The 2026 national first XV rugby championship will see a new winner emerge, as none of the four teams advancing to this week's semifinals have previously claimed the title. The top-four playoffs, set to take place in Palmerston North on Friday, feature St Andrew’s College, St Pat’s Silverstream, Tauranga Boys’ College, and Westlake Boys High School.
St Andrew’s College from Christchurch secured their spot in the playoffs with a narrow 41-40 victory over Southland Boys’ High School a week earlier, marking their first return to the competition in 35 years. They will face Wellington’s St Pat’s Silverstream, which earned its maiden top-four berth by edging Napier Boys’ High School 34-29 in a closely contested match held at Feilding High School.
St Pat’s Silverstream was led by year 12 co-captain and fly-half Fletcher Cooper, who scored 19 points without missing any of his six kicks on goal. Winger Troy Waldrom crossed for two tries to give St Pat’s an early advantage, with Cooper’s try, conversion, and 44-metre penalty helping the team to seize the lead in the second half. Despite a strong response from Napier, including a maul try by hooker Harry Jones, a late penalty kick set up a lineout from which prop Ryder Langi scored the decisive try. The Silverstream victory marks the first time a Wellington school has reached the national top-four since Scots College in 2015. St Andrew’s, meanwhile, are seeking to better their previous best finishes, having only placed fourth at past national playoffs held in 1986 and 1991.
The other semifinal features Tauranga Boys’ College against Auckland’s Westlake Boys High School. Tauranga followed up a win over last year’s champions, Rotorua Boys’ High School, with a 32-24 quarterfinal victory over Hamilton Boys’ High School, a team with the most top-four appearances (14) and six titles, including wins as recent as 2024 and 2022. Tauranga dominated the early stages, racing to a 26-0 lead inside the first 16 minutes. Despite Hamilton’s attempt to fight back, their efforts were undermined when No 8 Isaiah Edwards and prop Masami Kawai were both sent off in the 46th minute for a dangerous tip-tackle, further diminishing their chances on a muddy field.
Westlake Boys High secured their place by winning the North Harbour championship and advancing on a tiebreaker after a 40-40 draw with Kelston Boys’ High School, the Auckland champions. Westlake progressed due to scoring the first try in the match.
Friday’s semifinals guarantee a first-time national champion in the top-level school rugby championship, with all four contenders aiming to make their mark on the competition’s historic stage.