2014 College rugby season starts in earnest this weekend

Tomorrow sees the start of the competitive college rugby season, with two sets of games taking place in parallel over the next three weekends.

Last year's Premier 1 semi-finalists - winners and national semi-finalists Wellington College, St Pats Silverstream, Scots College, and Naenae College are all in action at the Hurricanes schools festival, with matches in successive weekends in Gisborne and Palmerston North, before the last group of games in Wellington on May 17. The format, introduced last year and replacing the Williment Cup, sees the Wellington schools each face three of the four lower North Island schools aligned with the Super 8 competition.

As well as strong pre-season matches ahead of competition and traditional fixtures, they may also be a pointer towards possible matchups in the Hurricanes region section of the national competition later in the year.

Match schedule:

May 3 Gisborne ?????????????? -

Wellington College v Gisborne Boys

Silverstream v Napier Boys

Scots College v Hastings Boys

Naenae v Palmerston North Boys

May 10 Palmerston North?????????

Scots College v PNBHS

Wellington College v NBHS

Silverstream v GBHS

Naenae v HBHS??????

May 16/17 Wellington???

Wellington College v PNBHS (16 May - Westpac 5pm)

Naenae v GBHS (17 May - Porirua Park 12pm)

Scots v NBHS (17 May - Porirua Park 1.30pm)

Silverstream v HBHS (17 May - Porirua Park 3pm)

As the only co-educational school involved, Naenae College's participation is notable.

All other college Premier (open weight) teams are in action in a series of grading games to determine which division of the College Sport Wellington competition they will be placed into for the season ahead. The main focus is on those schools vying for one of the four remaining places in Premier 1, joining the four schools involved in the Hurricanes festival who return by right.

The format has 16 school first XVs placed into four pools of four, seeded based on their finishing position last year. Within each pool the teams play each other once in a round-robin format, with the pool winner qualifying for Premier 1, positions two and three being placed into Premier 2, and the bottom team into Premier 3. Those four pools (with last year's grade in brackets) are:

Pool A: St Patricks Town(1), Aotea College(2), Tawa College(2), Heretaunga(3)

Pool B: Porirua College(1), St Bernards(2), Bishop Viard(2), Upper Hutt College(3)

Pool C: Rongotai College(1), Hutt Valley HS(2), Newlands College(2), Kapiti College (3)

Pool D: Hutt International Boys (1), Wairarapa College(2), Mana College(2), Paraparaumu College(3)

A fifth pool, Pool E, contains the second XV's of the four major boys schools with the top two teams qualifying for Premier 2 and the other two placed in Premier 3. A second set of pools below these determine the remaining teams in Premier 3, as well as the 4^th and 5^th divisions. Three first XV's - Wainuiomata, Taita, and Onslow - are in these pools, with the best they can achieve is qualification for Premier 3.

Returning to the main pools each of the four schools from last year's Premier 1 would favour their chances of a return in 2014, particularly HIBS who have already defeated Palmerston North BHS this year and who's strongest opponent - last year's Premier 2 winners Wairarapa College - are ineligible for Premier 1 as not being a CSW member school. Mana College would appear to be at most risk of dropping to Premier 3 in this pool and are a shadow of the proud school that were perennial opponents for Wellington College in the Premier 1 final for a number of years.

St Patrick's Town, with two years of strong under-15 teams forming the core of the squad, should be too strong for their Pool A opponents especially with a pre-season tour under their belts, drawing 13-13 with St Bede's in Christchurch and beating defending Press Cup champions Marlborough Boys' High School 23-17.Heretaunga are somewhat of an unknown quantity, having been in Premier 5 only two years ago, but will likely need to tip over one of Aotea or Tawa in order to reach Premier 2. The latter two schools will see their Beard Trophy clash at Porirua Park next Wednesday night double as their grading match-up.

In Pool B Porirua have already seen off visiting side Samoa College this year (who in turn later beat Naenae College) and look to have a strong and physical side. They will face a stiff challenge from St Bernard's who seek a return to Premier 1 after dropping out last year. The Lower Hutt school held Auckland powerhouse Sacred Heart to only 21 points when they met (and half as many as Scots College conceded to the same opponent). Bishop Viard are rebuilding this year with a squad that contains few returnees, ??and will likely have to stave off an Upper Hutt side that pushed HIBS in this week's Hope Cup final in order to stay in Premier 2.

Lastly in Pool C Rongotai will be favourites but were nearly tipped out last year by Hutt Valley High in the grading when they narrowly won 15-12, and the two will meet again this year. Newlands and Kapiti seem likely to battle out for the second Premier 2 place.

The Premier grades proper kick-off in May 24 coinciding with the ‘Club and College' round of Wellington club rugby.? ??

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