2026 Top Four preview

By Adam Julian

BOYS PREVIEW

The National Top Four started in 1982 and will have a new winner in 2026. St Patrick’s College Silverstream, who have won the Wellington Premiership seven times in the last decade, finally captured an elusive Hurricanes Regional title, overturning a 52-12 loss to Napier Boys’ earlier in the season to beat Sky Blue 34-29 in Feilding on Saturday.

Silverstream will be joined in Palmerston North by South Island champions St Andrew’s College, Moascar Cup holders Tauranga Boys’ College who join their 1983 and 2023 First XVs as qualifiers, and Blues Regional champions Westlake Boys’ High School, qualifying for the fourth time in five years.

Hurricanes Winners: St Patrick’s College, Silverstream

They have dominated the Wellington Premiership since 2017, making every final and winning 95 of 107 games. However, they didn’t have it all their own way in 2026, finishing third in the round robin after losses to Wellington College (17-26) and St Patrick’s College Wellington (36-38).

Silverstream reversed those results in the final, thrashing St Pats Town 51-24 in the semis and Wellington College 38-14 in the final. They then battled past Lindisfarne College (34-24) before edging Napier 34-29 with 19 points from first-five Fletcher Cooper, who has scored a school record 283 points this season. Coached by John Herbert and Karl Davis, Silverstream has a big, dynamic pack while Cooper is arguably the best age-group playmaker in New Zealand. Troy Waldrom, with 19 tries this season, is the son of former English international Thomas Waldrom and has searing pace. Discipline, kickoff receptions, and close-quarter defence near the try line can be weaknesses.

Key Forward: Vaitupu Vaitupu - The powerhouse loosehead prop anchors the scrum and is brutal and busy on the carry. Scored a vital try in the Premiership final against Wellington College.

Key Back: Fletcher Cooper - 517 points in the last two seasons says all you need to know. Cooper kicks off both feet, attacks the line with authority and has even trained with the Hurricanes senior team.

South Island Winners: St Andrew’s College

The South Island champions are unbeaten in their last eight matches, including spectacular away upsets of St Bede’s College (31-21) and defending champions Christchurch Boys’ High School (33-17). St Andrew’s then rallied from 40-24 down to edge 2023 national champions and Southern Schools Championship winners Southland Boys’ High School 41-40 in the South Island final.

St Andrew’s strengths are their size and structure. A well-balanced team coached by former English halfback Willie Heinz and double Rugby World Cup-winning prop Owen Franks, St Andrew’s possibly enter with the most impressive form. However, they are prone to defensive lapses and could be vulnerable if bigger North Island teams match them physically and move them around. St Andrew’s have previously made the Top Four in 1986 and 1991.

Key Forward: Lennox Kopelani - Lennox played for Selwyn Combined in Year 11, and they knocked over Christ’s College and St Bede’s in 2025. Kopelani was also selected for the Ellesmere U16s. In his new setting, he was equally damaging, while maintaining his representative-standard form. In one of the biggest moments of the season, with the last play, he scored the winning try in the South Island final.

Key Back: Ollie Jackways - The halfback is a true all-rounder, adept at the box kick, quick to distribute, tactically smart and unafraid to have a snipe. He won gold in the South Island and Canterbury Secondary Schools 200m and 400m events, plus a South Island title in the 4x400m relay. He also plays First XI hockey, and has reached the milestone of 40 games.

Chiefs Winners: Tauranga Boys’ College

Following a successful Japanese tour, Tauranga beat Westlake Boys’, their Friday opponent, 36-19 in an annual traditional fixture but otherwise struggled to thrive domestically, winning just three of seven Super 8 matches. They did, however, run eventual champions Hamilton Boys’ High School (22-29) and 2025 National Top Four champions Rotorua Boys’ High School (15-17) extremely close.

In the Chiefs Qualifying, Tauranga made the most of their opportunities, beating Rotorua (31-24), New Plymouth Boys’ High School (12-7) and Hamilton (32-24) to qualify.

Tauranga has size and athleticism in the forwards with lock Sermaia Salikikoro and blindside Herepete Bidois as key carriers. The backline is fast, slick, and efficient without being amazing except for fullback Tommy “Ethereal” McQuoid.

Consistency and discipline have been issues. The gap between Tauranga’s best and worst can be extreme. The head coach is former Bay of Plenty representative and 300-game Te Puna hardman Aidan Kuka. 

Key Forward: Khan Charlton - The Chiefs Under-18 lock is nicknamed “Little Lurch,” as a tribute to his playing style, similar to All Blacks legend Brodie Retallick. Conspicuous in red headgear, Charlton goes all day and organises the Titans lineout.

Key Back: Tommy McQuoid - The son of former Bay of Plenty and All Blacks Sevens representative Grant McQuoid, “Ethereal” has lit up First XV rugby the past two years. In 2025 he achieved the rare feat of scoring a try in every Super 8 match. In 2026 he scored in five games. His length-of-the-field try sunk Rotorua and he tore up Hamilton on Saturday.

Blues Winners: Westlake Boys’ High School

Westlake won the North Harbour title for an eighth consecutive year and the 23rd time since 1985 with an outstanding record of 15 wins and one defeat, scoring 855 points and conceding 180. Since 2017, Westlake have won 128 of 140 competition matches.

However, they finished the round robin second after a shock 31-21 loss to Rosmini College, in which they blew a 21-0 lead. The final was an absolute thriller which Westlake narrowly won 45-43 with winger Flynn Holbrook scoring three tries. Halfback and captain Levi Leth scored twice and has played a record 75 games for the First XV.

Westlake then held 1A Auckland championship Kelston Boys’ High School to a 40-40 draw, advancing to the National Top Four for the fourth time in five years on the first-try-wins rule.

Westlake has an efficient, improving pack but lacks the size of their three rivals. Where they excel is out wide. They have speed to burn and play with plenty of optimism.

Defence is a weakness, and North Harbour doesn’t always produce competitive games, but Westlake has the benefit of the most past Top Four experience. Westlake’s head coach is Rob Mildenhall.

Key Back: Matt Fleming - The strapping centre scored three tries in the Blues Regional Final against Kelston, won a grudge match against Rosmini College 24-17 earlier in the year and is generally considered one of the finest midfield backs in First XV rugby.

Key Forward: Adam Watson - The No.8 has been a source of go-forward all season and is saving his best until last. In the Blues Regional final against Kelston, he scored a try and helped set up another. Skilful and strong with a background in rugby league.

National Top Four,  Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North, Friday, 1.15pm: Tauranga v Westlake. 2.45pm: St Patrick's Silverstream v St Andrews. Sunday: 3rd v 4th, 11.50am. Final, 12.40pm.

GIRLS PREVIEW

Manukura are the favourites to retain the Hine Pounamu National Top Four Secondary Schools girls title for a fifth consecutive year in Palmerston North, starting on Friday.

Not much has changed in girls' First XV rugby with Manukura joined in the top four by Christchurch Girls’ High, who haven’t missed out since 2018, and four-time winners Hamilton Girls’ High School, who have featured at every event since 2013. Manukura beat both Hamilton and Christchurch earlier in the season.

The only new face is that of Epsom Girls Grammar School (EGGS). Coached by Kobi Daniel and former Black Fern Eloise Blackwell, EGGS shocked unbeaten Howick College in the final of the 10-team premier Auckland competition 29-19. 

Epsom prospered through tries from lock Sibley Schaumkell, captain and Auckland Storm representative Emacyn-Eden Ieremia, and left wing Tia Korewha. 

Epsom then defeated Westlake Girls’ High School 43-5 to earn a National Top Four place for the first time. With 10 teams, six of whom are genuinely competitive, Auckland is the country's biggest and strongest girls competition. 

Loose forward Telisa Ongoloka and midfield back Dellis Tuitupou were selected in the New Zealand U18 Girls Pathway Squad in 2026. Mikaya Tonga was selected in the Auckland Storm.

It will be EGGS v Ham in one semi-final on Friday. Hamilton Girls’ won the Waikato competition, overpowering Sacred Heart Girls College in the final. They also captured the Provincial Union Cup by beating Counties-based Rosehill College, who they also eliminated in the Chiefs regional final. 

However, Hamilton’s form has been patchy with a draw and a loss in traditional fixtures against Auckland Girls Grammar and Howick College.

Hamilton Girls’ are fuelled by the regret of losing the 2025 national final 20-17 on a last-play try to Manukura’s Kingston-Ryze Akuhata-Brown Taiapa.

Hamilton are coached by Matt Chandler and Rayarn Tamati, who scored a try for Hamilton in their 58-7 slaughter of Christchurch in the 2019 final. The spine of Hamilton’s 2026 team is built around five players selected in the New Zealand U18 Girls’ Pathway Squad that split into North-South teams for a match on July 9 at St Peter’s Cambridge: Kaydence Benjamin, Koiatarau Edwards, Jess Hayward, Libby Kearns-Te Whare and Ashlee Marra.

Coached by former Black Ferns Kristina Sue and Rhiarna Ferris (Sevens), Manukura beat Wellington's St Mary's College by default in the Hurricanes regional final, having retained most of their 2024 and 2025 winning squads.

When Manukura hosted Hamilton on August 7, they surged to a 47-19 victory with an all-Year 10 front row. Flanker Elley-May Taylor played exceptionally; captain Taylah Seng was inspirational, while Ngawhakahonore Matakatea was perhaps the standout in the Year 10 tight forward trio. She also competed at the Waka Ama World Championships in Singapore.

It was much harder for Manukura when they travelled to Hagley Park in Christchurch on June 29. The visitors outlasted Christchurch Girls’ 33-17. The hosts started well, building sustained pressure through consistent phases. Their scrum and lineouts remained strong, but they lacked the flair of the visiting outside backs.

It finished five tries to three with winger Kedron Brown poaching two intercept tries for Manukura. Ngakahu Mathieson-Julian struck ablaze from fullback, and a brilliant “dummy-and-go” by Kōtuku Hennessy created a try for Peizha Cassidy.

For Christchurch Girls' High, who have 17 players selected in the two Canterbury U18 representative squads this season, first-five Mika Lene was a standout, scoring two tries. Her older sister Kavanah Lene has a Black Ferns Sevens training contract, and another older sister, Perez Lene, has been in the New Zealand Under-18 Girls’ Pathway Squad for the past two consecutive years.

Coached by former Black Fern Angie Sisifa, Christchurch won the Miles Toyota Girls Premiership for the 11th consecutive year, beating Selwyn Combined 62-5 in the final. They then defeated Southland Girls’ High 48-7 in Invercargill in the South Island final.

Hine Pounamu Trophy, Friday Semifinals:

10.30 am: Hamilton Girls’ High School v Epsom Girls Grammar (Central Energy Trust Arena). 11.30 am: Manukura v Christchurch Girls’ High School (Field 3)