MAGS, Southland and Feilding win school titles

Mount Albert Grammar School, Southland Girls’ High School and Feilding High School are this year’s National Top 4 secondary school champions.

MAGS have won the National Top Four for the third time defeating Hastings Boys' High School 14-13 in a torrid and gripping final.

Heavy rain made the ball greasy and turned the match into a territorial arm-wrestle. MAGS mauled strongly from the outset and scored their only try of the match late in the first half.

Both sides traded penalties and MAGS had the game won at 14-6 late, before a consolation try to Hastings made the difference a final point.

Meanwhile in the playoff for third Hamilton Boys' High School finished with a flourish to beat Southland Boys' High School 36-10.

Southland Girls’ High School have won their maiden Girls rugby Top 4 championship title this afternoon at Arena Manawatu in Palmerston North, beating Wellington’s St Mary’s College 46-29 in the final.

Kaipara College won the playoff for third and fourth, defeating defending champions Hamilton Girls’ High School 10-7 in a low scoring thriller that could have gone either way.

Southland GHS raced to a 22-0 lead after as many minutes, sealing the match with a devastating four-try burst before St Mary’s had fired a shot.Centre Alena Saili scored a first half hat-trick for Southland.

Feilding High School have won the National Co-education championship for a third time defeating Aorere College 25-5 in a messy decider.

Played on a greasy surface in misty drizzle, Feilding adapted to the conditions better by kicking deep into the Aorere half and daring the South Auckland side to run it back. Aorere took the bait and were hassled into repeat mistakes. Feilding built a 19-0 lead and held on from there.

St. Peter's Cambridge defeated Burnside High School 37-10 in the playoff for third and fourth.