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One of the oldest rugby playing high schools in the world ran out against Mahurangi College last month.
Abingdon School, based in Oxfordshire, was in Warkworth as part of an Australasian tour.
The school brought two teams and played two games against the college’s 1st and 2nd XV, and won both games.
Abingdon is more than 750 years old and its director of rugby Peter Coke says it was one of the first rugby-playing schools in the world.
The teams spent three weeks in NZ and a week in Australia. They also played teams in Palmerston North, Hastings and Avondale.
“We go on an overseas tour every two years,” Peter says. “Last time we went to Namibia, but this year we thought let’s go to the home of the World Cup winners.
“It’s been excellent. The hospitality has been fantastic. The rugby here is much more physical and the players have been a lot bigger than in England.”
Mr Coke says the students enjoyed being billeted with local families on the tour.
“It was the best part for them, getting to know the culture of the country by being accepted into people’s homes.”
Mahurangi College principal David Macleod says the school hosts a different English rugby team every year.
“It’s a great experience for students from both countries.”
College 1st XV coach and PE teacher Khamal Ganley says the team had a tough season with a number of injuries and was knocked out of the semi-finals against Westlake B in the second division high school competition last month.
“We can be competitive in the restricted grades and the junior teams, but we struggle against the larger schools in the open grade. Injuries decimate small schools like us,” Khamal says.
