 New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship in the Cup Division.
Staff attending: Brooke Swaney
Day One
After a very wet and windy day at Bruce Pullman Park, the team came away with two wins:
Game One
King's College opened their NZSS Rugby League Championship campaign with a decisive 38-12 victory over Avondale College. Winger Ollie Anderson (Year 12, Greenbank) set the tone in the 22nd minute, crossing the line for a heartfelt opening try to give King's early momentum.
Avondale mounted a heavy response, but captain Tyler-Rex Samasoni-Tukuitonga (Year 13, Averill) led a resolute defensive effort in the middle, turning away four consecutive opposition goal-line attacks. Capitalising on the defensive hold, Cale Ngatai (Year 12, Parnell) directed the team downfield, setting up Leo Kirkland (Year 13, Selwyn) to crash over and extend the lead. King's controlled the tempo through the remainder of the contest to secure a comfortable opening win.
Final score: King's 38 vs 12 Avondale College
Game Two
In a hard-fought, defensive battle, King's College secured a dramatic 6-0 win over Western Heights High School.
A discipline-heavy match saw frequent penalty stoppages for both sides, preventing either team from establishing rhythm in the early stages. Kavelle Wiki-Rawiri (Year 11, St John's) and Finn Thompson (Year 12, School) spearheaded the effort for King's, delivering relentless defensive tackles and crucial line breaks to keep Western Heights pinned back. The deadlock was finally broken on the final play of the game when Ricoh Wilson (Year 12, Greenbank) launched a high kick into the opposition in-goal. Pressure from the kick forced the Western Heights fullback into an error, allowing Ruan Tahi (Year 11, St John's) to pounce on the loose ball for the match-winning try as the final hooter sounded.
Final score: King's 6 vs 0 Western Heights High School
Day Two
Game Three: Quarter-Final
Overcoming adversity and a lopsided early penalty count, King's College advanced to the semi-finals with a gutsy 14-4 quarter-final victory over Westlake Boys' High School.
Operating without regular captain Tyler-Rex Samasoni-Tukuitonga due to injury, standing captain Kavelle Wiki-Rawiri and fellow prop Matthias Petelo (Year 11, Marsden) anchored a strong defensive line that repelled early Westlake momentum. A strong charge upfield from Donnell Collins (Year 11, Averill) sparked the attack, allowing Robbie Dunn (Year 12, Marsden) to shift the ball out wide through Cale Ngatai and Ruan Tahi, sending Leo Kirkland into the right corner for four points.
Ollie Anderson provided the highlight of the match shortly after, tearing through Westlake's right-edge defense with electric footwork to score under the posts and seal the playoff victory.
Final score: King's 14 vs 4 Westlake Boys' High School
Game Four: Semi-Final
King's College's title hopes came to an end in the semi-finals following a physical 14-28 defeat to eventual Championship premiers Shirley Boys' High School.
Missing starting fullback Manaariki Kea-Cameron (Year 11, Selwyn) and first five-eighth Ricoh Wilson (Year 12, Greenbank), King's faced relentless pressure early as Shirley Boys' capitalised on first-half opportunities to build a multi-try lead. A try in the corner by Ollie Anderson began to claw back our place in the game, and despite the deficit, game-drivers Kavelle Wiki-Rawiri, Donnell Collins, and Tevita Lo (Year 11, Marsden) rallied the side in the second half, sparking a spirited comeback. Leo Kirkland and injury replacement Josh Leighton (Year 12, School) both produced an outstanding effort, Leighton out of position on the wing, to score late tries. While King's brought the score margin back within reach, Shirley Boys' held firm to secure the victory and advance to the Grand Final.
Final score: King's 14 vs 28 Shirley Boys' High School
Day Three
Game Five: Third Place Playoff
King's College capped off their tournament campaign in dominant fashion, securing 3rd place in the Championship grade with a comprehensive 26-4 win over Botany Downs Secondary College!
King's took control early through a crisp block play setup from Tevita Lo, who fed co-captain Kavelle Wiki for a line break to set up Matthias Petelo's opening try. Petelo added a second try shortly after, steamrolling through the Botany defense. The King's defensive unit completely locked down Botany Downs, denying multiple scoring attempts throughout the match.
Donnell Collins again set the platform upfield, leading to a set-piece play where Wiki-Rawiri sliced through untouched to score. Late attacking strikes from Robbie Dunn and Koby Schaumkel (Year 13, Selwyn) sealed a top-three national finish for the squad.
Final score: King's 26 vs 4 Botany Downs Secondary College