Hamilton Boys' HS have the strongest case as the world's best rugby school
Hamilton Boys’ High School has claimed the 2023 Sanix World Rugby Youth title with a 28-22 victory over Higashi Fukuoaka High School, consolidating their credentials as the best rugby school worldwide.
With four triumphs, the most of any school at the tournament, Hamilton Boys have previously won the title in 2010, 2011, and 2014, two more than the next-best school, Paul Roos Gymnasium of South Africa, with two titles.
If one were to determine the world’s top school, the most reasonable approach would be to examine the trophies.
Hamilton Boys possesses more global silverware than any other 1st XV programme on the planet.
The Sanix World Rugby Youth 1st XV tournament, which has been in existence since the year 2000, has always been the long-standing pinnacle for New Zealand.
New Zealand schools can only participate in the Japan-based event by winning the national 1st XV title, which is a remarkable achievement in and of itself.
The country’s national champions advance to the Sanix tournament the following year, which often means that school leavers are absent and the squad is not as potent as it was.
Nonetheless, it guarantees that only those who earn the opportunity can participate.
The qualification system has paid off, with New Zealand schools winning 10 Sanix titles in total, more than any other nation, followed by South Africa with six, Australia with two, France with two, and Fiji with one.
The World Schools festival, a South African-born tournament that launched in 2018 that was held in Thailand last year, has only just begun to attract the best participants.
The first edition in 2018 held at Paarl Boys High saw Napier Boys HS and Christchurch Boys HS participate, while New Zealand’s 2017 national champions, Hastings Boys HS, went to Sanix instead.
Christchurch Boys HS were invited to the inaugural event only after spoiling Paarl Boys’ tour of New Zealand in 2017.
The South African school had beaten a handful of reputable schools on their pre-season tour, before being defeated 38-36 in a classic encounter by Chirstchurch Boys HS which ended a 43-game unbeaten streak for Paarl.
Despite beating Paarl, that year Christchurch were Canterbury champions but failed to make it out of the South Island final.
The 2022 World Schools Festival held in Thailand saw a number of strong rugby schools attend adding credibility to the title, which was ultimately claimed by Hamilton Boys.
This is the first time that a school has taken both World titles, ratifying the two events.
Hamilton Boys soundly beat a Grey College outfit which was said to be missing school leavers, which is unfortunately part and parcel of schoolboy rugby.
The school’s best 1st XV team is the team available on that particular day. If they wear the crest, they are expected to represent the school to the best of their ability.
There will never be perfect alignment that will find the two strongest schools at the perfect time.
Differing school year calendars across the Hemispheres, the prohibitive cost of sending schoolboys around the world, makes it a difficult task.
But there is no doubt that Hamilton Boys is the strongest programme in New Zealand and they now have the strongest case as the world’s best.
They aren’t the best every year, but no school has claimed as many national titles and as many world titles.
The ultimate test for Hamilton Boys would be a tour of South Africa to face the likes of Grey, Paarl Boys, Paarl Gym, Affies.
If one of the South African schools can make it out to New Zealand again, they must find a way to face a mix of Super 8 and Auckland 1A schools who are generally the strongest in the country.
But if schools can pull together the funding to make 1st XV fixtures happen, surely the national unions can.
A bi-annual representative fixture between the New Zealand schoolboys reps and the South African schoolboys, which has never occurred, would be a must-watch spectacle.
The travel commitment would only occur once every four years by alternating between host countries every two years, and a tour could feature warm-up games against provincial U18 rep sides before the schoolboy Test.
It would be the most anticipated schoolboy rugby fixture in the world.
The Australian schoolboys, who already play the New Zealand schools on an annual basis, could also be invited to make up a Tri-Nations series.
South African rugby likes to view itself as the brotherly rivals of New Zealand rugby.
That is simply not true. Outside of the All Blacks and Springboks clashes, what is there?
The two countries do not have strong enough ties at all levels of the game, especially after the Super Rugby teams bailed for Europe.
A representative schoolboy fixture between the countries would be cherished on both sides and settle the debate every two years.
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments