this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read First XV rugby: Liston win the Battle of the West St Kentigern’s massive victory; Sacred Heart sport some familiar names; Palmerston North-Feilding historic feud eases; all the top nationwide action .. In the latest Battle of the West on Saturday Liston showed their chops as a talented and well-drilled outfit that will test a lot of teams as they came from behind to claim a treasured early-season scalp against opponents who are seeking their 15th Auckland title Liston’s efforts did much to salvage the reputation of the 1A championship as a credible and competitive premier spectacle on a day when other blowout results appeared to be undermining it St Kentigern College posted a 98-0 win over hapless De La Salle College and King’s College breezed to a 50-0 win over once-proud Mt Albert Grammar Auckland Grammar beat Botany Downs Secondary College by 38 points while St Peter’s College registered their ninth successive win against Dilworth School (47-24) and fourth straight victory against them by more than 20 points at least Sacred Heart College kept it real with a tentative and hard-fought 17-10 home win over St Paul’s College so it wasn’t exactly Muhammad Ali taking the fight to sunny Liston Kelston only had Cesc Keith and Sam Clark remaining from the starting XV in last season’s grand final and players tied up with the Warriors Harold Matthews Cup (Under-19) team contesting the short-form New South Wales Rugby League competition even though bragging rights rest firmly with Liston Kelston started the scoring with two early penalties to first five-eighths Max Talbot before Liston hit back with a converted try to lock Jed Lindsay-Ola went into the break up 13-7 through a try to flanker Benji Wichman and extended their lead to 16-7 through another Talbot penalty But converted tries to blindside flanker Sione Katoa and substitute Lee Fesolai got Liston home Halfback Max Stocker accounted for two conversions and fullback Conrad Chaston one Liston are coached by Daniel Morath and Rory Lord Kelston are this season being coached by Scotty Keith who has been part of the team’s management for the past six years and has taken the reins from Matt Howling Sacred Heart and King’s College warmed up for their big Fitzpatrick-Kirkpatrick Cup clash this coming Saturday with first-round wins put their feet up and reflect on the meaning of life in their unexpectedly one-sided 50-0 romp over Mt Albert Grammar Sacred did it the hard way with a hesitant performance on a beautifully resurfaced home pitch In previous seasons, Sacred Heart have boasted generational playmaking talents in Rico Simpson and Cohen Norrie So even if this was a scratchy first-up seven-point win it will at least be reassuring for Sacred fans to see their starting line-up once again featuring a (younger) Simpson and Norrie in the backline this year Keanu Simpson started at first five-eighths with Finn Norrie immediately outside him (while Cruz Simpson captained from No 8) But it was a bit shambolic early on for Sacred and a mix-up at the back allowed St Paul’s to break 75m to score and take an early 7-0 lead one such “name withheld” character has played a blinder for St Paul’s to open the scoring Sacred Heart then won a series of penalties and from one of them lock Will Quinn scored near the posts following a quick tap to level at 7-7 Norrie collected a long cut-out pass to zip across the line out wide for a 12-7 halftime lead Simpson made a good run and halfback Liston Vakauta shipped the ball wide for winger Troy Hala to add a further (unconverted) try After a host of penalties where St Paul’s chose to tap and go fullback Romana Whitiora added a penalty to his earlier try conversion St Paul’s had opportunities to force a draw and Sacred Heart needed a lineout steal to clear their line after a lot of pressure but errors from both teams ensured no further scoring It was a tough return to Glen Innes for St Paul’s coach Ross Asiata a former Sacred Heart teacher who took the college’s 2A teams to back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024 Sacred Heart have added 50-test All Black and Rugby World Cup winner Charlie Faumuina to their coaching team for 2025 co-captain Marco Miln accounted for 20 of the points – including two tries – in King’s College’s 50-0 rout of Mt Albert Grammar Miln starred for King’s at halfback last year with his speed of clearance from set pieces a feature of their backline’s more effective attacks But he is being given responsibility at first five-eighths this year Other try scorers for King’s were fullback Calvin Harris-Tavita second five-eighths Joseph Fatuvalu and sub Ollie Anderson These are tough times for Mt Albert Grammar Since winning the National Top Four title with a 19-1 record in 2016 they have failed to make the 1A semis and fashioned a record of 39 wins and 44 defeats There were no surprises as St Peter’s continued their dominance of Dilworth who have not won one of these meetings since 2015 After Bailey Tupu Tuia opened the scoring in the fifth minute Further tries followed to No 8 Liam-Vaea Lavulavu while first five-eighths Malakai Hafoka made six conversions Dilworth at least earned a bonus point with four tries including to prop Adrian Vea and sub Taha Veainu while Davis Ripia-Ihe landed two conversions St Peter’s are being coached this season by Richie Harris a former deputy principal at Tamaki College whose CV includes coaching Northland in the NPC and taking Grammar Carlton to the Gallagher Shield St Kentigern will be taking nothing for granted this 1A season But on top of winning the annual Presbyterian Quadrangular they could hardly start their campaign any more emphatically than dishing out a 98-0 drubbing against a team they could only beat on the basis of an obscure first-try rule in the playoffs two season earlier when St Kentigern went unbeaten for 52 consecutive matches between 2011 and 2013 the biggest victory they managed in a 1A match was 69-0 against Tamaki College in 2012 36 defeats and seven draws in the 1A competition St Kentigern beat De La Salle 31-3 – which until Saturday was the largest defeat the Mangere Catholic school had suffered in eight seasons Life is too short to list all the St Kentigern try-scorers but there were three to star centre Siale Pahulu two to crowd-favourite prop Riley Grant-Faiva and two to hooker Luka Makata First five-eighths Keanu Graham made nine conversions as well as scoring a try St Kentigern will get more of a workout from Liston this Saturday this is at least a scoreline that will get college followers talking about more than just their new farm in the Coromandel Auckland Grammar bounced back from a heavy loss to Tauranga Boys’ College by beating Botany Downs 48-10 Auckland 1A draw Saturday (home team first all games 2.30pm): King’s College v Sacred Heart; Dilworth v Mt Albert Grammar; St Kentigern v Liston; St Peter’s v Botany Downs; Kelston v St Paul’s; Auckland Grammar v De La Salle Westlake Boys’ High School began their defence of the Kyocera-sponsored North Harbour First XV competition with a workman-like 52-0 win over Rangitoto College Westlake were never really troubled – but never got out of second gear either Rangitoto were able to stop their opponents but seldom the offloads and Westlake’s mortar-and-pestle approach inevitably ground them down Standout for Westlake was their pacey and unpredictable Year 11 Fijian winger while captain Arlo Leith earned his 50th cap in this match Mahurangi College came from behind to win 18-8 away over Ōrewa College through first-half tries to lock Finn Nowakowski Craig and sub Loky Chapman and two penalties and a conversion to Samuel Wech there was a try to fullback Flynn O’Donnell and a penalty to captain Ryder Donovan An interesting Mahurangi initiative this year is the introduction of a free Mahu City Express bus to transport travelling fans to away matches Fans can book in advance and get a ride there and back with pickup from Mahurangi College or Mahurangi Rugby Club Whangārei Boys’ High School made a strong start with a 40-10 bonus-point home win over Massey High School fullback Tametai Wihongi and sub Dailyn Dickeson flanker Shaun Butler scored and first five-eighths Jordan McDonald added five points with the boot North Harbour draw Saturday (home team first all 12 noon): Mahurangi v Rosmini; Takapuna v Westlake; Ōrewa v Whangārei; Massey v Rangitoto Hamilton Boys’ High School beat Australia’s Barker College 33-12 in post-pool play at the Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament in Japan at the weekend and then on Monday beat Toin Gakuen High (Japan) 26-19 in the playoff for fifth Hamilton Boys took an early lead through Kent Mills and fellow lock Aiden Saxon added a second try after a good run from skipper Alex Arnold Flanker Tom Foote ended a great backline move with a nice try out wide though Toin Gakuen stayed in the fight and it was 19-19 at halftime The score stayed that way until the last minute when Hamilton’s No 8 Corban Dunlop wrestled his way over the line in the final play of the game it was all Japanese schools making the top four this year with Osaka Toin High beating Saga Technical High 20-17 in the grand final A fifth-place finish was a step down for Hamilton Boys’ High after having won this tournament four times previously but was easily the best of any non-Japanese team with Barker College the next highest in eighth place Feilding High School waited 103 years for a chance to tussle with Palmerston North Boys’ High School on their No 1 field in Palmy historically-snubbed Feilding had to wait a further 50 minutes for an injured player to be safely removed shortly after kickoff The prone individual was eventually seen walking into an ambulance – while Palmerston North also made a late recovery to win 19-15 Feilding increased the intensity and broke the first-half stalemate when Kingston Manihera-Dankwa raced clear to score a converted try A penalty kicked by Feilding second five-eighths Nixon Foreman stretched the gap to 10 employing a novel tap move from a penalty that saw Charlie Robbie finish a training-paddock special The more orthodox approach of astute kicking and sturdy scrimmaging saw Palmerston North jump 12-10 ahead with a Bailey Ngatai-Cribb try from a Feilding scrum infraction Feilding regrouped and seized the lead with 10 minutes remaining Hooker Alani Fakava blasted into a hole and freed Steelie Hammond: Feilding Banter and bragging from previously unwelcome neighbours would have proved insufferable for the longer-established Palmerston North rugby programme With cold composure and vigorous determination Clark Sutcliffe muscled over for a try that sidelined Fielding and saved face for Palmy Palmerston North and Feilding are easily the strongest rugby schools in the Manawatū Yet despite being only 20 minutes apart have only played seven games since 1942 each of them equally as riveting Saturday’s and there is a commitment from both parties to play a fixture in 2026 Napier Boys’ High School edged Wellington College 33-27 in an often entertaining pugnacious openside Carlo Mienie wriggled past a lethargic defender and scampered 30m composed fullback Angus Lovett nabbed a second try on the hour mark from a deflection as Napier stretched their unbeaten run against Wellington to nine years Ollie Maclachlan and Carter Pirie outplayed their larger adversaries The height of Maclachlan and Pirie provided Napier with an abundance of choice in a slick lineout Napier centre Harvey O’Rourke scored a crucial try to make it 21-13 at the interval The Herald was reliably informed that O’Rourke can bench-press 140kg That means the schoolboy midfielder can lift Wellington coach Wellington were left to rue too many mistakes struggling to find the right balance between direct forward thrusts and bold expansion winger Shea Bosher crossed twice in the corner as does lock Laifano Kamoto with his impactful bustle and cherry-red headgear Napier and Wellington have been annual rivals since 1980 Napier won eight matches in a row between 1982 and 1989 Napier were Super 8 champions and narrowly beat Wellington 23-20 Wellington beat Napier 18-15 to eliminate “Sky Blue” from National Top Four contention Coach Tialata was a prop for Wellington that season St Patrick’s College Town overpowered Scots College and Hastings Boys’ High School defeated St Patrick’s College Silverstream Grading for the Wellington Premiership started with Hutt Valley High School tipping over Rongotai College 20-18 while the margin was the same at Paraparaumu College with St Bernard’s College beating the hosts 26-24 It was even closer in the middle of Trentham Racecourse with Hutt International Boys’ School edging out Tawa College 22-21 while the Battle of Wairarapa saw Rathkeale College open their Wellington account with a 17-12 win over Wairarapa College Masterton’s Rathkeale was a Central North Island school between 2012 and 2024 Christchurch Boys’ High School missed out on South Island supremacy to Southland Boys’ High School by a whisker A sideline conversion by Jimmy Taylor sent the Highlanders regional champions to the National Top Four while Christchurch rued “what-ifs” and a questionable “local ref” in a heart-rending 29-28 defeat in what could be a precursor to a 2025 South Island final Christchurch left nothing to chance in a resounding 45-28 victory in Mandeville 18km northeast of Gore and once New Zealand’s busiest state highway for the transportation of illicit alcohol The match was hosted by the Ohoka Rugby Club Jones scored his first try on the left wing Halfback Koen Rarere scored from Southland’s first trip inside the 22 but Christchurch bounced back quickly with a driving maul try to co-captain Mac Chaplin and strikes out wide to Delahoia Te-Pakake Kakoi and Hiro Fuchigami that involved Jones’ assists Southland heeded a stern halftime message and hooker Luka Salesa scored shortly upon the resumption Christchurch might have had the jitters at 31-21 Replacement flanker Phoenix Smith was a commanding presence and scored two tries Southland’s prop Presley McHugh was a hive of activity and scored a try Jack Brock (four conversions) and Mason Coulthard were Highlanders Under-18 representatives in 2024 who featured in the game King’s were finalists in the Southern Schools Rugby Championship last year and have the vast majority of that roster returning King’s eight tries were scored by Jeremiah Tuhega-Vaitupu (2) Nelson College overcame a gritty Timaru Boys’ High School 46-26 while St Andrew’s College trounced John McGlashan College 48-3 in their traditional fixture The Miles Toyota Championship (Crusaders region) and the Southern Schools Rugby Championship (Highlanders region) start on Saturday ahead of a fixture against Auckland Grammar The renovation is believed to have cost about $6 million with the new-look turf marked out for rugby and football The Gully’s amphitheatre still has terraces along both touchlines to provide elevated views for spectators But it’s a sign of a new era that in advance of the formal opening the new turf pitch will be first used for a football match between New Plymouth and Grammar at 10am New Plymouth were beaten 35-25 by St Paul’s Collegiate (Hamilton) last week St John’s College (Hastings) annual exchange with St Pat’s Wellington – which dates back to the 1940s – has been cancelled this year A full winter exchange was scheduled for June 10-11 in Hastings but in a joint statement St John’s principal George Rogers and St Pat’s rector Mike Savali said there was a need to thoroughly review and update their billeting policy to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all participants consistently-applied policy is essential to manage risk effectively we remain vulnerable without such a policy in place.” They said that while significant progress has been made on policy formation it would not be approved in time for the scheduled exchange in just over a month Readers are invited to send their first XV rugby updates news snippets and hot takes to nzschoolboyrugby@gmail.com Hamilton Boys' High won 61-7 against Tokai University Sagami High Kelston Girls' College briefly went into lockdown on Tuesday afternoon after a window was smashed following a fight The school posted on social media asking parents to refrain from coming in as it "may cause disruption to the management of the incident" and put people at risk An update on the school's website later said the issue was resolved and it was undertaking a "controlled release" of all students Police confirmed a woman was being spoken to following the incident "Earlier this afternoon a fight occurred between two students," a spokesperson said "A woman known to one of them came onto school grounds and smashed a window" The school called the police and the suspect was located "No one has been injured - the school initiated a short precautionary lockdown New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Making streets a better place for our tamariki The Streets for People Onewherowhero consultation with the community officially closed on 14 April 2024 Get up-to-date information about the Streets for People Onewherowhero (Kelston) project  The Tāmaki Makaurau Streets for People programme is working with local communities to design and test temporary or semi-permanent street changes in their area These changes are geared towards making it easier for people to walk designing and testing with the people who use the space rather than for them Compared to traditional transport projects This allows our project team to better understand the wants and needs of the local community before making any permanent changes Auckland Transport’s Tāmaki Makaurau Streets for People programme is a part of the national Streets for People programme led by Waka Kotahi. Auckland Transport was one of 13 successful applicants to this programme, which will fund projects in both Kelston-New Lynn and Māngere community groups and mana whenua to explore ways of improving the streets around Kelston We are moving forward in stages and have installed the on-street changes listed below while we review the plans for the pop-up hub in the corner of Bamboo Grove and St Leonards Road To make it easier and safer for the community This project aims to support an increase in safe walking and cycling by:  This was an opportunity to introduce the children to safely riding their bikes and scooters to school We invited bike mechanics from the Bike Kitchen to fix some wheels that need repair AT’s Community Partnership Team also provided the kids with some basic safe cycling skills Watch out for more community events and activities that will allow locals to give the trail a go and have their say on the changes The Streets for People programme is a national programme funded by Waka Kotahi which aims to make it easier and faster to create safer The programme creates opportunities for councils across New Zealand to partner with communities to accelerate street change projects (e.g This will help Aotearoa to achieve its emissions reduction goals faster while creating vibrant people-friendly places for thriving communities Learn more about the national Streets for People programme on the Waka Kotahi website. To receive updates, ask questions or get involved in the Kelston-New Lynn Streets for People project please email Streets4people@at.govt.nz​ Underpinned by strong tenant covenants from a diverse range of 30 national and multinational occupiers and sweetened by a favourable zoning overlay that permits more intensive development activity, Kelston Mall at 16 West Coast Road, Glen Eden has been sold to an Australian buyer following a robust marketing campaign that drew wide attention from local and offshore buyer entities. The centre’s Singapore-based vendor acquired the retail/service hub at the height of Auckland’s pandemic lockdowns in 2020, but had since changed its investment focus opting to recycle capital back into Asian markets. The deal, brokered by Ryan Johnson, David Bayley and Jason Seymour of Bayleys’ capital markets team, is now unconditional with the sale price confidential. Occupying a high-profile 2.1-hectare corner site with 7,729sqm of lettable area across both standalone and integrated components, and 388 carparking spaces, Kelston Mall is anchored by Woolworths Group, McDonald's and Mobil and has a weighted average lease expiry of more than three years by income. It is a prime example of a diversified and relevant suburban retail/service offering in an identified growth area, which resonated with the trans-Tasman buyer, says Johnson. “This is a proven, resilient and busy centre where the big core occupiers are complemented by specialty tenants across medical, food and beverage, childcare, retail, beauty and service sectors. “It’s a quintessential neighbourhood mall that covers all bases for a broad residential catchment and is a lynchpin of the Kelston community. “These credentials are bolstered by the Business - Local Centre zoning which currently allows development to a 16-metre height limit under the Auckland Unitary Plan, but additionally has potential future upzoning which could allow even greater site usage.” Johnson says the sale demonstrates the enduring appeal of high-yielding commercial real estate assets and reflects several trends seen in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in recent years. “A lot has changed in the deployment of global capital since 2020, with the pace now picking up. Ultra-high net worth Singaporean capital is through the roof, and private investors are cementing a strong position. “APAC is increasingly seen as one market and that market is now important on a risk-adjusted returns basis. The flow of capital is very dynamic and moving more freely, which is positive for the New Zealand-Singapore-Australia triangle.” Bayleys’ alliance with global real estate heavyweight firm Knight Frank gives vendors of New Zealand commercial and industrial property exposure to the wider APAC market, allowing access to a deep pool of capital. “As an asset class, retail property has seen significant repricing in the last four years, but when viewed through a cap’ rate lens, remains very attractive to investors. “Buyers are seeing opportunity to refresh centres through value-adding upgrades to broaden the tenant net and provide an improved shopping experience for customers. They’re also looking ahead for the potential to further optimise site use and leverage favourable higher density zoning overlays.” Recently, Bayleys’ capital markets team also sold Eastgate Mall in Christchurch, in a deal which settled in late-November with the purchaser being property investment and development company Willis Bond. “Seeing out the year with the confirmed sales of two large7 B neighbourhood shopping centres shows there is depth to the market and there is significant capital circulating for well-located and optimally-zoned assets,” says Johnson. SectionsShowsVideoPodcastsWinMenuLIVE NOW PMN Niue531 PINiu FMLatest bulletinPMN NewsLavinia (centre) and husband Semisi Faleofa run Fahi On, a self-funded workout and support hub for youth. From the garage to greatness: How a couple's passion project, Fahi On, is helping youth find purpose. What started as a casual workout has become a bustling training and mentorship hub for youth in West Auckland. Semisi and Lavinia (Nia) Faleofa are the couple behind Fahi On, a space that empowers and promotes social change for Kelston youth. “Some of the young men and women that do come to us have been told that they won't amount to anything, that success is far-fetched for them,” Nia said. “They've been expelled from school; they're really naughty, and for me and Misi, it's more of creating a safe space and guiding them into tapping into their potential.” It began in 2020, when Semisi worked as a Section Commander at the New Zealand Defence Force’s Youth Development Unit Northand was approached afterwards by two high school students who wanted support in joining the military. Nia said her husband agreed to help and initially thought that was the end. “Then, one day, they just showed up at our house after school and were ready to train. And so following this, another couple of boys joined the group, and then the word got out.” Nia and her husband transformed their garage into a training area, which later expanded to include girls. The goal was to help youth who didn’t gel with conventional schooling. The Fahi On team started with a group of young men who wanted to join the military. Photo/Supplied “Anyone looking to start their journey, whether in fitness, career aspirations, or personal growth, is welcome to join us. Our vision is to guide the next generation and help our people excel." The Tongan word fahi means ‘to break’ or ‘to smash’, and Nia said it became a mantra during the initial months of training. “During these sessions, which were quite hard, the phrase 'Fahi On’ was frequently used by these young men, and it came to symbolise the concept of pushing through pain, overcoming challenges, surpassing perceived physical limitations during these training sessions and the phrase resonated deeply with us and eventually became the name we adopted.” The couple have since supported ten youth into the Navy and Army, and are currently working with others to join the Police and rugby development squads. Other youth are being encouraged to seek job opportunities. “We've supported one individual with his business entrepreneurship, becoming a tattoo artist … and one of our regular Fahi On members is the retail and operations assistant manager for Eden Park Catering, and he has been instrumental in helping some of our young men and women gain entry into the workforce.” Most of the participants are from Kelston, but others come from South and Central districts. Nia expressed gratitude to the sponsors that supported their Longest Day event at the start of the year, a seven-hour workout from Kelston to Waikumete, but said most of their work is self-funded. “For Misi and I, it's not about the money. For us, we believe that the work we're doing through Fahi On is not only our calling but also our way of fulfilling our purpose and ministry.” Semisi (James) Faleofa was named the NZDF Person of the Year in 2022. Photo/NZDF In 2022, Semisi (James) Faleofa was named the NZDF Person of the Year. At the time, the local recruiting team leader described his work as “truly amazing”. “Singlehandedly, with support from his wife, he is doing more than any initiative or school who are backed by various resources. “Even if life in uniform doesn’t eventuate for all of those LYDS Faleofa works with, these young men are better people and will become great employees to any future employer, with his support.” The web app you have attempted to reach has blocked your access. Kelston Boys' High contested the final of the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi. Kelston Boys’ High will return the World Schools Rugby Festival title to New Zealand for a third successive year after imposing a rare defeat on South African champions Paul Roos Gymnasium in a quality 2024 final in Abu Dhabi early on Sunday morning. Powered by a highly talented loose forward contingent of Aio Keith, Joseph Paiali’i and Ulutoa Ai’i, a strong lineout platform, and good leadership from first-five and captain Jarrel Tuaimalo-Vaega, Kelston triumphed 20-12 after being behind early in an even back-and-forth contest. It capped a memorable 2024 for West Auckland’s “Kelliblock”, after also winning their 14th Auckland First XV 1A championship in August, and then the Blues region title. Previously Hamilton Boys’ High claimed the World Schools Rugby title in 2022 and Westlake Boys’ High in 2023. Meanwhile, in the playoff for third, Westlake beat England’s Millfield School 26-12. In the grand final Paul Roos opened the scoring in the seventh minute from an intercept in their own 22, to have Kelston behind for the first time in the tournament. But Kelston No 8 Keith, one of the stars of the tournament, showed some great footballing skills to hack the ball forward from a wayward pass, collect, and score out wide. Minutes later an expansive Kelston backline move led to centre Koupa Nomotu scoring after a slick offload from Ulutoa Ai’i for a 10-5 lead, though Tyson Parsons was again unable to convert in a difficult breeze. Paul Roos engineered a converted pick-and-go try under the posts to seize the initiative, but a Parsons’ penalty from right in front gave Kelston a 13-12 half-time lead. With 15 minutes remaining in the match openside flanker Paiali’i extended that to an eight-point lead with a darting solo dab following inspired forward play, with Parsons converting. Multi-talented vice-captain Paula Lu’au had a versatile presence for Kelston, both as a rock in midfield but also popping up in the lineout, while Year 10 right wing Satali Fretton was a threat all week and Parsons added a calm presence at fullback. Papakura High School were beaten 62-0 by the Paul Roos B team in the Trophy division, but honoured Kelston’s main title win by performing a haka for them. Liston College defeated Kelston Boys’ High 21-16 in a stunning upset. 14 May 2025 12:30528809m²$56,680 A year! Legal Home & IncomeBrimming with potential and perfectly positioned this outstanding home and income property presents a rare and rewarding opportunity in the heart of Kelston Set on a generous 809m² (more or less) freehold section but two separate dwellings - ideal for investors or those looking to live in one and rent out the other to offset their mortgage Both currently tenanted with a total rental of $1090 per week The main residence is full of charm and character featuring three well-proportioned bedrooms A separate laundry adds to the practicality while the classic layout invites future enhancement to really make it shine the fully self-contained minor dwelling offers two bedrooms its own open-plan living and kitchen space opening to a private veranda -perfect for extended family this property is just moments from numerous schools With so much on offer and loads of opportunity to add value this is a smart move for home buyers or savvy investors Opportunities like this are few and far between - don't miss your chance to secure a versatile property with real future upside *Property particulars have been obtained by a third party Get a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life. With no need for quotes from tradies, we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started. Kelston Boys' High will contest the final of  the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi. Auckland and Blues region First XV champions Kelston Boys' High will contest the final of the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night (NZ time) after a hard-fought 12-5 win over England’s Millfield School. It meant Kelston topped Group A and now have a shot at bringing the trophy to New Zealand for a third successive year after triumphs by Hamilton Boys High in 2022 and Westlake Boys' High in 2023. But prospects of an all-New Zealand final were thwarted when South African champions Paul Roos Gymnasium defeated defending titleholders Westlake 11-7 in the final match in Group A overnight. In a tight contest Kelston seldom managed the fluency of their previous wins, but established a third-minute lead over Millfield. Kelston’s forwards burrowed over after being camped near the goal line and after conferring with the touch judge, a critical try was awarded, with fullback Tyson Parsons converting. Then despite having centre Koupa Nomotu in the bin for a dangerous tackle, Kelston established a 12-0 halftime lead when, in the final play of the spell, flanker Joseph Paiali’i made a bruising burst from a 10m lineout to score. Millfield, who had an edge at scrum time, reduced the deficit with a maul try in the second minute of the second half, and several times went close to levelling. Meanwhile in a real arm-wrestle, Westlake were always trailing against Paul Roos Gymnasium, who were named School of the Year and Team of the Year in South Africa’s Ruggas Awards for 2024. Paul Roos appeared to be without a number of stars from their unbeaten domestic season, but were still dominant and went ahead through an early penalty, a 23rd minute try and a further penalty to lead 11-0 at the break. But with their first real attacking opportunity of the match early in the second half, Westlake were awarded a penalty try following two taps close to the Paul Roos line. However Paul Roos closed the match out and Westlake will now face Millfield School in the playoff for third. Meanwhile Papakura High School, competing in the second-tier Trophy division, have had a win and a loss so far in their campaign. They beat RTA Barbarians, a South African Invitational XV, 21-20, but then lost 21-30 to Dess College, a private school in Dubai. Waitakere CityPrice By Negotiation314100m²825m²RC Approved for 6 Houses - Golden Opportunity!Seize this golden opportunity in a sought-after location Sitting proudly on a freehold 825sqm road-frontage section this beautifully renovated 1960s family home offers immediate comfort and long-term investment potential providing a perfect blend of contemporary living and retro charm the true value of this property lies in its potential for development Approved resource consent for 6 townhouses (3 bedrooms - two storey) means that this site is primed for an exciting development opportunity this property offers a fantastic chance to capitalize on a growing and high-demand area Located just minutes from the New Lynn transport hub ensuring convenience right at your doorstep The surrounding area is experiencing significant growth making this property an attractive option for future development this is a ready-to-go development opportunity offering flexibility for builders and land bankers The current owners have changed their plans providing a unique opportunity for you to take advantage of this exceptional site Whether you plan to develop immediately or land bank for future growth this property is an outstanding investment in a prime location Kelston Boys' High School won rugby's World Schools Rugby festival. Photo / Kelston Boys' High School When Kelston Boys’ High School first XV team claimed their third world title in December they had a secret weapon. Prior to heading to the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi, Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) oral health department provided custom-fitted mouthguards for the 26 players. AUT students used advanced digital scanning technology to precisely capture each player’s dental structure, ensuring a snug, personalised fit that significantly reduced the risk of dental injuries on the field. On the field, Kelston didn’t disappoint, beating South Africa’s Paul Roos Gymnasium 20-12 in the December 2024 final to add Abu Dhabi to titles won in Zimbabwe in 1998 and Tokyo in 2012. “In a sport like rugby, where impacts are intense and unpredictable, custom mouthguards are essential in preventing damage to the mouth and teeth,” says Karen Lansdown, head of the department of oral health. “By combining AUT’s oral health students' clinical skills with design input from Kelston Boys, we created a custom-fitted mouthguard that enhanced the team’s safety as they upheld their incredible legacy of producing All Blacks and winning world titles.” Lansdown says this partnership showcased AUT’s values and highlighted the importance of community support for meaningful, impactful, changes for collective wellbeing. “Every year, thousands of individuals suffer dental injuries that could have been prevented with custom-fitted mouthguards, which effectively absorb and disperse impact to the face, reducing the risk of injuries to the mouth, teeth, and jaw. However, not everyone has equal access to these essential protective devices, as the cost can be a significant barrier. “To promote equity in sports, we must advocate for programmes that provide affordable custom mouthguards for all players, regardless of their circumstances,” Lansdown continues. “Ensuring every young athlete has access to proper protection enhances their safety and supports the wellbeing of our entire community.” As well as the mouthguards there was another link to AUT on the pitch the day Kelston Boys' High School won - oral health senior lecturer/kaiwhakaako Chanae Ihimaera’s son Koupa, was part of the team that lifted the championship. “As a proud parent of one of the Kelston Boys’ first XV, and as a staff member within the AUT oral health department, I am filled with immense pride,” Ihimaera told the Herald. “To see whānau excel on the world stage while knowing that our department played a small but significant role in ensuring their safety is incredibly rewarding. “And it wasn’t just about the physical protection. Our focus on oral health extended beyond the mouthguards. Our oral health students carried out comprehensive dental examinations, including panoramic X-rays, and provided any necessary treatment, ensuring their award-winning grins stay gleaming alongside the protection.” Ihimaera says the initiative is important and access to oral health should not be a privilege. “I applaud AUT for demonstrating a commitment to the wellbeing of our young people. Seeing my son, and indeed all the players, confidently take the field with the knowledge that their oral health was well cared for was immensely gratifying,” she says. “This initiative goes beyond simply providing a service; it demonstrates our commitment to the wellbeing of our communities and the importance of fostering a culture of health and safety. “Ngā mihi nui to the entire Kelston Boys’ first XV team, staff, whānau and community. You have made Aotearoa very proud!” The mouthguard initiative was also praised by Danny Bernard, whose son was also part of Kelston’s winning squad. He says his son was “truly grateful for the support and guidance he received from AUT throughout the process”. “He mentioned that it made him feel like a professional athlete, and that confidence is invaluable to him. “As a parent of a rugby player, I am keenly aware of the physical demands of the sport and the risks it entails, particularly concerning mouth and head injuries. Mouthguards are essential for my son to safely enjoy rugby and knowing that AUT provides professionally crafted mouthguards gives us, as parents, greater peace of mind.” Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu, a body representing the region's eight iwi. 08 May 2025 18:00422172m²405m²Owners have Purchased a stunning freehold property offering the perfect blend of style Nestled in an established and fast-growing suburb this home is designed for comfortable family living with easy access to essential amenities Solid & Stylish Construction - A combination of Brick & Tile + Weatherboard ensures durability and timeless appeal Spacious & Functional Layout - Featuring 4 generous bedrooms and 2 modern bathrooms Outdoor Entertaining - Step onto the large deck Freehold Title - Secure your future with full ownership and no shared land hassles This property is situated in a super convenient location Walking distance to schools and local shops Easy motorway access - The new SH20 Motorway is just minutes away connecting you effortlessly to the city and beyond A fantastic home in a highly sought-after location-perfect for families Contact Team Realestate Rockstars today for a viewing or visit our open homes based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started Kelston Boys' High registered a comprehensive 52-3 victory over Zimbabwe's Zambezi Steelers New Zealand teams have continued their fine form at the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi with confident overnight wins Kelston Boys' High registered a comprehensive 52-3 victory over Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Steelers to top their group on goal difference after two rounds Waitakere CityPrice by Negotiation311100m²690m²A Rare Gem in Kelston!This timeless sun-soaked house is nestled in the heart of Kelston offering incredible opportunities for homeowners - Charming 3-bedroom family home with a fabulous Kiwi backyard and fully fenced garden - perfect for all ages - Kitchen & bathroom already upgraded - the hard work is mostly done - Entry-level buying with huge potential for capital gains - Bonus: Wheelchair access for added convenience and inclusivity - 690 sqm (approx.) freehold land - Mixed Housing Suburban zoning - Draft plan available to build two additional houses at the rear (subject to council approval) - Stormwater connection showing on GIS maps at the front of the property - Enjoy the perfect blend of suburban tranquillity & urban convenience Disclaimer - This property is being sold without a price and therefore a price guide can not be provided The website may have filtered the property into a price bracket for website functionality purposes All prospective purchasers shall complete their own due diligence and satisfy themselves with respect to information supplied during the marketing of this property including but not limited to: the floor and land sizes Kelston Intermediate School principal Bert Iosia told the Herald it had only received school lunches on time on three occasions since starting the term on January 30 and called the rollout of the programme “frustrating to say the least” Teacher aides have also been pulled out of classrooms for the last third of the day to help sort through lunches for students with dietary requirements after they were randomly assorted in boxes before being delivered Iosia said he anticipated some issues in the first couple of days of the programme but after he was told lunches were scheduled to arrive at 3pm and 4pm – when the school had allocated the drop-off time as 12.45pm – he called it “nightmarish” and “no use to anyone” He said it was “gut-wrenching” when he had to reach out to the school community last week and ask parents to provide lunches for their kids “because I just couldn’t put on lunches every single day for the kids” “The comms were pretty good from the School Lunch Collective but you could see that they were under the pump There were assurances that we were going to get lunches but my gut feeling was that they wouldn’t be arriving,” he said “I back the lunch programme so I try not to bad-mouth it in any way but I did explain to families that there were these teething problems going on [and] there’s no assurances that the lunches could arrive.” He said staff had been advised to keep a close eye on students and if anyone was seen without lunches “I thought we could manage a smaller number got loads of bread and Weet-Bix themselves and stocked up their rooms to give out to the kids,” Iosia said Iosia called the meals “hearty” and had no complaints about the quality of them but noted multiple parents had contacted him concerned about the inconsistency of the programme “The whole idea behind the programme was to promote healthy eating and to generate a discussion around that their options of what they can provide the kids aren’t always the best health-wise.. I’m not stopping [their parents] from doing that until I get a good consistent run with the lunches to know they will arrive at the right time to allow my team to get it out to the kids and there are no muck-ups.” saying cuts to the programme impacted the way lunches for children with dietary requirements were distributed – and that he was forced to use teacher aides for the last third of the day to sort through them Some of the kids that had those dietary requirements – of being dairy-free or can’t have seafood can’t have this or that – the lunches were all labelled but they were labelled and randomly put into boxes “I pulled my teacher aides out [to help sort them] and so the core purpose of supporting the teacher in the classroom well that bloody went out the window because they needed to be here to help me with the sorting.” He said under the previous lunch programme, introduced by a Labour-led Government in 2019 the meals were sorted into classrooms – making it easy to deliver to students with dietary requirements “We would’ve sorted about 110 [dietary requirement meals] of our 430 lunches Iosia said he knows providers are “under the pump” and everyone wants them to be successful because it means children are fed but the “teething process needs to be fixed quick because I’m at my wit’s end in terms of addressing it” “They need to know that the late arrivals are problematic and impacts all our kids from being able to engage in their day at the best of their ability “To be honest I don’t care about the funds It’s just frustrating that we’re having to problem solve and I don’t want to problem solve and be quiet about it so that they [School Lunch Collective] think ‘Oh these guys have got it in hand if we’re running late or we’re not able to come through on a delivery’.” He said the school has put its breakfast club programme on hold to have peanut butter and Marmite sandwiches and Weet-Bix on standby He had also bought and frozen enough pre-cooked sausages for Kelston Intermediate’s 430 students in case lunches don’t arrive but I’m sure it won’t be good for our families and that’s disheartening.” New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF) president Leanne Otene today apologised to schools “marred by disruption” after malfunctions in the rollout of the programme “The last thing you want is to have your senior staff and your office staff foraging for food because the school lunches haven’t turned up,” Otene said Some of you have had these issues every day this year.” She said if the new cost-saving lunch programme continues to be disruptive NZPF would call for a return to local delivery “even if it does cost the Government a bit more” “Making small savings from cheaper school lunches must not be at the cost of the wellbeing Ministry of Education operations and integration leader Sean Teddy said it understands the frustration and disappointment experienced by schools during the rollout “especially for the students who are looking forward to enjoying nutritious meals delivered on time each day” “We expect the School Lunch Collective to listen to the concerns raised by schools and demonstrate flexibility in adapting and evolving to meet the needs of schools.” Teddy said in response to early challenges the School Lunch Collective had expanded its delivery fleet to support timeliness of deliveries engaged with logistics expertise from Foodstuffs to review travel routes increased the number of production kitchens in Auckland and heated meals earlier engaged a new supplier of special dietary meals to resolve supply and labelling problems and doubled its contact care team On support with the distribution of meals on site Teddy said schools with rolls of 350 and more will be provided grant funding to help distribute lunches to students either through their own staffing resource or by subcontracting the School Lunch Collective “Eligible schools for on site distribution support were notified of this approach in mid-January and a follow-up communication with term one payment details was sent again this week.” The School Lunch Collective did not respond to a request for comment before publication Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday A pilot's flight path spelled 'I love you' in the sky over Auckland and Warkworth Kelston Girls’ College in West Auckland was forced to lockdown this afternoon when a member of the public entered the school grounds and smashed a window after a student she knew got into a fight The school said it went into lockdown just after 3pm “Please do not come to the school or phone the school as you will not be attended to and this may cause disruption to the management of this incident and could potentially place yourselves and/or our staff and student’s safety at risk,” the school wrote online Kelston Girls’ College said it had come out of lockdown and everyone had been accounted for and was safe “Everyone did extremely well and responded to instructions.” Police said they were speaking to a woman following the disorder at the college a fight had occurred involving two students a woman known to one of the students entered the grounds and smashed a window,” a police spokesman said “Police were called and located the woman concerned The school initiated a short precautionary lockdown “Inquiries are ongoing at present but no one else is being sought in relation to this matter.” Kelston Boys' High on their departure for the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi Kelston Boys’ High and Westlake Boys’ High have made impressive starts to the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi overnight with first-up wins, as they seek to return the title to New Zealand for a third successive year. Auckland 1A and Blues First XV champions Kelston Boys’ High made a powerful statement with an opening 33-0 win over South African team EG Jansen Hoërskool, while reigning tournament champions Westlake had a slightly tougher assignment in beating English champions Harrow School 22-5. Kelston were convincing six-try winners against a relatively young EG Jansen team from Boksburg (about 30km from Johannesburg), which was based around the squad who will start their new season next March. Playing with the wind, right wing Satali Fretton opened the scoring in the fourth minute for Kelston with a try in the corner after No 8 Aio Keith peeled off the back of a scrum near the line to initiate the move. Tyson Parsons then added a penalty from right in front, though that was to prove the only successful kick of the day. Prop Solo Baleinaikasakasa made a thundering run to set up a further try for Paula Lu’au in the 13th minute, and captain Jarrel Tuaimalo-Vaega made it 18-0 just before halftime. In the second 30-minute spell, flanker Joseph Paiali’i finished a flowing 50m move for a bonus-point try, Lu’au added another midway through the half and sub Tariec Mulitalo scored just before the end. Meanwhile, it took 23 minutes for Westlake to gain the upper hand against Harrow, with loosehead Alex Va’aia finally burrowing his way over. Westlake No 8 Travis Findlay made some searing breaks to set the platform for further dominance and centre Ashton Falloon added a second try just minutes later. Then from a stunning backline move, Werner Van Staden left a trail of defenders in his wake for a further try. On a day when kicking was troublesome for everyone, fullback Brody Good landed an excellent conversion from Van Staden’s try, straight into the teeth of the wind, for a 17-0 halftime lead. Much of the second spell was deadlocked, but five minutes from fulltime, Westlake halfback Lee-Hanru Greyvenstein scored a bonus-point try in finishing a slick blindside move for a 22-0 lead. Westlake defended stoutly afterwards, though Harrow managed to score with the final play of the game. On Tuesday night (NZT), Kelston face Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Steelers and Westlake clash with Welsh champions Llandovery College. The web app you have attempted to reach has blocked your access You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image Associate Education Minister David Seymour should be sacked for delivering a revised school lunch programme that is a shambles was at Kelston Boys' High School in Auckland during lunch time on Wednesday More than 800 students were lined up outside the main building to collect their lunches including Principal Adeline Blair and several students were helping distribute Pita Pit meals - sub-contracted by the government provider Compass Blair said the meal - a small container of teriyaki chicken and veggies a brownie and choice of an apple or a plum was not enough for the boys - but it was better than what they had been getting from Compass earlier in the year Blair said one of her teachers commented that the meals did not look not fit for consumption "[She said] 'it was like somebody chewed and spat it back into the into the container' It was not the most appealing to the eye." "The containers are extremely hot to hold because they have been reheated to a certain level She said there was one day when special dietary requirements were not catered for "We had a young man who was obviously a halal consumer and he came up to us and said 'Miss Are there any halal meals?' And and I said And the look on his face just dropped because that was his meal for the day." Blair said it takes up about 25 minutes to get through the students and the helpers usually end up skipping lunch themselves Kelston Boys High School had their own provider and meals were delivered to students in their classrooms The provider had also employed a person to help with the distribution She said they too had been disappointed with new lunch programme after seeing it at Kelston Sepuloni said Seymour needed to be sacked over this "He's the one that turned this programme upside down It was working really well prior to David Seymour's intervention but I will put on the record too that the primary Minister of Education is Erica Stanford take over and fix this mess - because clearly David Seymour is not capable of doing so." "There will always be people who want to politicise an issue "The revamped school lunch program will save $170 million when it is extended to all schools At the same time it achieved 100 per cent on time delivery yesterday and many students and principals are praising the new meals as being better than the old "The budget we inherited from Labour left no money for school lunches in the budget for 2025 It is not credible to say they are in favour of doubling the budget to receive the same result." Compass is one of the three companies that make up the School Lunch Collective which is responsible for running the scheme Compass Group boss Paul Harvey told RNZ's Checkpoint programme on Wednesday it was "mission critical" to meet KPIs "We are going to listen we are going to learn we are going to work with our teams to ensure that the menus turn up in a way that they enjoy eating every day." Kelston Boys' High School 1st XV team celebrate winning the Auckland 1A final A sometimes effervescent and sometimes just plain dogged Kelston Boys’ High School have claimed their 14th Auckland 1A title in First XV rugby with an enterprising 32-24 grand final win over top qualifiers St Kentigern College There were joyous scenes at the final whistle as to the irritation of Eden Park officials and crowd marshalls exuberant Kelston players athletically clambered up the forbidding perimeter walls of the North Stand to join the thousands of elated West Auckland faithful the vibe couldn’t have been any more Westie if somebody had pulled a crate of Lion Red from the boot of an unregistered HQ Holden as the players mingled with the sideline characters who are such a feature of the Kelston support life-size cut-outs and red-and-blue Kelli Block beanies – before having to immediately climb down again for medal and trophy presentations Kelston had good reason to enjoy the moment While winning rugby championships is nothing new for this 61-year-old school with a seemingly unlimited pool of raw talent on call from its Archibald Rd environs in some respects this 2024 championship will go down as their most remarkable Because they seized the title despite an often brittle campaign in which they were beaten no less than four times in 11 round robin matches infectious spirit and resourcefulness to bounce back and prosper at playoff time but this may well be the most losses* a champion Auckland schoolboy team have ever endured in eventually triumphing and is perhaps a testament to Kelston’s consistent mid-winter mantra that the 1A is a marathon rather than a sprint Kelston’s preparation for a high-tempo and often pulsating final also had its unique features Coach Matt Howling scheduled a midweek visit to Waikumete Cemetery and the graves of former school greats such as prototype power-winger Va’aiga Tuigamala in inviting his squad to reflect on the memories of those who have gone before and embrace the spirit guiding them played in front of a highly invested crowd of about 7000 Kelston’s win was more about life than death and despite getting outmuscled in a lot of the set plays Kelston’s mercurial backline and highly focused loose forwards then proved the difference One of the real stars for Kelston was openside flanker Joseph Paiali’i and he began the scoring after a keen backline break down the right he was on hand again to get his team back in front at 25-24 with a further try after he peeled away down the short side had banked an early penalty from right in front then grabbed the lead when Siale Pahulu – their most dangerous player – chopped inside to score a converted try in the 11th minute Kelston fullback Tyson Parsons levelled for 10-10 with a penalty then right on halftime kicked another for a 13-10 halftime lead But St Kentigern regained the advantage immediately at the start of the second spell Kelston botched the kickoff clearance with a sliced kick and from a lineout 10m out St Kentigern exploited their tight-forward superiority with No 8 Zephaniah Lototau scoring and Revell converting for a 17-13 lead Kelston flanker Aio Keith brilliantly fended his way to the tryline only for Lototau to again put St Kentigern in front at 24-20 Then 10 minutes after Paiali’i’s second try Kelston winger Ulutoa Aii finally gave his team a margin of comfort by dotting down in the corner at the end of a flowing attack Parsons converted brilliantly from the sideline There was still 10 minutes of pressure to soak up plus a twilight zone of stoppage time after a St Kentigern player was knocked unconscious and the joy was palpable at the final whistle fear nothing - except perhaps talking to media and even on that front the fans were happy to help out “This means everything,” explained ardent Kelston fan Ava These boys have worked so hard and shown such heart But there was deep frustration for St Kentigern who have now finished top qualifiers for two successive seasons under coach Tasesa Lavea St Kentigern were at their best when preying on Kelston errors but couldn’t muster quite the same X factor in general play being top qualifier is starting to look like a poisoned chalice in 1A rugby with four of the last five teams to have won the final having been the lower qualifiers from the round-robin * In 2013 Auckland Grammar School were beaten by Mount Albert Grammar School (9-6) Kelston (17-13) and St Kentigern College (31-3) but still reached the semifinals where they thrashed Mount Albert 35-12 Grammar led St Kent’s 11-10 until they were penalised on the last play of the season and St Kentigern first five William Raea kicked a 45m penalty to stretch St Kentigern’s unbeaten run to 50 games in a row In the Auckland 1B First XV final Tangaroa College – relegated from 1A ranks at the start of the season – bounced back to beat Macleans College 27-24 in a thriller Tangaroa had a player sin-binned for a dangerous tackle and then had to hold on grimly defending their line Tangaroa had led 15-14 at halftime but conceded that lead before their No 8 Puipui Sofeni made a huge break downfield for a converted try and they then added another shortly afterwards for sub Damian Pene Teinaki The 1A final was played in front of a large vociferous and proudly tribal crowd at Eden Park as a curtainraiser to the more uninspiring Auckland-Canterbury NPC match which followed That made for a lively contrast with Eden Park’s usual stoic where tumbleweed might well blow down the concourses But after the 1A final almost everybody left so it’s fair to pose this question: would it have been better to have the NPC match as the curtainraiser with the 1A final given prime status as the day’s main event The same question holds true for North Harbour Stadium where about 6300 were in the stands for the Westlake-Rosmini final (and more on that below) then about 400 for the NPC match which followed Would a reversed timetable better harness the latent appeal of schoolboy rugby for the wider promotion of the code would schoolboy fans bother to arrive early if the NPC match was the curtainraiser and it can almost be like you are watching a different sport from the schoolboy action you could also argue a counter-proposition that Eden Park – the biggest possible stage as our national stadium – is fundamentally an incongruous venue for a 1A final given this is a weirdly-administered competition which has now an almost-instituted fear of media and publicity as an article of faith at least Auckland remains a complete outlier on the wider New Zealand schools’ landscape and they still do media passes at Eden Park Reader feedback is welcomed at the email address below Westlake notched their 21st North Harbour championship when they beat Rosmini College 41-27 in the Kyocera Document Solutions-sponsored grand final to set up a crack at a third successive Blues regional title It was a match roughly played out in three-thirds at North Harbour Stadium – where the “carpark full” signs were out early – with Rosmini strong at the start and enjoying an early lead through a Ryder Heath penalty But the middle period was mostly Westlake as they ran in tries built around pace and mobility rather than size while Rosmini dominated the final third once Westlake opted to clear their bench and rest their loosies in particular while lock Hugo Pieterse was played in by wing Thomas Rawiri Rawiri added a try himself after an otherwise quiet J.D but Rosmini replied with a try to hooker Jayden Clark following a ruck close to the line and then proceeded to dominate the final 17 minutes as their big forwards stepped up Rosmini No 8 Anton Seuseu had some very strong runs while talented second five Inoke Vaingalo found room to run Seuseu and Heath scored tries as Rosmini came home strong but Westlake halfback Levi Leith closed the door with a 40m gallop to score This was Westlake’s 10th final win over Rosmini and they lead the storied rivalry 52-28 with three draws in the Harbour era (1985-present) Rosmini have eight titles with two wins over Westlake in the final but since Rosmini won their last title in 2017 Westlake have won 12 of the 15 matches against them Hamilton Boys’ High School will host Rotorua Boys’ High School on Saturday at noon in the Chiefs regional final for a berth in the National Top Four after a gritty but ultimately nervy 36-29 away win over New Plymouth In the final match to be played on grass at The Gully before it gets an artificial turf makeover Hamilton coasted to a 14-0 lead and were still comfortable at 19-5 at halftime But an intercept try to New Plymouth and a dubious line-call where the Hamilton players stopped left the match deadlocked at 29-29 with three minutes remaining New Plymouth would have won on a countback of tries applied pressure from the kickoff and engineered phase after phase before centre Ollie Guerin nabbed the match-winner down the right prop Luke Hills and left wing Max Kara scored for Hamilton while Jackson Botherway converted two of three Right wing Ross Anderson crossed in the second spell with Botherway converting and slotting a penalty But Hamilton coach Greg Kirkham described his squad as “grinders rather than superstars” “But we wanted to work on our start after having been on the back foot in recent matches and we at least did that.” Hamilton beat Rotorua Boys’ High School 32-8 in the Super 8 back in June Rotorua hammered Pukekohe High School 76-0 As architects of a massive upset a week earlier Rotorua were acutely aware of not taking Counties champions Pukekohe too lightly and a whitewash from the Super 8 powerhouse suggested they were in no mood for mercy Rotorua only kicked four conversions but five of the seven replacements scored tries # Hamilton Boys’ High are certainly living up to “The Factory” nickname with 24 former players active in NPC rugby this season six ahead of the next best school in St Kentigern Here’s the full breakdown of school alumni Manawatū powerhouses Palmerston North Boys’ High School and Feilding High School typically do their best to avoid each other but they must clash in their Hurricanes regional final for the National Top Four (in Palmerston North) on Saturday Despite being separated by just 20 minutes these teams have only played twice since 2015 Unless one party pulls “a Scots” and defaults and Palmerston North will be favourites to prevail after toppling Feilding 36-22 in one of those rare fixtures in May While Feilding have never attended the National Top Four Palmerston North were present last year and previously in 1996 Palmerston North earned their passage to the big dance this year with a resounding 30-19 victory over listless Wellington Premiership champions St Patrick’s College A Wellington school has not qualified for the National Top Four since Scots College in 2015 A swirling wind that Palmerston North faced in the first half made basic handling and kicking treacherous Palmerston North established a 13-0 lead which should have been greater Rampant openside Viliami Rongokea-Tupou boomed a try after a thrilling break and the hosts were far more enterprising with the possession obtained Silky first five Jamie Viljoen kicked two penalties to apply an exclamation mark on the hosts’ early ascendancy at the breakdown The only try of the first half was scored in the 18th minute when Palmerston North stretched left and lock Bradley Tocker offloaded to hooker Cazna Sale Manawatū sprint champion Tocker is an eye-catching talent Silverstream finally found their stride after the interval Simple and direct carries engaged Palmerston North in a battle of attrition A well-worked lineout saw lock Preston Moananu transfer to openside Drew Berg-McLean at the front who delivered a simple pass to unmarked hooker Dylan Davey The game became a splutter with both teams struggling to stake an ownership until Viljoen glided into a hole and dashed 35m Tocker and Rongokea-Tupou proved increasingly tough to contain while fullback Hunter Kennedy is a serious attacking threat he ended Silverstream’s season with a long-range break and offload for winger Richie Schaff Tocker set up reserve Henry Speedy and at 30-7 things for Silverstream were becoming embarrassing Silverstream summoned the will to keep fighting and finished with two tries – the last a beauty to halfback Kian O’Donnell refusing to surrender in a chase after what appeared to be a hopeful kick Feilding High School preserved their unbeaten record at the “Dog Pound” with a gritty 28-14 win over a tenacious Gisborne Boys’ High School Gisborne played with the wind in the first half and built pressure through a combination of caution and aggression A Gisborne yellow card for a tip tackle after 15 minutes gave Feilding a reprieve and Tyrese Tane scored a try in his 30th cap game Gisborne kept probing but cruelly conceded before halftime A fumble near the Feilding posts was kicked ahead by the hosts and gun fullback Dan Maisiri collected to cross Gisborne continued hammering away and were finally rewarded in the 50th minute when Luke Bidois rumbled over Feilding’s James Tuituba restored a 14-point advantage but a Safin Tuwairua-Brown try kept Gisborne in the hunt Feilding No 8 Rupeni Raviyawa finally settled the contest with a trademark individual surge The Silverstream-Palmerston North match was broadcast on the streaming platform Huddy Sports with Palmerston North rector David Bovey’s voice a welcome and knowledgeable presence Let’s hope Fielding and Palmerston North are as congenial to a media presence this Saturday when the same match was broadcast on the Rugby Channel a crowd of more than 5000 was drawn to Arena Manawatū for an epic showdown enjoyed by all and won narrowly by Palmerston North the Hurricanes regional girls final is set to be played on Wednesday with Wellington champions St Mary’s College hosting defending national champions Manakura * Feilding have never competed at the National Top Four but with the Whitelock family Codie Taylor and Aaron Smith in the First XV they enjoyed a golden era between 2002 and 2011 winning 182 out of 211 games and toppling many of the leading schools around the country Feilding competed in the former co-ed nationals (2007 to 2019) several times Nelson College are the first team to qualify for the National Top Four in 2024 ending the reign of Southland Boys’ High School as champions in Nelson Nelson won the South Island final for the fourth time to retain the Trustbank Cup for the summer (nine defences) and also capture the Moascar Cup for the first time since 2018 Nelson made an ominous start with two clinical tries after 10 minutes Loosehead prop Samuela Takapu and hooker Jack Trott each dotted down A steady supply of possession coupled with the speed and variety of first five-eighths Harrison Inch had the visitors in retreat Southland rallied by removing the pace from the game and employing their set-piece to stifle and eventually break through Converted tries to Jack Brook and Will Garrick tied the scores at 14 apiece Nelson always appeared to have another level though Three minutes before halftime a searing break by Inch was finished by trusty halfback Ollie Gibbons Southland’s earnest graft was reduced to rubble That’s because a compelling feature of Nelson is their ability to score swift long-range tries Athletic ball-carrying forwards link seamlessly with speedy Nelson strikes a good balance between calculation and individual courage Southland were only down 28-19 when replacement back Ezekiel Hammond-Siolo scored the first of his two tries But tries three minutes apart in the 47th and 50th minutes to second five Fanua Fa’avae and whippet winger Mikey Morrison extinguished any chance Southland had A groundbreaking tour to Japan for an inaugural appearance at the Sanix World Youth Tournament was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for wide-eyed teenagers from Invercargill Southland’s prospects of winning the tourney were ruined by a disgraceful refereeing performance in the semifinals Southland unfathomably blew a 24-0 lead to lose their first interschool fixture to Otago Southland soon found their groove defending the Moascar Cup seven times and winning 11 consecutive matches en route to defending their Southern Schools Rugby Championship first five Mika Muliaina and utility back Jimmy Taylor were among those to flourish History will be against Nelson at the National Top Four in a fortnight in Palmerston North Nelson will tackle the Blues regional champions in the National semifinals Nelson lost to Blues champions Mount Albert Grammar School (10-26) in 2007 and King’s College (17-49) in 2019 The last time a Crusaders South Island champion won a National Top Four semifinal was when St Bede’s College beat Napier Boys’ High School 26-9 in 2009 The last Crusaders national champions were Christchurch Boys’ School in 2006 with 10 Crusaders Under-18 representatives With four Miles Toyota Championships in six seasons Nelson are enjoying their most sustained success since a glorious run from 1946 to 1961 Nelson won 229 out of 280 matches enjoying three unbeaten seasons and winning or sharing the annual quadrangular tournament ten times Rex Pickering and Trevor Morris became All Blacks Meanwhile Christchurch Girls’ High School thrashed Columba College 78-8 in the girls’ South Island final Christchurch Girls’ shared the national title with Manukura in 2022 In a week when many of the country’s best First XVs edged closer to national glory spare a thought for Tauranga Boys’ College Until their shock and harsh elimination at the hands of Rotorua Boys’ High School on August 17 they might well have been overwhelming favourites to capture their first National Top Four title Tauranga swept to their first Super 8 title since 1999 with record wins over Rotorua Tauranga won a match in Hamilton this season for the first time since 2002 and scored eight consecutive victories on a gruelling South American tour No 8 Aidan Spratley and halves pairing Charlie Sinton and Mason Verster would have to be strong contenders for the New Zealand Schools team Tauranga had 10 selections in the Chiefs Under-18 development camp But who is the strongest side to ever miss out on the National Top Four initially as an invitation tournament before it transitioned to a regional qualifying model In 1983 Auckland Grammar School were the national champions winning 18 out of 20 matches but Christchurch Boys,’ unbeaten in 20 games St Stephen’s School won the 1985 National Top Four final against Napier Boys’ High School 26-3 Would the outcome have been different if Christ’s College Auckland Grammar School prevailed again but didn’t face St Patrick’s College Wellington who were unbeaten for the first time since 1934 In 1988 St Patrick’s College Silverstream achieved a record 24 wins in 25 matches and scored a staggering 897 points but turned down the invitation to attend If internationals John Leslie (Scotland) and Simon Mannix (All Blacks) had their time over Rotorua Boys’ High School were a powerhouse under Chris Grinter Rotorua dropped just one of 23 games and in 2000 scored a staggering 1213 points in 24 games but missed out in both seasons on national glory The 2007 Wellington College First XV faced Gisborne Boys’ at the Rectory in the Hurricanes regional final Wellington raced to a 17-0 lead in as many minutes powered by a monster pack that featured future Hurricanes Super Rugby winners Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Reggie Goodes as well as the dazzling Buxton Popoali’i But Gisborne staged a remarkable comeback and by fulltime had drawn Gisborne charged on to beat Mt Albert Grammar School 35-24 in the National Top Four final with future All Black Charlie Ngati scoring 20 points in that game Gisborne Boys’ won their first and only Super 8 title but failed to replicate their efforts from the previous season in making the National Top Four when they were upset 23-21 in the Hurricanes regional final by Napier Boys’ High Napier had earlier eliminated a formidable Palmerston North Boys’ side that won 18 of 20 games and included a blockbusting Ngani Laumape and future All Blacks lock Jackson Hemopo St Kentigern College won the 1A title and 20 of 22 games in 2011 but made the regrettable decision to contest the national co-education championship instead Ryan Martin fashioned a stellar record as Otago Boys’ coach Otago won 94 out of 100 competition games and 48 out of 55 inter-school fixtures Otago attended the National Top Four in 2012 2013 and 2015 but missed out to Christchurch Boys in 2014 despite thrashing Christchurch 29-7 in the first meeting of that season Hamilton Boys’ have been the platinum-standard First XV but have also had some notable sides miss out In 2006 Hamilton won their first Super 8 title and won 18 of 19 games before being stunned by Rotorua Boys’ Hamilton won all 13 games but the National Top Four was called off due to Covid And last year Hamilton held two World Schools titles but were beaten in the Chiefs regional final by Tauranga The documentary SACRED – A Rugby Story for the Ages which celebrates Sacred Heart College’s historic 2023 season where their 1st XV won the coveted Auckland 1A Championship has been exceptionally well received on World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV said he was “both humbled and delighted” with the news that Sacred was the most watched documentary on Rugby Pass TV last weekend # Is there another side to anything reported here? Readers are invited to send their first XV rugby updates, news snippets, and hot takes to nzschoolboyrugby@gmail.com. Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read. The National Top Four is being held at Arena Palmerston North this weekend to crown New Zealand's First XV champion. The finalists have been found after an action-packed Friday. Manukura: 38 (Malina Leatherby-Millar, Te Maia Sweetman, Kingston Taiapa, Araia Keighley-Rein, Te Maia Sweetman 2, Taylah Seng tries; Maia Davis 4 con) Hamilton Girls’ High School: 17 (Matilda Chandler, Terangi Kureta, Cadence Kepa tries; Keira Russell con). HT 33-0 For 50 minutes, Manukura was in full control of the first match of the day at the Arena. With six unanswered tries and a 38-0 lead, perhaps they were already thinking of Sunday’s final. For their part, Hamilton, who had misfired as much as Manukura soared, suddenly clicked into life. Where passes were previously going to ground or missing their targets, they started sticking, their bench made an impact, and they came back to dominate the next 20 minutes and score three tries. But the deficit would prove too great and Manukura held on for a well-deserved victory to book their place in Sunday’s final to defend the Hine Pounamu Trophy. Manukura whitewashed Hamilton 31-0 in the 2023 final. Manukura scored five tries and led 33-0 at halftime, capitalising on several unforced errors and handling mistakes by Hamilton, and their organisation and swift decision-making at ruck time proving effective. Hamilton knocked on the opening kick-off and Manukura went wide from the opening scrum to right-wing Malina Leatherby-Millar to make it 5-0. Manukura soon scored their second try after a Maia Davis kick and chase up into the 22 saw them regain possession and build phases. No. 8 Te Maia Sweetman barged over to make it 12-0. Manukura went up 17-0 after 22 minutes, capitalising on another mistake inside the 22 by Hamilton’s backs. This led to lock Kingston Taiapa scoring and Davis converting. Their fourth try was well constructed, good passing and vision sent fullback Araia Keighley-Rein over untouched. Davis added her third conversion, and it was now 24-0. They put the hammer down right on halftime when they took a quick tap penalty from 40 metres out and No. 8 Sweetman ran all the way through to score untouched. Davis’ conversion made it 33-0 at halftime and it was a steep climb back for Hamilton. More ruck penalties gave Manukura the impetus to go back hot on the attack early in the second half. Hamilton defended well close to their line, making two try-saving tackles. But the weight of pressure soon saw left wing Tayleh Seng scoring the easiest of tries out wide.  Hamilton finally broke through to score their first try, some good handling and support play resulting in year 11 second five Matilda Chandler crossing for a converted try to cut the lead to 38-7. Suddenly, Hamilton had their tails up and they quickly swept back up into the 22. Manukura hung on, but couldn’t capture the bouncing ball when Hamilton fullback Keira Russell put in a short rolling kick that evaded the covering defence and No. 8 Terangi Kureta pounced on the ball in the in-goal and scored to make it 38-12. Hamilton scored their third try from a penalty and lineout on the 22. The forwards mauled their way close to the line and replacement Cadence Kepa scored. It was now 38-17 with just over 10 minutes remaining. For Manukura, No. 8 Sweetman, lock Taiapa, hooker Kōtuku Hennessy and openside flanker Elley-May Taylor were amongst their best players on the day. Captain and halfback Maia Davis was instrumental for them, as always. Hamilton’s midfield pairing of try scorer Chandler and centre Regan Chapman were strong on defence and fullback Russell showed some good touches with ball in hand.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Howick College: 22 (Uaina Lefau 2, Asha Taumoepeau-Williams, Maddison-Rose Motuliki tries; Mariner Sina con) Christchurch Girls’ High School: 17 (Melody Ehau, Lucy Gallagher, Taila Foster tries; Zoe Gullery con) HT: 5-12 Debutants Howick College flipped a halftime deficit to win a passage through to the final. Howick was guilty of being too ambitious in the first half. Against the stiff wind, Howick refused to kick the ball, pushed passes, and made too many mistakes. Christchurch’s forwards were honest and physical capitalising on superior field position. Howick hinted they were dangerous with several slashing breaks going unconverted -accept their opening try when first five-eighth Mariner Sina busted from deep inside her half and fired a peach of a pass to centre Asha Taumoepeau-Williams who did the rest from halfway. Taumoepeau-Williams was a constant threat to the Southerners, her size and pace formidable. Christchurch struck the opening blow when tenacious openside Melody Ehau wriggled over in traffic after seven minutes. Howick’s response was sensational, but fatigue coming out of their half was punished when industrious lock Lucy Gallagher caught the defence napping. The most notable change in Howick’s second-half approach was a better balance between attack and defence. Sina kicked superbly and an attacking kick regathered by Howick directly led to a try scored by left winger Uaina Lefau which made it 12-10. Howick took the lead after 47 minutes when livewire openside Marica Tukana took a quick tap and threw a skip pass to blindside Maddison-Rose Motuliki who made an angled charge over the line. Howick had real momentum and swift passing involving multiple handlers to set up Lefau for her second. Christchurch drew upon their experience of four consecutive tournament appearances to rally. When reserve hooker Taila Foster scored with about ten minutes remaining, Howick was hanging on grimly, reduced to 13 players for poor discipline. However, the wind was becoming an increasing challenge and Howick defended resolutely for a memorable victory. Rose Motuliki and No.8 Keana Farani were powerhouses for Howick. Howick lost two players to the sinbin but those left on the field dug deep anchoring Christchurch in their half. Nelson into First Top Four Final, Hamilton Awaits A herculean defensive display earned Hamilton Boys’ High School an eighth trip to the National Top Four final, a relentless and unpredictable Feilding High School foiled 23-19. With a record 14 tournament appearances, Hamilton is historically more accomplished and initially, it appeared the Hurricanes champions were overawed slumping to a 17-0 deficit. Hamilton opened the scoring in the sixth minute when the ball squirted out of a maul and bounced favourably for Hamilton lock Steffan Newman who quickly saw space and dispatched a pass to raging winger Ross Anderson who strode 60 metres clear. Feilding was rocked by the swiftness of the setback and fell off tackles meekly. Hamilton shortly doubled their advantage when loosehead prop Luke Hills threw an extravagant dummy which fooled Feilding. There had been notable incisions prior made by midfield pairing Hiraka Waitai-Haenga and Ollie Guerin. Hamilton had a third before the 20-minute mark. Guerin busted from inside his half again. The Hamilton forwards surgically built phases and winger Maxwell Kara was eventually unmarked. Nixon Foreman was the spark that launched Feilding’s comeback. The robust second five-eighth stepped off the foot right and shoved through traffic to dot down. The sparkling feet of Peni Havea were the next to bamboozle Hamilton’s defence. The winger turned into John Travolta close to a scrum on the ten-metre mark in Hamilton territory. Havea was stopped narrowly short of the paint but burly prop Dane Johnston wouldn’t be denied with his more direct approach.   Feilding monopolised possession in the second half undaunted by their relative lack of pedigree. Johnston and hooker Alani Fakava were damaging but it was bristling lock Zach Filer who waded through following a barrage of phases to spring Feilding into a 19-17 lead. A lack of caution inside their 22 cost Feilding three points. A brazen attack saw Steffan Newman isolate a stranded ball carrier. The Hamilton lock then tapped quickly from a penalty and galloped ten meters ahead to advance a penalty to within throwing distance for Year 11 fullback Jackson Botherway. Newman was at the forefront of Hamilton’s steel. Later he snaffled a vital turnover off a rampaging Johnson. Feilding No.8 Rupeni Raviyawa was on a tear, twice denied over the line. Havea and fullback Dan Masiri combined to send Raviyawa roaring down the wing. Raviyawa lunged for the line but was jolted by Hamilton's first five-eighth Dallas Rata-Makene who forced a juggle and knock on. Raviyawa was then held up by reserve Caleb Grice when he speared hard and low but couldn’t breach. A Feilding fumble with less than five minutes remaining would provide the reprieve Hamilton desperately needed. Halfback Mitch Swann booted the ball into vacant pasture and centre Ollie Guerin and reserve Corban Dunlop galloped like greyhounds to extract Feilding’s retreat. A Botherway penalty finally settled an engaging, exhaustive contest. Hamilton Boys’ High School: 23 (Ross Anderson, Luke Hills, Maxwell Kara; Jackson Botherway 2 pen, con) Feilding High School: 19 (Nixon Foreman, Dane Johnston, Fuller; Foreman 2 con) HT: 17-12 That is what Kelston Boys’ High School afforded Nelson College in the opening 30 minutes of their second Top 4 semi-final. Nelson College captain and first-five Harry Inch helped spark his players to a much more settled start, in which they scored the game’s first three tries to go up 21-3. Kelston rallied and scored their first try just before halftime, and were much more competitive throughout the second spell, but the deficit was too much for them to reel in and they were always chasing the game. Nelson also retained the Moascar Cup, which they will put on the line again on Sunday against Hamilton Boys’ High School. Kelston would also score the first try of the second half to go up 21-13 but that was as close as they got, with Nelson scoring their winning try several minutes from fulltime. The game started with Nelson creating several early chances, while Kelston gave away a slew of early penalties and took far too long to settle. It was a tale of two flankers in the 10th minute after Kelston blindside Aio Keith was sin-binned and then from the next lineout, Nelson’s forwards drove at the line and openside flanker Brownless dived over from the next phase for the first try and a 7-0 lead. Nelson were in for their second try with Kelston a player down, more converted phase play had their forwards lining up to have a crack at the line. Halfback Oliver Gibbons was the player to dart through to double the score. Kelston regrouped and started making inroads into Nelson’s territory. Fullback Tyson Parsons put them on the board with a penalty in the 27th minute. But Nelson replied five minutes before halftime with their third try of the semi-final. Fullback Kaelen Grafton ran back a clearing kick to just outside the 22 and set up a try to second five-eighth Jimmy West who ran to the right of the posts untouched. First five Inch judged the kick well and Nelson was now up 21-3. Kelston needed to score next – and they did. A minute out from halftime they put in their best attacking spell of the game, stretching Nelson across both sides of the field. This led to blindside Keith atoning for his earlier sin-binning by crashing over to make it 21-8 at halftime. In contrast to the first half, Kelston made a powerful start to the second. A long period in possession was rewarded 12 minutes in when No. 8 Dezman Laban flew over from close range to cut the lead to 21-13. End-to-end action followed. Kelston hooker Xavier Leota knocked on over the line. Nelson blindside Saumaki Saumaki’s offload nearly created a stunning try in the corner. In the 55th minute, it was Saumaki Saumaki who doubled Nelson’s lead. A scrum screwed towards the sideline and Saumaki offloaded in congestion to Brownlee who strolled across for the easiest of tries. Nelson were now up 26-13. Kelston weren’t about to lie down and they redoubled their efforts, and after a long period in possession, hooker Xavier Leota scored in the corner. The deficit was now eight points and they still had to score twice more in five minutes. Nelson College: 26 (Kobe Brownlee 2, Oliver Gibbons, Jimmy West; Harry Inch 3 con) Kelston Boys’ High School: 18 (Aio Keith, Dezman Laban, Xavier Leota tries; Tyson Parsons pen) HT: 21-8 10.15am: 3 v 4 (Field 3) - Christchurch GHS v Hamilton GHS 10.30am: Final (CETA Arena) Manukura v Howick College 11.50am: 3 v 4 (Field 3) - Kelston BHS v Feilding 12.40pm: Final (CETA Arena) - Hamilton BHS v Nelson College SectionsShowsVideoPodcastsWinMenuLIVE NOW PMN Niue531 PINiu FMLatest bulletinPMN NewsMatty’s On the Five is our weekly sports wrap covering five of the biggest sporting moments in Pacific sports as determined by Matt Manukuo Matty’s On the Five is our weekly sports wrap covering five of the biggest sporting moments in Pacific sports as determined by Matt Manukuo Kelston Boys High School win 1A competition It was a hard-fought win at the Garden of Eden yesterday for our next generation of rugby stars in Auckland Kelston Boys High School secured the 1A championship for Auckland's schoolboys first XV competition winning 30 - 24 against St Kentigern College The game was a back-and-forth battle between the first and second placed sides with Kelston striking first in the opening minutes St Kents fought back and held on throughout most of the match until the final 10 minutes where Kelston scored two tries extending their lead Kelston kicked the ball out and the players ran into their crowd in celebration as Auckland’s newest 1A champions Kelston Boys High School First XV after their win at the weekend And they were unable to win in the farewell match for three of their best: Addin Fonua-Blake The Warriors lost 34 - 18 to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs The Warriors first half was consistent with many of their performances this year scoring quick tries early taking a 18-16 lead in the first half The forward pairing of Addin Fonua-Blake and Mitch Barnett were damaging in the middle getting good field position for the home side defence was to the Warriors’ detriment as the Bulldogs ran in three unanswered tries in front of the roaring home crowd The biggest talking point from the game was the refusal of the refs to send Stephen Crichton off the field after a shoulder to the head of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Warriors head coach Andrew Webster expressed his frustration at the inconsistency of the refereeing decision for the Warriors the Warriors are farewelling three of their best who have contributed so much to the Warriors jersey All Blacks prepare for bruising tests in South Africa and the All Blacks are now headed to South Africa with a 1-1 record in the competitin It will be a world cup final rematch for the ages as the rugby’s two best sides go head to head once again The All Blacks made headlines last week for some off-field tensions as assistant coach Leon McDonald quit his duties just days before the side went into camp Over the past few years the All Blacks have been in the spotlight for all sorts of drama so their leaders and their new coach will need to pull their squad together quickly They can’t go over to South Africa and lose two-tests in a row I reflect on the message Ardie Savea expressed to the boys in preparation for the second-test against Argentina about physicality and effort The All Blacks will need to front up physicality in the opening exchanges against the Springboks If they are able to impose dominance with their forwards early Their first match against the Springboks goes down this Sunday morning (NZT) After their beatdown on the ‘Original Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns last week Solo Sikoa and the new bloodline stood tall in the latest episode of Smackdown Solo Sikoa proceeded to gloat after his beating on Roman Reigns’ proclaiming himself as the only Tribal Chief Sikoa is still insistent on chasing the World Heavyweight Championship from Cody Rhodes after his match was spoiled by Roman Reigns at Summerslam a few weeks ago He said in his promo he is determined to bring back the title to the Bloodline Sikoa was joined by Smackdown tag-team champions Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu with Tonga Loa standing idle in the background Jacob Fatu was forced by Sikoa to hand his title to Tonga Loa before Sikoa demanded Fatu to acknowledge him as the Tribal Chief given Tonga Loa is not the rightful champion There’s a lot going on at the moment with the Bloodline and its members but as the weeks go by and the return of Roman Reigns is looming - it’s an exciting time to look forward to Our Overtime Podcast is now on its twelfth episode We’ve been able to interview and platform some of our Pacific champions in the sporting community here in Aotearoa from content creators self diagnosed “armchair coaches” and much more uplift and entertain with the latest sporting news in the world of Pacific sports We've had talent with huge interest in sports and have heard some compelling stories from their journey into sports I implore you to go and watch the episodes here and give us a review we’re keen to keep growing the podcast and get more eyes and ears onto our people and their sporting pursuits You can find the podcast here: Overtime | Podcast on Spotify Matty’s Golden Point is a piece of advice shared on 531PI’s Pacific Grandstand show. “My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.” 14 May 2025 13:30323451m²Home Sweet HomeAuction: 34 Shortland Street City on Wednesday 14 May 2025 at 1:30PM (unless sold prior) nestled in the vibrant and family friendly suburb of Kelston this light filled residence blends classic character with contemporary style — perfect for families Solid 1960's timber weatherboard construction — built to last Generous living area flowing to a sun-drenched deck Freehold 451m² flat section — fully fenced and perfect for kids Ready to move in — just bring your furniture this home offers excellent access to schools and public transport — this home offers both lifestyle and convenience Whether you're starting out or adding to your portfolio 27 Kelwyn Road is the perfect blend of character Please note that the vendor is seeking a Safe and Sanitary report for the additional bathroom See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Waitakere CityAsking Price $1,399,0007110918m²Commerical Opportunity!A Heart-Stopping Opportunity Are you ready to make a diagnosis on a truly unique investment Here's your chance to acquire a non-operational doctor's surgery situated on a prime corner site Whether you're looking to repurpose this space for a variety of professional uses or transform it into a comfortable residential haven this property is a blank canvas that offers no patients just potential and large off-street parking with easy access The flexible layout makes it perfect for a wide range of professional this property is in close proximity to other professional services creating a perfect environment for future business opportunities you'll have all the amenities you need within reach making it an attractive choice for anyone seeking a thriving business or a revitalised residence This is your prescription for success - a property waiting for the right owner to bring it back to life Let's talk about this healthy investment today Get a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life Kelston Boy High School winger Jeremaih Lemana and Westlake Boys High School fullback Brody Good attempt to secure the loose ball during the First XV Blues Final On Saturday, Kelston built on their hard-won Auckland 1A title by also trousering their first Blues regional title since 2011 with a compelling 36-13 away win over defending champions Westlake Boys High School Given Westlake had only pipped Sacred Heart 32-31 last year there were expectations of another close contest in the cross-harbour decider for a berth in Palmerston North Westlake had little answer to the power and mercurial talent of the Kelston backline with the final 23-point margin a fair reflection of the gap between the teams Kelston’s offloading and support play was outstanding and they always had a man on the shoulder when running the ball up in wave after wave of attack They also effectively disrupted Westlake’s usually reliable lineouts and won the loose-forward battle to enjoy a wealth of possession If that made for a much more sober late Saturday afternoon than the hardcore Westlake faithful had initially anticipated it means Kelston now go in quest of their sixth national title they have a difficult assignment in facing the equally impressive South Island champions Nelson College in the national semifinals (Friday 2.45pm) while at 1.15pm Hamilton Boys’ High School – comfortable winners over Rotorua Boys’ High School – will clash with Feilding who will be making their debut at National Top Four after a tense 16-15 win over Palmerston North Boys’ High School Westlake grabbed the early lead through a Brody Good penalty but Kelston soon took command with classy first five-eighths Jarrell Tuaimalo Veaga fullback Tyson Parsons and halfback Sam Clark the most influential figures Flanker Aio Keith and Tuaimalo Veaga scored back-to-back tries with Keith bursting through like a winger for the first of these Kelston then worked a backline overlap on the stroke of halftime for right wing Jeremiah Lemana to dot down and secure a 17-6 halftime lead Kelston further showed their class with three more tries dummy-throwing Tuaimalo Veaga bagging two of them and Parsons executing a perfect grubber kick for left wing Ulutoa Aii to score in the corner There was a consolation try at the end for Westlake with centre Ashton Falloon beating two defenders to score a converted try on a day when they otherwise struggled to break through the Kelston defence Kelston will face a stiff task against Nelson College on Friday but should give a good account of themselves with a backline who nearly all top the scales at 105kg and stand taller than 180cm Kelston have previously won the national title in 1989 The Blues final was played in front of a crowd of about 2500 at Westlake which would have been bigger but for the weather with fans arriving as early as 9am for a decent perch who are party to the curious Auckland 1A media ban which is predicated on a belief that coverage can be harmful to student wellbeing Feilding High School have upended their more accomplished Manawatū neighbours Palmerston North Boys’ High School 15-14 in a tense and emotional blockbuster which was laced in colourful schoolboy rugby history before Sam Whitelock became our most-capped All Black (153 tests he’d helped Feilding High reach a rugby summit they’d never traversed Feilding stunned Palmerston North Boys’ High School 31-25 in a National Top Four qualifying fixture in front of 5000 fans at Arena Manawatū It was the first clash between the schools since 1942 and the first time Feilding had conquered their imperious neighbours in a tussle of such status A similar fixture should have happened in 2003 but a conflict so acrimonious erupted that it was even noted in the “Happenings” section of the strictly impartial 2005 New Zealand Rugby Almanack “Feilding High School superceded Palmerston North Boys’ High School as Manawatū's premier First XV the scheduled match between the two schools did not take place as Palmerston North chose not to appear in the much-anticipated deciding match at Arena Manawatū.” have missed out on a backyard “ding-dong” because of bickering grown-ups and authorities Is there anything worse in secondary school sports Whitelock told Feilding ahead of the Hurricanes Secondary Schools final on Friday: “You deserve to be competing here because you have earned that right With the endorsement of a double Rugby World Cup winner ringing in their ears Feilding rallied from 14-3 behind to upset their apathetic Super 8 neighbours “It’s like an evangelical experience” quipped a Feilding supporter among the horde that invaded the pitch at Massey University at fulltime “This is the best day of my life,” he continued in tears Feilding’s victory was built on composure and sheer guts A kicking strategy that turned Palmerston North around and baited their backs contributed to a mounting error count tighthead prop Dane Johnston and lock Flinn Henricksen spearheaded a herculean defensive display scoring early through openside flanker Viliamo Rongokea-Tupou Fielding warmed to their work and Nixon Foreman kicked a penalty to make it 7-3 Jamie Viljoen has been a talisman for Palmerston North and after 25 minutes the first five scored a try following a lineout and fruitful surges by fullback Hunter Kennedy and left wing Joseph Ratcliffe Feilding’s second-half resurgence started with a try to openside flanker Marshall Buckman A cross-kick by first five Tyrese Tane and collective persistence created the breakthrough The winning try was scored with 15 minutes remaining through tighthead prop Johnston More sustained pressure and a quick tap penalty close to the line saw Johnson score his 15th try of the season and Feilding’s 107th A riveting tussle that brought out the best in both schools didn’t produce another clear-cut scoring chance Feilding collide with Chiefs champions Hamilton Boys’ High School on Friday having won 17 of their 20 matches this season and outscored opponents 762 to 305 Sam Whitelock couldn’t make the game but fellow All Black and brother George was elated an annual three-week Tranzit Coachlines First XV festival involving the top four Wellington Premiership schools and Super 8 sides Palmerston North Hastings and Napier Boys’ has been quietly scrapped in 2025 That leaves an obvious gap in Palmerston North’s schedule It costs less than $10 on the Horizons Regional Council’s 311 bus to commute between Feilding and Palmerston North And there is even a discount for Bee Card holders Feilding v Palmerston North Boys’ High School (PNBHS) games since 2004: 2004: Fielding There could hardly be a greater contrast between Hamilton Boys’ High School making a record 14th appearance at National Top Four and Feilding a co-educational school making their debut at that level While Feilding got there by the narrowest possible margin Hamilton Boys’ eased to a 41-15 home win over Rotorua Boys’ High School in the Chiefs regional final But both schools have something in common insofar as they both failed in the finals of their respective league competitions this year but progressed regardless Top Four qualification was viewed as “redemption” after a loss to Tauranga Boys’ College in their Super 8 final Victory over Rotorua was also special for the team’s numerous Year 13s in their final home match of their school careers who is hanging up his coaching manual at the end of the season after years of working alongside Nigel Hotham While Hamilton are not quite the gifted unit of previous years they do know how to play the hand they have been dealt and managed to beat Rotorua despite having only about 35% of possession “We knew it would be a tough fight,” Kirkham said ”They are one of the most physical teams we have come up against Our emphasis was on defence and the pack stood up.” Rotorua opened the scoring after fine play from demanding centre Tavita Pomale put winger Wiremu Brailey in and they looked a threat at that stage with loosies Jake Hutchings and Te Ariki Rogers in the heart of the action But Rotorua’s back three were skittish and brittle but Hamilton’s cunning and calculated kicking had the trio sprawling hesitating and fumbling a little too regularly Hamilton are building a reputation as the sort of outfit that would stub their toe on a $100 note and were far more effective with the ball They proceeded to run in tries to centre Ollie Guerin two to lock Stefan Newman (who had a terrific game) a grandson of former Hamilton Boys’ coach Glen Ross The rangy Year 11 player has continued to impress since being promoted from the school’s Second XV mid-season and had a solid all-round game Guerin was also quality in the backline as Hamilton found gaps at will No Hamilton Boys’ coaching appointment has been made yet for next year but a recent interesting addition to the platoon of coaches in the city is redoubtable Tongan prop and Chiefs Super Rugby champion Sona Taumalolo whose wife Di teaches English at the school while he establishes a nearby pig farm More pork for after-matches would likely be appreciated by hungry Hamilton powerhouse prop Liam Van Der Heyden who could have been mistaken for a Hire Pool tractor as he ploughed the hard yards up the middle against Rotorua Feilding and Hamilton have no head-to-head playing record though Kirkham did light-heartedly note that Hamilton had previously “met” Feilding at the national finals but they were contesting the [short-lived] National Co-ed Top Four Nationals at the same time and we met them in the hot pools and talked,” he said Hamilton will have two players with previous National Top Four experience in captain and halfback Mitch Swann and second five Hiraka Waitai-Haenga Meanwhile Rotorua have 18 players returning in 2025 Manukura (Feilding) have topped St Mary’s College (Wellington) in the Rex Kerr Cup Hurricanes regional schoolgirls’ final to advance to National Top Four Manukura conceded a significant size advantage at a gusty Petone Recreation Ground but their mana and guile prevailed over determination The tackling of Elley-May Taylor and Te Maia Sweetman was precise and ferocious Taylor propelled Manukura 12-5 ahead just before halftime Manukura won a turnover and first five Gabriella Wright put in a raking kick downfield St Mary’s scrambled and saved the day momentarily only for Manakura fullback Keighley-Rein Araia to field an exit kick near halfway on the grandstand touch and link up with breakout Manawatū Cyclone Maia Davis who carved through in broken play to score to make it 17-5 St Mary’s responded with a long-range effort of their own through left wing Abi Isaia but clumsy hands let any chance of a late revival slip Winger Tayleh Seng scored the first and last try in a deserving triumph St Mary’s No 8 Lynda Rabeni-Vatuloka produced a barnstorming display but Wellington Pride fullback Billie Va’a was sorely missed Both teams were presented with their jerseys beforehand by Black Ferns and former students Kaipo Olsen-Baker (Manukura) and Monica Tagoai (St Mary’s) Manukura were wearing black armbands owing to the tragic passing of one of the whānau of their centre Patricia Heihei coached by former Black Ferns Kristina Sue and Rhiarna Ferris (Black Ferns Sevens) are perhaps the favourites to defend national their title they beat fellow Top Four participants Christchurch Girls’ High School 21-0 and Hamilton Girls’ High School 24-13 Manukura face Chiefs champions Hamilton Girls’ who they whitewashed 31-0 in the 2023 final # The Rex Kerr Cup is named after the former principal of Ōtaki College for 21 years (1976-1997) Kerr was the first chairman of the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council on its formation in 2006 He is also the former president (and current patron) of the Rahui Rugby & Sports Club life member of the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council and New Zealand Schools Rugby Union Kerr was a strong advocate for the development of girls rugby within both organisations he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) “for services to the community and rugby” Howick College have long been a pacesetter in sevens rugby with two victories and two runners-up places at the National Condor Sevens since 2018 while their Under-15s have won three Condor titles and in their first Auckland premier season qualified for the National Top Four Following two pre-season victories over Wesley College and Southern Cross Campus Howick swept through the Auckland championship undefeated Mount Albert Grammar School (32-5) and Auckland Girls’ Grammar School (34-0) were impressive enough but more pleasing was the perseverance of the girls to remain motivated after seven weeks without a match including a semifinal where Howick were kitted out and ready to go only for a last-minute withdrawal from Southern Cross meant they were seriously undercooked for the final While the entire season was played during the afternoon Auckland Rugby scheduled the final at Grammar Tech on an atrocious Monday night Howick edged Auckland Grammar in a brutal slog Howick then beat Westlake Girls’ High 42-14 in the Blues playoff Former Fijian international and legendary Auckland winger Waisake Sotutu (85 games 70 wins) coaches Howick – with his wife Adelita the school’s director of sport – and despite the lack of games he praised his team for remaining disciplined with their fitness and training Previously a shortage of numbers has prevented Howick from competing in XV-a-side competition but the squad stayed together despite other sports commitments and disorganised opposition who scored a noteworthy hat-trick in the Mt Albert Grammar match was rewarded with selection in the Auckland Storm wider squad First five Ffion Penney and outside back Uaina Lefau share captaincy duties Asha Taumoepeau-Williams is a hard-running centre and Celestina Filimoehala Chrissy Leaoasavii and Joy Fui comprise a robust and mobile front row Howick meet South Island champions Christchurch Girls’ High School in their National Top Four semifinal on Friday at 11.30am After three consecutive defeats in the South Island final Christchurch Girls’ High School broke the glass ceiling in 2019 and have been present at every National Top Four since with the best result a shared title with Manukura in 2022 Recent Blacks Ferns alumni Jorja Miller (Black Ferns Sevens) Grace Brooker and Martha Mataele are a tribute to the strength of their programme is Christchurch Girls’ Year 11 dean and head coach Sisifa emphasised Christchurch’s strength was “we play for each other and with each other when I’m asked about specific players to watch it would be our travelling crew of 23 and the four supporting players who will be travelling with us Christchurch played in a 10s competition as a vehicle to build fitness They lost to Top Four rivals Manukura and Hamilton Girls’ on a North Island tour in July Christchurch comfortably won the Crusaders Regional competition with resounding victories over Rangiora High School Avonside Girls’ High School and Craighead Diocesan Colomba College (Dunedin) were dispatched even more resoundingly (78-8) in the South Island final “The scoreline wasn’t a reflection of how competitive the game was,” Sifa stressed With 13 representatives in that game Canterbury U18 selections the rest of the Top Four field will be on notice Areas of real strength are the loose forward trio of Amelia Handcok while the midfield pairing of Michalei Tiom and Riko Yoshida are an ever-present threat Hamilton Girls’ High School conceded just a dozen points and were defaulted to in a semifinal by their own Second XV en route to winning the Chiefs Manawa Cup which confirmed their National Top Four place However coach Reuben Samuel insisted the eight-school competition was worthwhile with Wesley College and Rotorua Girls’ High School “huge improvers” from 2023 and every team fronting Samuel has plenty of experience to qualify that statement he was an unbeaten assistant coach of the Black Ferns in 2015-16 and then coached Brazil in sevens helping the South Americans to become regulars on the World Series circuit cultural and skill-discrepancy challenges has made Samuel a well-travelled mentor He believes Hamilton are better than the side that lost to Manakura in the National Top Four final last year “We beat Rotorua by 60 in the Chiefs final which was really pleasing after conceding all our season points in that first game,” Samuel said “We have a strong relationship with Wesley They went out of their way to set up a second game between us and have a couple of girls in the Counties FPC [Farah Palmer Cup] team “I’m pleased with how our overall programme has fared this year but I’m mindful that we might have to make some changes in how we schedule things to get harder games before Top Four.” The Chiefs Manawa Cup was done and dusted by Term 2 so Hamilton invited Manukura and Christchurch Girls’ for a day of games Similar arrangements are likely in the future though time and financial restraints are always an issue he coached Waikato and made the Farah Palmer Cup final despite no senior competition at the time in Hamilton who with husband Brent and fitness trainer Zarah Henderson set up Hamilton Girls’ standard-setting programme Hamilton Girls’ have won a record four National Top Four titles and Kaua later became one of the first professionally appointed female coaches in New Zealand with the Chiefs Manawa in Super Rugby Aupiki Hamilton Girls’ played 94 games in both sevens and XVs winning 92 times and scoring 4292 points against only 208 Their most famous playing graduate is Black Ferns co-captain and Rugby World Cup winner Kennedy Simon co-captains Rubi Hart (first five) and blindside Mihikorama Kerr are striking Hamilton Girls’ had nine players selected in the Waikato Under 16 squad 10.30am: Manukura (Hurricanes) v Hamilton Girls’ High (Chiefs) 11.30am: Howick College (Blues) v Christchurch Girls’ High (South Island) B and M Centre Barbarians’ First XV Trophy semifinals Friday 1.115pm: Feilding High (Hurricanes) v Hamilton Boys’ High (Chiefs) 2.45pm: Kelston Boys’ High (Blues) v Nelson College (South Island) # Is there another side to anything reported here? Readers are invited to send their first XV rugby updates, news snippets, and hot takes to nzschoolboyrugby@gmail.com Liston College defeated Kelston Boys’ High 21-16 in a stunning upset The much-anticipated $6.5 million refurbishment of Te Pae o Kura – Kelston Community Centre is complete and has been opened with a blessing Te Kawerau ā Maki led the blessing of the centre followed by a performance from Kelston Intermediate students and speech from Henderson-Massey Local Board Deputy Chair Will Flavell Te Kawerau ā Maki leads the blessing of the refurbished Te Pae o Kura Flavell reflected the importance of the space for use as a meeting practice and performance space for the whole community community-focused space that is weather tight easier to maintain and features improved insulation and acoustics The new deck makes the most of the sweeping view towards the city.” “The board extends a massive thank you to all of the teams involved in this key project.” While the refurbishment has created a modern and updated feel to the centre Flavell notes that much of the character and memory of the original building is maintained “Our community has used this centre for decades I can still feel that it is the same centre that has always been here Te Kawerau ā Maki has been involved in the project from an early stage and in 2019 gifted the name for the facility and special names for each of the main spaces Staff and designers worked with Te Kawerau ā Maki to realise their vision for the entryway and to integrate colour schemes with the names for each space the needs of the community outgrew the centre in its original form With critical structural strengthening and interior updates required alongside changing needs for the space in 2021 Henderson-Massey Local Board approved the comprehensive renewal of Te Pae o Kura On 23 March 2023 the construction contract was awarded to Legacy Construction Ltd Sign up for the Henderson-Massey Local Board e-news to get the latest news and events direct to your inbox each month, and follow them on Facebook. © Auckland Council 2025 All rights reserved For more information on what data is contained in the cookies, please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button. To accept cookies from this site, please click the 'I Agree' button. Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news. Waitakere CityAsking price $1,020,000212812m²Opportunity for Homeowners this property offers endless possibilities Situated on a generous 812m² (MOL) section with easy access to stormwater and wastewater connections it’s an excellent opportunity for developers looking to unlock its full potential the well-maintained 2-bedroom home and double garage provide an attractive rental opportunity previously generating $670 per week—ideal for land banking or future development this property is perfectly positioned next to Archibald Park offering a peaceful lifestyle with green spaces and recreational facilities at your doorstep Families will appreciate being within walking distance of Kelston Boys High School and Kelston Girls' College while shopping and amenities at Kelston and LynnMall shopping centers are just minutes away Don’t miss this versatile opportunity—whether you’re looking to build See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Content warning: This story contains discussion of the physical and sexual abuse of children Survivors of abuse at New Zealand's former deaf schools say next week's government apology will mean nothing without prosecutions against staff and fellow students who carried out physical and sexual attacks One says a violent teacher who they wanted to be charged for assaults at Auckland's Kelston School for the Deaf has recently died The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found authorities failed to investigate offences with up to 80 students wanting to make a police complaint about a Kelston teacher One man told RNZ said he was held up by the neck against a wall by the then-principal when he boarded at Van Asch College in Christchurch said she complained to staff and police to no avail She found out years later that a senior staff member at Van Asch had known she was being sexually assaulted while she was a day student there in the 1990s and early 2000s "And they didn't take action or help the victims for example I had a bad experience with another student from the age of 13 to 18 Something really bad happened when I was 15 and I stopped eating "But the school didn't really pay attention to those signals They were seeing how they could kind of help the other student who was a perpetrator like psychology appointments or whatever it was "They didn't ever tell the police what happened There were more instances of sexual abuse starting from when I was five years old And the teachers weren't keeping an eye on the students just couldn't be bothered with what was happening with us break times - we were left to our own devices She made a complaint to police while she was still at school "The police interviewed the person who had abused me - and there was no evidence at the end of the day so nothing could be done and the case was closed He texted her a sexually explicit message referring to what he had done that she took back to police as evidence but was told it was not enough to charge him She was sexually harassed by a male teacher for months and when another student reported it to two teachers she was told that a teenager had forced himself on a five-year-old boy there wasn't any communication that happened there wasn't anyone being sat down one-on-one and having a conversation about what had happened Staff needed to be far more focussed on sexual misconduct because the culture of violence was being continued through generations of children She believed there had been improvements since her time at the school A teacher aide told Julie years afterward that a senior leader knew about her abuse I drove over to Van Asch and really let them have it SM* boarded at Van Asch from the ages of 14 to 18 "They had so much power over the boarders and they used that power A lot of things happened to myself and also to other boys as well "One staff member used to twist your arm up behind your back they would grab me by my neck and beat me up I often got sent to the principal's office The principal would grab me and hold me against the wall push me up while holding my neck and accuse me He was very violent to me and I remember I was bruised from where he held me around my neck And I've still got these memories very clearly I will never ever forget what happened to me." It was only after he left that he came to realise it was abuse I remember being punched in the face by a student I was scared that I didn't have the ability to speak Both survivors said the education itself was poor and staff and police inaction after abuse complaints had caused further trauma "The staff would see some abuse happening and they would laugh," SM said Why did they just leave them - on their watch "Communication was such that no-one understood what I was saying because we were not signing and we were forced to be that way but his attempts to get compensation since 1991 had come to nothing He had also made a complaint to the Deaf Association Survivors said there had been a suggestion that compensation would be set at $10,000 "That's not nearly enough - that would not be enough to cover the hurt the impact it's had on my life is so much more than that," SM said Julie said the sexual attacks she endured had left lasting scars many complaints and the staff became fed up and so they ignored me because what happened to me has affected me a lot The government apology to those who suffered abuse and neglect in state care is on Tuesday at Parliament The inquiry earlier heard that children were raped neglected and verbally abused by staff and other students at the schools and boarding facilities Kelston and Van Asch schools merged in 2020 to become Ko Taku Reo "Boarders were particularly at risk and frequent abuse in this environment was experienced," the inquiry report said Some staff wilfully ignored what was occurring and failed to protect younger children This occurred in both the boarding hostels and the schools "Parents of Deaf children were discouraged from communicating with their children using Sign Language resulting in generations of Deaf children who were unable to communicate with their parents including being unable to communicate complaints of abuse." Ko Taku Reo executive principal Denise Powell said it would make public statements with the Ministry of Education which had not indicated what redress or outcomes there may be she delivered an apology to survivors of Van Asch and Kelston on behalf of the school at the inquiry including the decades when children were punished for using sign language "We are sorry for the physical violence and harm that you endured We are sorry for the sexual abuse that you endured We are sorry for the emotional and psychological damage and trauma that you endured," she said at the time "We acknowledge the tremendous pain and loss that each of you carry We may never fully appreciate the long-term consequences of the abuse that you experienced while in our care "We accept that what is shared through this hearing is a representative fraction of stories that are sometimes known to survivors alone We want to assure you today that we are determined to learn from these dark chapters in our past We know that it's not enough simply to be sorry Our sorrow must be accompanied by restorative action." Julie said she wanted an apology from the abuse perpetrators "Apologising on behalf of the perpetrators means nothing I want to see all of the abusers brought to account I want to see that and I want to see compensation - $10,000 is not enough She also wanted apologies from staff who knew what was happening and did not act like other students abusing other students and turned a blind eye and ignored it I would ask them 'Would you ignore it if this was happening to your children' Why did you allow this to happen to other people's children?' "physically assaulted and terrorised" children including a boy who threatened to take his own life if he was sent back to the teacher His parent complained to the Ministry of Education after remaining unhappy with the school's response There was no evidence the ministry responded Kelston's then-principal Eileen Smith contacted police saying Mr 222 had struck a girl a group of survivors met a police constable to discuss their complaints "To date there are at least 80 Deaf people wanting to make a complaint about [Mr 222] and this list is growing regularly," a NZ Police report from the time said listing many instances of alleged physical abuse and several instances of inappropriate sexual behaviour It noted some principals and teachers had witnessed the alleged physical abuse but nothing was ever done about removing the teacher The report was to be forwarded to a detective for follow-up the Confidential Listening and Assistance Service followed up with police on behalf of the group of survivors but it was another two years until a detective was assigned "The evidence available to the Inquiry indicates that in 2012 the investigator did not seek to take a statement or conduct an evidential interview with any of the survivors yet decided that the complaints did not meet the threshold to proceed to trial," the inquiry findings said "Commissioner [Andrew] Coster was asked for comment on why the complainants weren't spoken to and whether this was an adequate investigation." "It doesn't reflect the kind of depth we would expect to see in an investigation of this kind and which I believe we would see in an investigation of this kind today." SM was involved in a group of seven former students who approached police about abuse at Kelston "There was various support offered and we were asked to give the names of teachers And I understand that the police interviewed the teacher and there were seven who were telling the truth but the teacher just spoke lies against their word And that teacher actually passed away last month," he said there were three teachers who were arrested for this kind of behaviour why are there no consequences for these teachers?" RNZ asked police whether it would look again at the allegations but they said they would not be speaking about individual people or their cases "Survivors can be assured we will treat each investigation confidentially and with the care and attention it deserves Police will engage with any person who wants to report criminal offending; this includes any cases about Mr 222." NZ Police Victim Support 0800 842 846 Rape Prevention Education Empowerment Trust HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700 (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu Safe to talk: a 24/7 confidential helpline for survivors, support people and those with harmful sexual behaviour: 0800044334 Male Survivors Aotearoa Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496 Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Toni Jarvis says he wants the government to announce details of a redress system Una Jagose was involved in throwing everything at legal efforts to stop victims of state abuse winning their cases Now some prominent victims don't trust her to lead the government's legal response Malcolm Richards - who also has cancer - is in hospital in Hastings and needs a transfer to Wellington for a triple heart bypass Three former staff members from the south Auckland home have pleaded not guilty to multiple criminal charges in Manukau District Court Responses to the inquiry's reports and its findings were recommended to come within two months of the final report being tabled in Parliament in July Abuse in Care RSS Saint Kentigern had to work very hard to deal with a passionate Sacred Heart team Two modern powerhouses of Auckland schoolboy rugby St Kentigern and Kelston Boys’ High School will contest the 2024 final of the First XV 1A rugby championship on Saturday Kelston will be chasing their 14th title (including three shared) having last won in 2022 when the final is played at Eden Park St Kentigern will be seeking their seventh title since first winning in 2001 – though ominously they have not been able to win a championship since the competition introduced rules to thwart player-poaching practices at the end of 2018 Since the inception of the 1A final in 1996 St Kentigern have won six titles and Kelston three St Kentigern were beaten finalists last year while Kelston won the final a year earlier and were awarded the title with no final due to Covid in 2021 St Kentigern had to work very hard to deal with a current-day threat and overcome a passionate Sacred Heart team 26-18 in their semifinal Kelston’s delight at upsetting second-placed qualifiers Auckland Grammar 17-11 was best evidenced by some caustic social media posts St Kentigern’s semifinal win over 2023 champions Sacred Heart was surprisingly good puddles were even starting to form on the Tāmaki Estuary in the background at St Kentigern but both teams confidently kept the ball in hand for many phases in trying conditions The larger St Kentigern pack had clear superiority at scrum time and were more muscular in the loose while first five-eighths Angus Revell was very strategic with probing kicks in behind But Sacred Heart had first points from a penalty before St Kentigern second five-eighths Benjamin Moughan grabbed a sixth-minute converted try seized the initiative back when winger Soane Ma’asi finished a fine move and a further penalty then earned them an 11-7 lead midway through the first spell Two Revell penalties gave St Kentigern a 13-11 halftime edge and two second-half tries to bulldozing prop Riley Grant Faiva – a big crowd favourite – produced a margin of comfort When Sacred prop Ravai Faktaufon scored 10 minutes from time his team were only trailing 18-23 and they still had enough of a sniff to resuscitate memories of their great escapes in the previous fortnight But St Kentigern displayed expert strategic game management and kept play well inside Sacred’s half as the clock wound down For St Kentigern No 8 Zephaniah Lototau was always a handful early on first five-eighths Cohen Norrie – a super talent to watch out for in future on the wider rugby landscape – showed some delightful dancing feet by the final whistle he looked more like something out of the last verse of a Bruce Springsteen song well-performed hooker Xavier Leota scored a try in each half to steer Kelston to victory over Auckland Grammar with his team’s other points all coming from the boot of Jarrel Vaega though Grammar first-five Rios Tasmania gave them a chance with two penalties at the start of the second spell But Leota’s second converted try in the 64th minute was pivotal though winger Jonathan Thomson did manage a late consolation for Grammar With publicity-shy schools refusing to comment to media the best illustration of what victory meant to unfiltered Westies perhaps came from the “Kelston Rugby” Instagram feed “No need for scholarships when you can use local talent from the ‘hood,” they further goaded Grammar fans were also accused in one social media post of tipping water on Kelston fans at least there wasn’t an all-in 100-strong brawl at the final whistle as there was when these two teams clashed in a bitter 1A semifinal back in 2009 Kelston beat St Kentigern 13-8 in the first-ever final in 1996 with future All Blacks halfback Kevin Senio scoring the winning try but St Kentigern beat the national top four champions 38-17 in 2011 Reigning Blues region champions Westlake Boys’ High will once again face Rosmini College in the final of the Kyocera Document Solutions North Harbour First XV championship on Saturday (at Westlake) Westlake eased to a 55-0 win over Rangitoto College but Rosmini were made to fight hard before beating Whangarei Boys’ High 18-16 at home Westlake forwards dominated the match against Rangitoto and whereas they usually set a platform for their backs on this occasion they pretty much did everything themselves while other try-scorers were hooker Jack Mahan (2) It was a measure of Westlake’s dominance that Rangitoto did not get into Westlake’s 22 until the 60th minute Meanwhile Rosmini needed patience to beat a fired-up Whangārei With the wind behind them Rosmini kept Whangārei pinned in their own half for almost the entire first spell though only had a try to loosehead Brody Savage and a penalty to fullback Ryder Heath to show for their efforts Whangārei nicked a converted try just before the break then controlled much of the second half and harvested three penalties Ultimately it took a late try from Rosmini centre Liam Campbell-Mauafu to secure the win For Rosmini the work of their pack was the catalyst for victory with hooker Jayden Clark and flanker George Lendich the stand-outs the Super 8 champions have failed to advance to the national top Four Tauranga Boys’ College ended the seasons of Rotorua Boys’ High School in 2022 and Hamilton Boys’ High School in 2023 Tauranga’s Super 8 winning season has ended after a seemingly unfathomable 20-20 draw against Rotorua Tauranga had trounced Rotorua 57-14 on June 6 and were irrepressible in their record 37-0 demolition of Hamiton a week earlier but were thrown off stride by a committed Rotorua team with growing belief and a disruptive game plan Both teams scored three tries in the Chiefs regional quarter-final but Rotorua advanced after scoring the first try It was Rotorua’s last try that sent shockwaves around the motu stubbornly advancing 40m until the hosts crumbled No 8 Te Ariki Rogers scored underneath the posts with the last thrust and a conversion by fullback Isileli Tuuafaiva terminated Tauranga the same trio that led Rotorua to the national under-15 title in 2023 Rotorua only won two matches in Super 8 but defeats by less than 10 to New Plymouth Boys’ High School Napier Boys’ High School and Palmerston North Boys’ High School hinted at growth “We told the boys the pressure was on Tauranga,” Te Huia said “We had a lot of time to watch their games and analyse their key players If we shut down their main threats and put them under pressure they’re unfamiliar with they would have to go to Plan B which they haven’t done all season “The other thing we did is change the way we kicked we succeeded with the up-and-under to their back three were held up over the line and dropped the ball in another promising attack.” with hooker Tyl Sinkinson in bustling form and scoring a try was resolute leaving the door ajar for the last-minute heroics Te Huia nominated flanker Setaleki Mafileo – who scored the pivotal first try – as his player of the match Centre Tavita Pomale was the other try scorer Winger Wiremu Brady celebrated his 50th game He’s also the solitary survivor from Rotorua’s defeat by Tauranga in 2022 four of the last five games between Rotorua and Tauranga have been decided by two points or less Rotorua play Counties champions Pukekohe High School in the curtain-raiser to the Counties Steelers-Tasman Makos representative match on Saturday for the right to challenge the winner of the Hamilton Boys’ High School versus New Plymouth Boys’ High School regional semifinal Hamilton thrashed St Paul’s Collegiate 57-21 in the other quarter-final on Thursday It is a curiosity of the structure that St Paul’s were given the qualifying berth ahead of St John’s – who beat St Paul’s the Saturday prior in the CNI semfinals – on the basis of round-robin finishing positions Rotorua last made the national top four in 2015 That season they won 22 out of 25 games and conquered Scots College 36-27 in the final # Surprise draws in regional qualifiers aren’t without precedent Wellington College won 21 consecutive matches but were knocked out of national top four contention in a 17-17 draw by Gisborne Boys’ High School who became New Zealand champions Gisborne lost out to Scots College 33-33 in 2015 In 2022 Wellington champions St Patrick’s College Silverstream and Napier Boys’ shared a 17-17 draw with Napier advancing Even at the first national top four in 1982 Moascar Cup holders Western Heights High School were eliminated by a coin toss in the semifinals by Waitaki Boys’ High after a 12-12 stalemate St John’s College (Hamilton) are Taine Randall Cup winners and Central North Island (CNI) champions for the first time following a stunning 42-33 upset of Feilding High School at Owen Delany Park in Taupō Feilding have also surrendered the Rick Francis Memorial Shield after 10 successive defences and ended a 16-match unbeaten CNI streak Coach Tony Su’a said the championship win meant everything to St John’s who are in the seventh year of their current rugby programme at a college with a roll of 948 “When you have been trying for so many years and finally win something you really gain an understanding of how much it also means to all those who have gone before but all those people from earlier years who care so deeply The St John’s rugby programme was floundering before Howie King These World Rugby-accredited coaches helped construct a programme aimed at better utilising Marist rugby connections to build numbers and keep boys in the game St John’s were in the CNI competition and after two flops in finals have conquered the Manawatū giants in a decider It also helped that after the heartbreak of having lost the previous two finals Su’a and his team took a completely different approach this year All season they’ve dialled back on the basics of structure and formation and tried instead to bring more creativity into their play “We’ve put the emphasis more on the boys thinking for themselves and playing what is in front of them Essentially the boys are pretty much being coaches on the pitch rather than looking to the sideline for answers.” Su’a admitted initially it was “real ugly” for boys used to heavy format and structure – and even in June Feilding hammered St John’s 48-15 – but it has added an extra dimension to their play in recent weeks St John’s also turned to 10-pin bowling as part of their preparation using it as a bonding exercise on the Monday of finals week – and then even having another crack pre-match on Saturday Su’a said this less-than-standard pre-match approach was derived from personal experience as a youth Before a big game his coach opted to take the team out to feed the ducks at a lake and a light-hearted jaunt prompted a collective release of tension and ahead 39-12 10 minutes before fulltime Feilding built phases efficiently enough in a surreal opening with their athletic and muscular pack The trouble was St John’s pounced on errors quicker than Madrid pick-pocketers and had three tries in 15 minutes Winger Okusitino Vea started the rot for Feilding But the big headline writer was centre Karlan Mosaati who absolutely carved up Feilding with several sizzling breaks Mosaati set up fullback Kaden Makea twice and had another try creation snuffed out by a poorly positioned assistant referee The St John’s pack grew in stature with blindside Konelio Burgess a convincing Vaea Fifita impersonator while industrious hooker Ben Parnwell barged over for two tries First five Callum McCabe kicked four conversions and three penalties Rupeni Raviyawa was possibly Feilding’s best player The No 8 scored and created a try; full of running to the end Prop Emori Balenaisa was another honest toiler Feilding were most in-sync when the bench was emptied and substitutions poised some encouraging questions for the coaches Alani Fakava and Kailan Ellmers scored tries for Fielding; Nixon Foreman (3) and Aston Scott added conversions The aggregate of 75 points broke the record for highest scoring CNI final which was previously held by St Paul’s Collegiate and St Peter’s Cambridge who shared a 36-36 draw in 2020 3 v 4: Lindisfarne College 40 St Paul’s Collegiate 15; 5 v 6: St Peter’s Cambridge 49 Wesley College 29; 7 v 8: Rathkeale College 31 Francis Douglas: 22; 9 v 10: Whanganui Collegiate 60 v St John’s Hastings 35 Silverstream are irrefutably the best rugby school in the capital The Upper Hutt-based school won four grades in 2024 The First XV Premiership is the most coveted prize and in the final at Jerry Collins Stadium Silverstream overpowered Wellington College 31-12 Wellington were unbeaten heading into the decider but were subdued by a dogged and disciplined Silverstream pack The second-placed qualifiers had won the final eight times since 2010 defining the inclement weather with bold and expansive attack A break by winger Teina Hingston-Mill took Wellington within a nostril hair of the stripe Head prefect Ollie Church followed up and wouldn’t be denied Silverstream resorted to convention to settle and a 15m lineout drive restored some structure Several pick-and-goes were finished by openside Drew Breg-McLean Heart rates were sent into potentially fatal territory when Silverstream halfback Kian O’Connell passed to nobody in his own in-goal area First five Thompson Tukapua calmly swooped on the loose possession and earned a penalty against an over-zealous Wellington defence A quick tap by Breg-McLean took that advantage to halfway Silverstream surgically built phases and lock Samuel Thompson smashed over for a try The collective power of the Silverstream forwards and the poise and quality of Tukapua soon became the dominant narrative Silverstream quickly stretched that advantage to 24-5 with a 45m Liam Slight penalty and a second Thompson try Wellington rushed on four reserves and initially enjoyed a spike of momentum Second five Te Aowera Para made a searing outside break and a sideline conversion by Ariche Sims closed the gap to 24-12 Silverstream appeared to be waning until hooker Jericho Wharehinga bustled ahead and created space that didn’t exist by improbably offloading in the grasp of two to Tukapua Under the coaching of former All Blacks Neemia Tialata Wellington never stopped trying in their first final since 2017 With a greater contingent of players back than Silverstream in 2025 Silverstream’s eighth premiership title is one of their sweetest The margin of victory was the largest in a final since Wellington belted Silverstream 45-9 in 2009 Silverstream’s biggest win in a final was 28-14 against St Pats Town in 2022 Under the diligent coaching of John Herbert and Karl Davis Silverstream won six games in a row after their June 12 meltdown against Wellington College where they had a player sent off and were on the wrong end of a 21-6 penalty count Silverstream have won all three premier divisions in 2024 as well as the Under 15A final Silverstream now face Palmerston North Boys’ High School in a Hurricanes regional semifinal on Saturday The winner of that game will earn a place in the Hurricanes regional final which decides their representative for the national top four Palmerston North beat Silverstream 22-8 and set up a ‘Stream rematch by defeating Hastings Boys’ High School 32-27 Palmerston North had lost to Hastings in Super 8 and with six minutes remaining were down 27-20 Richie Schaaf crashed over for a match-levelling try but Hastings were still ahead by virtue of scoring the first try Hastings’ lineout wobbled; a lineout steal gave Palmerston North a lifeline Hastings’ discipline cracked and Schaaf celebrated a second Gisborne Boys’ High School will play Feilding High School Gisborne Boys’ High School have a storied rugby history Gisborne have only won seven out of 56 games in the unforgiving Super 8 competition when Gisborne stunned Napier Boys’ 27-26 in a Hurricanes regional quarter-final in Napier on Thursday there were more than a few raised eyebrows it should be noted Gisborne won their last Super 8 match against Taranaki champions New Plymouth Boys’ High School (24-20) and only lost to the Wellington and Bay of Plenty Regional winners by two points each earlier in the season cool day scores were tied 14-14 midway through the second half when Gisborne blew proceedings wide open with two tries Robust hooker Tyrone Mauheni plowed through and then left wing Safin Tuwairua-Brown snatched an intercept with 15 minutes remaining to make it 24-14 inspirational Napier captain George Prouting completed his hat-trick But it was in the 67th minute that Gisborne were awarded a penalty by referee and former Chiefs age-group player Daniel Waenga for not releasing the ball at a ruck From 16m to the left of the posts and 37m back Ruan Ludwig judged the gusting northerly to perfection for 27-26 Gisborne’s victory is their first against Napier since 2015 In 1988 Gisborne received a late and unexpected invitation to the National Top Four Gisborne claimed the first of their three national titles when they reversed an earlier season defeat to 23-0 Napier Boys’ 24-15 in the decider Could Gisborne embark on another giant killing spree Napier coach Tai Te Rito said: “Gisborne did their homework and outmatched us physically they’ve improved all year and shown real passion for rugby.” Give Nelson College an Inch (penalty) – and they’ll always take a Miles Toyota Championship At least that seemed to be the case when a controversial late penalty from Nelson’s first-five Harrison Inch secured Nelson College a 20-17 victory over Christchurch Boys’ High School in a gripping Miles Toyota Championship final in Nelson The successful shot was advanced 10m by a referee unwilling to tolerate dissent Would Inch have made the kick from further back Four previous misses cast significant doubt on that possibility And Nelson only converted one of six tries in the semifinal against Marlborough winning “little moments” counts and Nelson had a minuscule edge in this oval-ball truism Nelson were out of the blocks quicker than Finn Butcher belligerent blindside Saumaki Samaki barged off multiple defenders in a terrifying burst It wouldn’t be the last time Samaki left Christchurch in a clatter Christchurch scrambled with heart; Nelson were held up in the 12th minute which started a momentum shift A cheeky drop-out was caught by centre Ollie Singleton who rushed to halfway Christchurch claimed the lead 10 minutes later with a penalty to winger Hanroux Wessels Nelson turned with a 12-10 advantage at halftime following a try to winger Mikey Morrison The opening 20 minutes of the second half was an earnest joust for field position with most of the action between the two 10m lines accomplished tackling from both schools suppressing momentum Nelson tighthead prop Sam Takapu was mammoth Christchurch No 8 Blake Robinson ran affirmatively and an offload towards an unmarked wing was knocked down NBA-style by Nelson It took the bench to break open the stalemate Nelson utility Tane Johnson-Stephens slipped past lethargic grapplers to find space Johnson-Stephens linked with Inch who was toppled at halfway but freed his right arm to offload from the deck to Linton Laiseni Laiseni surged to the 22 and passed to halfback Ollie Gibbons who was celebrating even before he crossed Christchurch snaffled the restart and employed more expanse and the superlative Singleton scored the match-tying try The big-mouth penalty that followed will irk Christchurch But with three championships in four years Nelson are unquestionably entitled to be louder in the Crusaders region Nelson College host Southland Boys’ High School in the South Island final on Saturday 2019 and 2021 Nelson teams to have made the national top four National Top Four champions Southland Boys’ High have retained the Southern Schools Rugby Championship and Moascar Cup In grubby conditions at the Les George Oval Southland joined Otago Boys’ in 2021 in successfully defending the title slumping to a 14-0 deficit in as many minutes Centre Crenshaw Conroy and openside Jared Reid scored tries from proficient lineouts flawless phase attack and King’s ill-discipline The first-half penalty count was 8-3 against the visitors King’s lineout drive at times resembled a rapid submarine with one thrust pushing the hosts back 30m The bustling Niko Boylan scored a try to make it 14-5 but an error immediately handed the ascendancy back to Southland Jimmy Taylor picked his moment with a calculated snipe Things looked grim for King’s when hooker Jake Evans rumbled over two minutes after the interval to make it 26-5 King’s launched a furious rally fuelled by hearty forwards Tries to Jeremiah Thuhega-Vaitupu and Riley Boylan closed the gap to 26-15 The trouble with chasing from so far behind is desperation replaces calculation Two late penalties by Mika Muliana finally blunted King’s spirit If Southland beat Nelson College next Saturday they will match Otago Boys’ record for most top four appearances by a Highlanders school with 11 There was a remarkable performance by Taitā College fullback Wesley Faitele in their 45-7 win over Stratford High School in an annual traditional fixture last week Faitele scored five tries and kicked four conversions for a personal haul of 33 points the former school of Hurricanes centurion and English international Brad Sheilds compete in the Division 2 Murray Jensen Cup in Wellington and are enjoying a historic season with wins in all five of their traditional fixtures against Hato Pāora College The Stratford fixtures dates to the 1960s and since a trophy was introduced for the game in 1990 the Taranaki side leads the head-to-head tally 17-14 It’s uncertain what the record for most points in a match by a Wellington-based school player is However former All Blacks Sevens representative Buxton Popoali’i memorably scored 44 in a match for Wellington College in 2007 In 1982 Jeff Karam (brother of All Black Joe) scored 10 four-point tries for St Patrick’s College Silverstream in a 108-14 win over Pōneke Under-19s New Zealand Under-20s’ international Stanley Solomon scored 38 points for Wellington College in the 2020 Wellington Under-15 final Timaru Boys’ High School failed to win a match in the Miles Toyota Championship but at least they regained the Selwyn O’Neil Trophy as the winners of the longest continuous secondary school match in New Zealand Timaru beat Waitaki Boys’ High School from Ōamaru 41-10 in a match that’s been played every year without fail since 1883 Timaru were quick to impose their superiority physically and growing in confidence were able to express themselves more freely Timaru have only lost to Waitaki once since 2015 but Waitaki lead the overall history with 69 wins to 62 O’Neil coached the famous 1955 Timaru First XV that won all five inter-school matches for the first time O’Neil coached the First XV from 1954-65 and again in 1977 He was noted for his prowess in coaching forwards often devoting whole training sessions to scrummaging He once punched a boisterous rival spectator too having also worked in the technical department at Timaru between 1948 and 1981 Waitakere CityBy negotiation31336m²NEST or INVEST OPPORTUNITY IN KELSTONDiscover the hidden gem at the end of a tranquil cul de sac A freehold home on 336sqm land with a generous 153sqm floor plan this home offers the space and comfort your family deserves This classic home has strong bones with a sturdy weatherboard exterior The recent renovations including fresh exterior paint and a modern kitchen has enhanced the beauty of this property and is a rare find for first time buyers or families enjoy the potential for great rental returns and a solid investment opportunity Step inside to be greeted by a split level layout featuring a spacious light filled lounge perfect for relaxing and entertaining a contemporary kitchen with lots of storage The lower level surprises with a versatile rumpus room There is ample parking for family and friends This home in the heart of Kelston within walking distance of local schools Handy to public transport including trains into the CBD from Fruitvale station or New Lynn station and a less than 30 minute drive to the city off peak a medical centre and the thriving Glen Eden and New Lynn malls are so close too Don't miss out on the chance to make this house your home The benefits of owning this property are endless Whether you're looking for a cozy family retreat or a smart investment opportunity Contact us today to arrange a viewing and start envisioning your future in this stunning home See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Kelston Boys' High School won the World Schools Rugby festival This is an outstanding record and makes one wonder why Razor Robertson appears so determined to ensure ageing All Blacks are given more or less free passage back into the All Blacks after a sojourn overseas against there is the argument that letting these All Blacks play overseas and still be eligible for selection will compromise our local competitions and ultimately the quality of the All Black team By looking overseas Razor may be looking in the wrong direction when local talent is flourishing and emerging in our schools League scouts will be only too willing to fill the gap whilst Razor takes his eye off the ball The first paragraph of Max Purdy’s letter (Herald, Dec 27) about children under the age of 14 renting electric scooters and riding from Point Chevalier to the Parnell Baths How resourceful of those children and reminiscent of the way childhood used to be public awareness campaigns etc.” before scooting would be permitted I could feel the joy and spontaneity being sucked out from what would have been a normal (not without risk) childhood activity three or four decades ago Did Max Purdy never know the joy of hurtling down the road in a homemade trolley or riding old bikes for miles on dusty roads (all unsupervised) to get to a local swimming hole Children are resourceful and soon work out how to keep safe physically I would suggest that there are more dangers in store for them from the sedentary preoccupation of surfing the “net” than riding a scooter and going for a swim Barrie referred to this precious time as “the laughing avenues of childhood where we run but once” I have followed your column for some years mostly disagreeing during the Key/English and Ardern/Hipkins eras when you were so hard right you were almost a U-turn Lately you have been so critical of the Luxon coalition I wondered if you might have straightened out somewhat Today (Herald, Dec 27) I was in total agreement with your summary of our political history until the last four paragraphs “...cut the size of the state...abolish company tax...deregulate our investment and business rules third-world countries governed by despots or oligarchs We are facing an uncertain future with private equity firms and other profit-focused entities running rampant and roughshod over malleable and purchasable parliamentarians and if “...the rest of the middle class cross the Tasman” so be it Occasionally opinion writer Matthew Hooton nails some hard truths But his most recent outburst (Herald Dec 27) really lets his faux mask of political reason slip It’s partly from the worldwide hangover from the Covid pandemic and trade fluctuations and partly self-imposed by unfair trickle-down economics But for Hooton to thunder that New Zealand’s economic and social trajectory is “disastrous” and needs radical revision is unduly pessimistic more tax cuts and more dismantling of business rules will only make things worse for most people History from every recession and depression teaches us that imposing public sector austerity and cutting taxes means less revenue less infrastructure spending and a lot of small businesses going under Most of us aren’t “rich and sorted” so pay the price Instead the huge amount of untaxed accumulated wealth must be put back in circulation by truly fair taxation This will provide the revenue to put people to work rather than dump them on the scrapheap and invest in the infrastructure we need to cope with climate change rather than retrench This will boost the overall economy and improve people’s lives We must ensure there isn’t a cruel rat race to the bottom by fair wages decent conditions and honest financial regulations This is what will lift us out of the gloom Don’t starve the hungry patient while saying it’s for their own good Congratulations to the traffic management people working on Boxing Day On the Northern motorway just south of the Silverdale on-ramp at 10am were two traffic management trucks with two or three men in each truck The next truck had one person in it and in front of that truck was one person walking and picking up rubbish on the grass berm The time-and-a-half payment plus a day off in lieu that will be paid to each worker must make this an expensive option for each bag of rubbish collected I guess Traffic Management and Auckland Transport are happy with this use of their budgets in this way Graeme Marshall (Takaanini name correction debate Dec 27) states that Ihaka Takaanini was honoured with land in 1863 but his name was misspelled as “Takanini” Yet Marshall provides no evidence how Mr Takaanini signed or wrote his name He later states that “the NZGB determined [in 1950] that the name should be spelt Takānini (with the macron to assist pronunciation) the name that went forward for official publication was Takanini – the status quo that all parties knew to be wrong.” That proposed macron implies that Takaanini would be pronounced as three syllables with the -aa- representing a long “a” in Waikato-Tainui style an RNZ story (Consultation for Māori place names June 6) states that: “The spelling with the double aa correctly reflects that Takaanini is a compound word made up of taka and ānini then Takaanini ought to be pronounced as four syllables and to ensure correct pronunciation would need to be written ‘Taka Aanini’ Perhaps minister Chris Penck is right: leave Takanini alone As tradition requires we gladly sat and enjoyed Love Actually on Christmas Day, though with closer attention this time, being on the lookout for the numerous offences noted by Karl Puschmann in his recent column (Herald Apparently “Love Actually is pretty bad as far as modern sensibilities go” And there was me thinking it was just superbly human and very funny Karl does admit as much but points out that the film belongs to an “unenlightened time” – a time presumably when people were insufficently educated to be on the lookout for wrong thinking clearly I just wasn’t trying hard enough to be offended I’m simply a hopeless relic from the 5000 years of misguided civilisation that occurred before Karl and his supercilious ilk came along to save us from ourselves the election of Donald Trump as president of the USA was more likely than not a blessing in disguise Had he been unsuccessful - which he would never have admitted - many of his unhinged supporters and this could well have led to a full-on civil war in the country Trump can hardly open his mouth without telling a lie and the world holds its breath as to the immediate future with him at the helm the next four years will pass without another world war We can then look back - thankfully perhaps - at what might have happened So Vivien Fergusson (Dec 27) says the Government has “no new ideas and that they are bringing in cruel and unjustified policies”. The only cruel and unjustified policies I remember were mandates brought in where good workers lost their careers often because they were advised not to be immunised. No cell phones in schools. Lessening bullying and adding to children’s well-being. Thank you, Act. Roads improved. Pot holes fixed. Lessening driver anger. Thank you National. Gang patches gone. No more intimidation. Their power to intimidate gone. The public are now unaware of who is a gang member, adding to the public’s wellbeing. Thank you National. Attention Mr Hooten, given a choice between a very small government producing opportunities for even greater wealth for the haves (supported by a slave class underneath) and the Scandinavian high tax model of enough for everyone and a generally happier society (for all), I’ll push hard for the latter. Murray Hunter wonders why the rain fell overnight. I have the answer. Gardeners have been petitioning the Weather Gods so we don’t have to water the veges using that precious resource. They, of course, gave the job to a woman. Being practical she naturally arranged the rainfall when it was least disruptive and ensuring that we all could enjoy the holiday season! The nickname of “Brownie’s pool” given to the new Karanga Plaza Pool takes on a whole new meaning with news the pool has been declared unsafe due to the presence of high levels of faecal bacteria. Just three speed cameras earned $3.1 million in six months! Why don’t we have more of them? Then we wouldn’t have to make cuts to public services. Max Purdy(NZ Herald, Dec 27) is absolutely correct. Electric scooter usage is totally out of control with severe dangers to users, pedestrians, and other vehicles. It’s long past the time when formal safety restrictions, just as with motor cycles, are imposed on users and rental companies alike. From working in many developing countries I have learned that only wealthy economies can afford to look after the environment and provide benefits for the disadvantaged. Wealthy economies provide employment for more and more people. Much of the wealth comes from people who take risks with new ventures. Those who succeed become rich and pay lots of taxes. We need more of them. Our road toll is the lowest in a decade. This may be due to the lower speed limits on many of our roads over the last year. Why would our Minister of Transport want to increase many of the speed limits, and risk more fatalities. I am quite happy to arrive a few minutes late at my destination than not to arrive at all. Please leave well alone I say. Matthew Hooten (Dec 27) reckons we shouldn’t blame our Govt for current financial weakness. Alternatively Milton Friedman tweets “inflation is a tax without legislation”, while my first home in the late 60s cost $8K. Small wonder then that with pollies and financial commentators “on the same page”, we’re in for a tough spell ... until their salaries are percentage based. A pilot's flight path spelled 'I love you' in the sky over Auckland and Warkworth. It takes two . . . or more. Gisborne Boys’ High had the sniff of victory in the first half of their match against Kelston Boys’ High at the Rectory Field yesterday. Flanker Patelisio Tavake (above) attracted the solid Kelston defence on this run. The Auckland team won 27-15 after Gisborne led at halftime and tied up the game during the second half. Picture by Liam Clayton Gisborne Boys’ High School put Kelston BHS to the acid test yesterday. Auckland powerhouse Kelston scored five unanswered tries in a 27-15 win against a gallant GBHS first 15 under game-day captain, tighthead prop Whetu McGhee. Ludwig kicked five penalty goals — the fourth of which gave the home team a 12-10 lead on the cusp of halftime. Kelston No.8 Aio Keith won the coin-toss and opted to kick off, the hosts choosing ends. As was the case against De La Salle College the previous Friday, Ludwig opened the scoring with a penalty goal for 3-0. Poverty Bay referee Terry Reeves awarded the kick 15m into KBHS territory, to the left of the posts, six minutes into the match. Tackle height is a work in progress for all players. An infraction of that type landed Kelston in Gisborne’s 22 for the first time. Lock Nathan Auld, in the middle of the line-out, won the ball and centre Paula Luau got the last pass to blindside flanker Ulutoa Aii to score 15 metres in from the right corner, eight minutes in,  for Kelston to lead 5-3. KBHS scored again in the 11th minute. Luau caught the ball at the restart, beat five would-be tacklers down the right touch, got a pass to right wing Tariec Mulitalo and he, with Gisborne right wing Isimeli Vono on him, got a superb last pass inside to tighthead prop Solo Baleinaikasakasa, who dotted down in the right corner for 10-3. In the 18th minute, Ludwig kicked his second penalty goal, 15m back from the posts, to close the score to 10-6 and in the 22nd minute, from 14m over halfway, the score closed again to 10-9 with his third. The game was played in an excellent competitive spirit but Kelston vice-captain hooker Xavier Leota, at a ruck, was issued a yellow card in the 34th minute and on the cusp of halftime, Ludwig landed his fourth penalty goal to give the gritty Gisborne crew a 12-10 lead. This was the first GBHS game here this season to be played in two halves, as opposed to thirds or quarters. In the 45th minute, under penalty advantage 15m from the posts, Kelston pressed forward three times before Auld scored the Auckland side’s third try, for 15-12 and to gain the upper hand. Four minutes later, Ludwig struck gold again from 35m out, head-on, for 15-15. In the 54th minute, from a distance of 39m and 18m off the right touch, Ludwig missed a penalty goal for the first time and five minutes later, Keith scored in the ball-and-all tackle of his opposite, Malakai Tea, in the left corner for 20-15. Kelston scored once more, on fulltime, a try to Leota. An intercept by Keith put KBHS in a prime attacking position. Leota scored 5m to the left of the posts. His try was converted by fullback Koupa Nomotu for 27-15. “Our boys won’t forget Gisborne’s physicality,” said Kelston head coach Matt Howling. “They challenged us across the park. That’s a good thing, because we’ve got three more pre-competition games before we face 1A defending champions, Sacred Heart College, at their place.” GBHS’ regular captain and second-five Puna Hihi, who missed today’s clash with a left-knee strain, said: “Whetu led the team well today. The boys’ defence was tough. Our youngsters stood up today and played their hearts out against tough opposition. For Ruan to keep us in the game was fantastic.” • Gisborne Boys High’s next game is their first away game of the season, against Feilding High School in Hastings on April 26. BIZminton 2025 starts this week for social and competitive badminton players. Premiership-winning head coach TJ Ashford has only a few players with Harold Matthews Cup experience to call on for the One New Zealand Warriors’ defence of the under-17 competition title this year. When the club’s 2025 Harold Matthews Cup and SG Ball Cup squads were officially unveiled in Auckland on Tuesday night, the under-17 roster included just five players who had game time during the Warriors’ historic campaign last year. Of those centre Jeremiah Lemana (Kelston Boys’ High School) and standoff Tyson Hansen (Rotorua Boys’ High School – Raukura) are the only survivors from the line-up used in the grand final win over the Western Suburbs Magpies. Then only 15, Lemana featured in 10 of the team’s 11 games while Hansen, who turned 16 during the competition, made six appearances. St Paul’s College’s Justice Pua, Dreytin Marriott, from Te Kōpuku High School in Hamilton, and Ashton Ulaula-Ieremia (Mount Albert Grammar School) made one appearance each while Ronan Byford (Trident High School, Whakatāne) was the unused 18th man once. Another five players return after being in the wider squad last year without making it onto the field. Of that group one is the highly promising Bishop Neal, ruled out of last year’s campaign by injury. Still only 16, the imposing second rower was named the overall MVP after helping St Thomas of Canterbury College retain the title at the national secondary schools’ tournament in September. Neal is one four players in the squad out of St Thomas of Canterbury College while Kelston Boys’ High School provides 10. The 44 players come from a total of 22 schools and kura throughout the country. The One New Zealand Warriors launch their 2025 Harold Matthews season with back-to-back away games against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (February 2) and the Penrith Panthers (February 9) followed by a bye before their first home match against the Illawarra Steelers at North Harbour Stadium on February 23. StaffHead coach | TJ Ashford Assistant coach | Paul ClarkeAssistant Coach | Tony IroTeam manager | Moli Otukolo One new face among club's 2025 pathways coaches Harold Matthews draw confirmed for defending champions SG Ball Cup draw hands Warriors just four home games Jersey Flegg Cup draw features another trip to Fiji Tripleheaders feature in New South Wales Cup draw Playgrounds, walking tracks, sports facilities – just some of the assets Auckland Council invests in regularly for residents across Tāmaki Makaurau to use and enjoy. The council has created brand new infrastructure and renewed existing assets all over Tāmaki Makaurau over the past 12 months. Projects were approved by local boards and the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee, funded from a capital works budget of $208 million. This budget is used to fund local board projects (new and renewals) such as playgrounds, sports fields, park fixtures and community buildings, as well as regional projects like seismic upgrades, storm repair works, regional parks, holiday parks and leasing renewals. Councillor Richard Hills, chair of Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committees says he’s proud of the work completed over the past year. “Parks and facilities across Tāmaki Makaurau provide Aucklanders with spaces and opportunities to connect, stay active and enjoy a day out.” “We are committed to keep renewing existing assets and creating more great infrastructure like basketball courts, boardwalks and playgrounds for the benefit of Aucklanders and to meet the future needs of Auckland’s growing population.” Over the past 12 months dozens of these projects have been completed. We’ve chosen 10 to highlight here. This reserve on Waiheke Island underwent a major renewal including new park furniture and a shade sale, play space amenities, basketball court, learn to ride paths, pump track and cycle stands. New art at the site was co-designed with local iwi. David Lange Park in Māngere has undergone an extensive upgrade. Works included the creation of Mataaoho – a large play tower - and playground surroundings, new accessible toilets, and refreshed basketball and skatepad areas. A cultural narrative was incorporated in the landscape and equipment to highlight features in the area and represent Māori history. The 1km long, 2.5m wide off-road path between Esmonde Road and Auburn Street in Takapuna has been upgraded. The path is made from concrete and timber boardwalks that meander through the canopy of old puriri trees and along the mangrove-clad estuary. It is a pleasant walking and cycling commuter route between Takapuna town centre and Akoranga bus station. This walking track on the North Shore has been upgraded to a high standard to help prevent kauri dieback disease. The track includes new bridges and boardwalks with great views of the native bush. After being closed for five years, the track is already gaining popularity and its return is greatly appreciated by walkers. Te Pae o Kura / Kelston Community Centre renewal Te Pae o Kura / Kelston Community Centre underwent a major refurbishment and re-opened to the public in July. The building needed major repairs and was refurbished both inside and out to significantly improve the facility. Works included new roofing, new guttering and exterior cladding and a new exterior deck extension.  Interior works included expanding the kitchen facilities and installing new flooring and curtains. Local iwi, Te Kawerau ā Maki, were instrumental in the refurbishment, from the gifting of the name, Te Pae o Kura, through to the beautiful design work that will greet future users upon arrival and colour theme throughout. Manurewa Pool and Leisure Centre solar panel installation Solar panels were installed on the roof of the Manurewa Pool and Leisure Centre to minimise energy use. The Solar Photovaltaic (PV) array is a 144 kilo watt peak (kWp) system made up of 288 x 500W solar modules and a 110 KW inverter. It’s expected the system will generate approximately 335,900 kWh of electricity each year. Shakespear Regional Park workshop building A brand-new workshop building that will house machinery and equipment used to maintain the park has been built. It includes new solar panels to power the site.  The new park at Matua Rd in Huapai was built to meet the needs of new and future residents. The project included new play amenities, connecting pathways, landscaping, park furniture and a flat open space for activities such as kicking a ball around. Caribbean Drive sports field upgrade and new toilet facility This project in Unsworth Reserve aims to meet the growing demand for football and baseball in the Upper Harbour Local Board area. Works included upgrading sports fields with drainage, irrigation and LED lighting, constructing a new carpark with rain gardens, installing public accessible toilets and establishing footpath connections to the lower reserve. For baseball, a full-sized artificial diamond with cork infill and a senior-grade backstop fence with dugouts were installed. SectionsShowsVideoPodcastsWinMenuLIVE NOW PMN Niue531 PINiu FMLatest bulletinPMN NewsKelston Girls' College Fijian group performers Wendy Natui feel ecstatic about their performance on the Diversity Stage PMN News brings you a collage of the festival's flavours and tradition - witnessing the beauty and spirit of its 50th anniversary It's a fan fare for St Cuthbert's College Chinese group and former entertainer on the Niue and Cook Islands stages attends the ASB Polyfest in full support of all cultures and nations Auckland Girls' Grammar School Indian group dancers Aini Kirmani (centre) and Lia Joshua (right) say their performance honoured the Hindu goddess Durga which was an empowering piece for the young women The popping colours of the Indian group from St Cuthbert's College which has 16 cultural groups showcasing at ASB Polyfest's 50th year Supporters brave the wet weather to cheer on the performers Japanese umbrella performance graces the Diversity Stage Diversity Stage performers showcase the multicultural inclusion within St Cuthbert's College People still gather despite the rainy weather St Cuthbert's College Vietnamese group dazzle crowds through the drizzling rain pleaded guilty to having hundreds of child exploitation images An author and former music teacher at Kelston Boys’ High School and Avondale College has claimed hundreds of child exploitation photos and a graphic novel featuring child abuse were for book writing inspiration Judge Terence Singh told the court the offending was first raised when the new occupants of a home he had lived in found a USB drive with 490 images and a Word document with a “graphic narrative-type story” on it. Following the discovery, police conducted a search and found 109 images on his other devices, Singh said. The court summary of facts said when Sakey spoke to police he acknowledged he had downloaded the photos and videos on the USB, and stated they were due to his “curiosity” and that he had used them as “inspiration for his book writing”. Sakey publishes fiction books about young boys under the pseudonym Morgan Bruce. According to his author page on the Strategic Book Publishing website, he has written 15 books. The books all feature illustrations or photos of pre-adolescent boys on their covers, some styled as angels. The novels range from fantasy to mystery. One, titled Prague: An Unforgettable Story of Betrayal and Redemption features an 11-year-old caught up in “a major child prostitution operation across Europe”. A synopsis of the book said “Vasya undergoes the physical and mental anguish of sexual abuse”. When the Herald moved to photograph Sakey in court he had put on a beanie and a mask to hide his face. All three charges Sakey pleaded guilty to carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. In sentencing Sakey, Singh noted the defendant was remorseful and had no prior convictions. However, he also referenced a report that described Sakey as having a sense of entitlement and “low empathy”. He said submissions from both the prosecution and defence were aligned regarding the starting point for the sentence. The prosecution had requested Sakey be added to the sex offender register, which his lawyer opposed. The prosecution also wanted the court to remember that the offending occurred over a 12-year period. Singh set a sentence starting point of 18 months in prison and after a 50 per cent discount for remorse, rehabilitation, age and previous good character, the sentence was converted into a non-custodial one. Singh sentenced Sakey to five months of community detention and 15 months of intensive supervision. He declined to place Sakey on the register. Strategic Book Publishing and Avondale College were approached for comment but did not respond. Kelston Boys’ High School declined to comment. Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020. Fifty-two players spread across the Blues region have been selected in the Blues Under-18 Development Squad.  Twenty-one different schools and clubs are represented in the group, with players coming from as far as Kerikeri High School in the North to Aorere College in South Auckland.  Blues Talent Identification and Development Manager, Shane King, said he is stoked to finally announce a squad after a disrupted couple of years.  “Opportunities for this age group have been limited by Covid-19 over the past two seasons so we are excited and proud to be back developing players from across the region.”  The squad will assemble (with their families) at Mount Albert Grammar on Saturday October 1, staying in-house until Wednesday October 5.  They will work with a range of Coaches and Development Staff over the four days culminating in matches against the Chiefs (at MAGS) on Tuesday October 4. Copyright ©2021. The Blues. All rights reserved. Glen Eden.A busy neighbourhood shopping centre in the West Auckland suburb of Kelston with robust tenant covenants and favourable zoning that permits more intensive development activity is for sale as its offshore owners’ plans change Glen Eden occupies a substantial freehold 2.1-hectare site with 290-metres of uninterrupted dual prime frontage to West Coast Road and Great North Road in a growing residential catchment The centre was built in 1964 with photographs from that era showing prominent signage for a Foodtown supermarket – the forerunner to Countdown now Woolworths that is still on-site – and the Maple furniture company The shopping precinct has undergone multiple expansions and refurbishments over the years including the most-recent addition of a childcare centre in 2019 to maintain its status as a diversified and attractive suburban retail/service destination The centre has both standalone and integrated components offering 7,729sqm of lettable area and 388 carparking spaces It is anchored by multi-nationals Woolworths Group complemented by specialty tenants across medical kiosks and rooftop telecommunication networks The property returns passing annual net income of $2,626,723 plus OPEX and GST with around half of this coming from the three major tenants and with a weighted average lease expiry of 3.4 years (by income) Lease negotiation discussions are advanced with Woolworths for its 10-year lease renewal with potential for base rental upside McDonald’s has exercised an early lease extension out to 2031 while Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited’s current lease expires November 2026 There is just one vacancy within the complex – a 185.41sqm retail space with the option to create a tenancy totalling 280.71sqm Kelston Mall is being marketed by Ryan Johnson David Bayley and Jason Seymour of Bayleys via a deadline private treaty campaign closing 25th July Bucking the trend of offshore investors increasingly looking for opportunities in New Zealand Johnson says Kelston Mall’s owners have now decided to recycle capital back into Asia after acquiring the property in early 2020 “Retail centres with scale in core growth locations are attracting solid attention from private capital including family offices well-resourced individuals and offshore investor entities “Kelston Mall is a quintessential neighbourhood shopping centre with a low risk profile strong total returns with a better yield than many other commercial offerings diverse occupier profile including big-name listed operators the Business - Local Centre zoning with its 16-metre or four-storey height limit under the Auckland Unitary Plan is proposed to increase to 21 metres or six storeys under Plan Change 78 which adds another layer of opportunity for future redevelopment of the site to optimise the walkable catchment overlay.” With available development land in tight supply across Auckland Johnson says this opportunity in an area with a significant and growing demographic has fundamental advantages “The statistical area containing Kelston is forecast to grow by 36 percent by 2038 while data from the 2018 Census shows there’s a robust residential catchment of around 420,000 residences within a 10-kilometre radius of Kelston Mall “You simply can’t replicate a landholding of this size on a prominent corner with exposure to over 50,000 cars daily and astute investors will appreciate this “We’re in that counter-cyclical real estate spot right now with indications that the OCR tide will turn interest rates will start to fall and money in the bank will attract lower returns and be recirculated into other avenues including commercial property.” David Bayley said a recent company delegation to Australia and Southeast Asia confirmed that New Zealand commercial assets are highly sought-after with global private and family office wealth “Particularly as there’s an opportunity to buy ahead of the real estate curve with arguably greater value and less market competition to be realised currently “Our global real estate partner Knight Frank is noting strong interest in Australian neighbourhood retail assets and this is encouraging for the New Zealand market as we tend to mirror trends across the Tasman “Buyers are looking for well-located options that have sound returns and add-value or upzoning benefits "Kelston Mall has identified future upside waiting to be unlocked and with the high-profile anchor tenants underpinning the value equation we expect to field good inquiry on the property.” The Infrastructure Commission thinks 49 percent of the country’s future population growth will occur in Auckland adding around 648,000 to the city’s population by 2048 Jason Seymour says Auckland remains the country’s economic powerhouse and the main beneficiary of immigration so naturally “West Auckland is still seen as an affordable place to live and with good transport connections has the convenience factor being around a 25-minute drive from Auckland’s CBD “Kelston's demographic profile is primarily composed of young families with a median age of 30 and with 67% of the population having children This drives the popularity of Kelston Mall as the go-to neighbourhood shopping centre – heightened when you consider the cost of living and fuel prices which support spending close to home “Projected residential growth will further stimulate local economic activity and service retail should benefit hugely.” Locals gathered at the Kelston Community Hub in December to celebrate 10 years since the hub opened as a place for whānau to come together Whau Local Board Chair Kay Thomas and member Catherine Farmer were present to celebrate the milestone The local board has funded the hub and the community groups gathering there from the beginning the local board has also funded improvements in response to the community’s needs Activities community groups provide at the hub include craft such as resilience workshops on how to respond to floods and quakes Most activities are facilitated by enthusiastic volunteers The hub also has a weekly Kelston Homegrown Market selling fresh produce The Kelston community has not only been celebrating how the hub has provided a safe space for residents for ten years but is also looking forward to what can be achieved and provided in the future Collaboration has been at the heart of the hub It all started in 2010 when locals got together with the support of the Kelston Community Trust former principal of St Leonards Road School and local board members the community developed their ideas and clarified their needs The Kelston Community Hub was officially opened at 68 St Leonards Road She says that people are the essence of the hub.  “We are always looking for more volunteers and ideas to develop our community space The hub is open from 9am-3pm Monday to Friday Phone: 09 813 9670Email: kelstonhub@gmail.com ​Email: manager.kelstonhub@gmail.com Want to stay up to date with all the latest news from Whau Sign up for the Whau Local Board E-News and get the latest direct to your inbox each month For more information on what data is contained in the cookies please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news Auckland Transport (AT) is working with communities to design street changes that will inform future permanent changes to their streets ‘Streets for People’ is a worldwide concept that involves analysing the purpose of a street deciding who its primary users are and redesigning that street in partnership with those users Auckland is one of 13 participating councils across NZ receiving funding from Waka Kotahi through a $30 million grant from the National Land Transport Plan There are several reasons why people want to reclaim their streets; environmental home to six schools and serving more than 2,300 students was identified as an ideal candidate to trial the ‘Streets for People’ approach after numerous incidents of “near misses” on the surrounding streets were reported from within the community and fewer people wanting to walk or cycle to school transport hubs and other local amenities as a result the project team has worked alongside teachers and students from Kelston's schools to find out how they thought changes could improve the streets around them temporary changes to the street along St Leonards Road and outside Kelston Girls’ College were made and flexi-posts have been installed to encourage motorists to drive at slower speeds while passing through the area The installations act as buildouts that widen the footpath so it can be safely shared by people walking and cycling providing better sightlines for both students and motorists where people can safely wait their turn when crossing the road are also being trialled and wheel stops have been installed in front of the St Leonards shops to prevent parked cars from encroaching on to the narrow footpath I was getting a phone call every week from a driver who had almost hit a child from my school  Since the temporary changes have been in place I’m happy to report I’ve not had a single call “It has made our school crossing much easier to manage and cars turning out of Barbary Road into St Leonards Road are noticeably slower than before the trial was installed,” says Ivanka Soljan Students from the intermediate and primary schools have been taking part in a five-week challenge to walk and cycle to school and data collected will be reviewed for impact on behaviour change A pop-up pump track at Archibald Park will serve as a space for the community to have fun while learning and exploring cycling skills “Trialling these changes allows the whole community to experience them and have their say This allows our project team to better understand the wants and needs of the local community before making any permanent changes,” says Adrian Lord The survey was open for community feedback until the 14th of April 2024 The outcome of the trial will be announced late June or early July after observation data and community feedback is reviewed The trial will help inform possible permanent changes to the street A pedestrian crossing and trial barriers are keeping school children safe from motorists more than 2300 students leave one of the six schools within an 800m radius in Kelston Kelston Girls’ and Kelston Deaf Education Centre is bumper-to-bumper from 2.30pm-4pm as parents scramble for parking to pick up their children and students start to make their way home Add three childcare centres and the potential for accidents is quite extreme Kelston is a suburb where units and homes can only go up two storeys and most residents living in the quiet suburb still have the Kiwi quarter-acre dream So how do you keep traffic flowing and retain children’s safety Auckland Transport - which is often at the opposite end of pats on the backs - has this time come up trumps for the West Auckland suburb AT outlines the issues uniquely faced by Kelston “We’ve worked with the schools in the area There are six schools and 800m and the schools told us that it’s really busy before and after school So we’ve worked with them to slow the traffic,” says Allyn Syms AT’s Streets for People programme director “The cars move pretty fast through this area and there are 2300 kids coming out at three o’clock “So we’re just basically making it safe for them to be in this area “We’ve received a lot of feedback from the schools and from parents that there are regular near misses some students have been hit crossing the road in the past.” AT has used low-cost temporary installations like planter boxes concrete bollards and hips to give the students more space so that they can see up and down the street and people who are driving can see them There are also several speed humps in the 1km school zone to help slow the flow of traffic Kelston Intermediate principal Burt Iosia said the project has been a great community-AT collaboration He said the student body formed a discussion group to look at the traffic and speed issues after one student was hit by a vehicle which is now the safety guidelines for the schools in the area He said people driving in that Kelston 1km zone need to be mindful that children could just dart across the road from anywhere Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu a body representing the region's eight iwi.