WESLEY COLLEGE RICH HISTORY SMALL ROLL One of New Zealand’s most celebrated rugby schools reaches a significant milestone on October 26-27. Campbell Burnes explores the rugby history of Wesley College. he dining hall of a boarding school school, and not just in the rugby sense. changing room. The boys run straight Tmay seem like a functional place, “Every time we go to the dining hall, out onto the main field embracing that a space to ingest, imbibe and then the boys will be looking up at the jerseys legacy, not weighed down by it. shoot through. and thinking ‘One day, I will present my I’m taken on a guided tour of the That may be true in some schools, jersey back to the school’,” says Manase. school by deputy principal and First XV but not at Wesley College. Walk into the “You don’t see that often (elsewhere), old coach Chris Bean. He’s an old boy and spacious dining hall and lift your eyes boys giving back like here.” played First XV in the 1980s, so Wesley slightly. The walls are adorned with rugby So you will find at least one of Jonah rugby is in his blood. His first year on jerseys, gifted back to the school from Lomu’s All Blacks jerseys, one of Sekope the teaching staff, 1993, just happened proud old boys who have gone on to Kepu’s Wallaby jerseys, among many to be Lomu’s senior year. Lomu’s feats bigger things on the international stage. others, and photos of some great Wesley in school athletics, where he still holds a Those walls signal that Wesley is, teams since the 1980s. It shows that all clutch of records, and on the rugby field unmistakably, a rugby school. It is also these Wesleyans loved their time here as an unstoppable force, mainly at No 8, New Zealand’s oldest registered school, and had good experiences from which to are still recalled with reverence. established in 1844, just four years after draw both inside and outside of rugby. “We were blessed with the talent of the Treaty of Waitangi was signed and You cannot escape the rugby history. Jonah, because he was just sensational some 26 years before rugby started in The years of Wesley’s five national Top as a schoolboy,” says Bean. “I do this land. 4 titles are embroidered on the current remember he was put back at fullback The 2019 Wesley First XV captain is First XV’s jerseys, while the names of for one game against Rotorua BHS. No Thor Manase. He is polite, well-spoken, those who have gone on to great things word of a lie, they kicked to him five and acutely aware of the history of his in the game are highlighted in the times and he scored five times. Everyone 68 RUGBY NEWS AUGUST 2019 Wesley College’s rugby name is synonymous with the late, great Jonah Lomu. of the nearby streets as part of the the Moascar Cup three times (the first redevelopment adjacent to the school. in 1971) and lost the 1989 Top 4 final Little is known of Wesley’s early rugby down the road in Pukekohe. But over the “We were blessed days, and indeed the school was situated next 15 years the First XV won no less with the talent of in the inner Auckland area of Grafton and than five Top 4 titles, including a shared then the suburb of Three Kings for much championship in 2004. Don’t forget six Jonah, because he of its early existence until its 1922 shift Condors Sevens titles over the years. was just sensational to the current site in Paerata, 10 minutes The boys are encouraged to express out of Pukekohe. themselves in the abbreviated version as a schoolboy.” – There is a strong Methodist character of the game. Wesley First XV running through Wesley. Religion and Close rivalries with the likes of St prayer are central to school life. The roll Stephen’s College (not far away in coach Chris Bean sits at around 370, including girls now, Bombay), Hato Petera College, Church and around 70 percent of students are College, Te Aute College and Western boarders. There are seven boys’ teams Heights HS formed the basis of Wesley’s and one girls’ team. The current principal traditional fixtures. Pukekohe High School connects to him and knows what is Brian Evans, former Black Ferns was often strong in that period. Sadly, he’s about.” coach. It has never had a big roll, so its two of those schools have shut the doors, While the big fella is sadly no longer achievements through the 1980s and ’90s while the rugby programmes at Te Aute with us, his name lives on in tangible are astonishing. and Western Heights have taken a hit in form with Jonah Lomu Drive as one Often king of Counties, Wesley won recent times. RUGBY NEWS AUGUST 2019 69 WESLEY COLLEGE Wesley won the fourth of its WESLEY’S five Top 4 titles in 2001. TOP 4 FINALS 1989: Lost to Kelston Boys’ High School 1990: Beat Gisborne Boys’ High School 1993: Beat St Paul’s Collegiate 1997: Beat Palmerston North Boys’ High School 2001: Beat Rotorua Boys’ High School 2004: Drew with Christchurch Boys’ High School (shared) 2011: Lost to Kelston Boys’ High School Bean attributes much of the early national success of Wesley rugby to former principal Chris Grinter, now at the helm of Rotorua BHS, and who was Wesley’s First XV coach at the start of its golden era of rugby. Bean played under Grinter. Even before Lomu’s heyday, Wesley XV, coached by David Faitala, who was “We know the type of character he was seen as a heavyweight. There was previously at the helm of the First XV, is, very strong and passionate and very a famous story of the Wesley front row plays in the Auckland competition, as good rugby knowledge. He took us to weighing more than the All Blacks’ Nos do all the other sides. The Auckland 1A, another level of success and that has 1-2-3 in 1990. That was big news then. unfortunately for Wesley, has always transferred to Rotorua, which is a top Now you would not have to search too been a closed shop, but there is little rugby school. We always had talent here, far to find First XV front rows bigger doubt it would be competitive there. boys who were big, but we just lacked than that of the All Blacks. It’s a shame too that Wesley never rugby detail and he put that framework So how has Wesley managed to gets to face off against Manurewa HS in place,” says Bean. punch above its weight so well in these days to decide the kings of the Amanaki Palavi succeeded Grinter the last 30-odd years, with such a province’s schoolboy rugby. They’ve and guided Wesley to two national titles. small roll? gone their separate ways. The only Bean has seen the team continue to be “I’m a strong believer in the best 22 way the two would meet is if they took a giant in Counties Manukau, though versus the best 22. If you have a small a similar Top 4 qualification route, but Manurewa High School provided stern roll and they are the best 22, you get the Manurewa has recently opted for the competition in more recent times. The best out of them,” says Bean. “That gives co-ed path, while Wesley is firm on the latter now, however, plays in the North the boys and the coaching staff the drive need to go through the boys’ path. Harbour 1A competition, while Wesley to be successful.” The Chiefs’ Top 4 qualification is into its fourth season in the Central That is not to say that depth is pathway is hellishly difficult, surely North Island (CNI) comp. unimportant. Far from it. The Second the toughest in New Zealand. Wesley 70 RUGBY NEWS AUGUST 2019 Wesley’s 12 All Blacks are: Doug rugby talent from south Auckland and the Rollerson, Jonah Lomu, Rhys Duggan, Pacific Islands on rugby scholarships, as Casey Laulala, Sitiveni Sivivatu, some schools have done. Stephen Donald, Charles Piutau, “We’ve been blessed that a lot of Frank Halai, Malakai Fekitoa, Augustine students who roll into the school just Pulu, Nepo Laulala and the latest, happen to be very good at rugby. For Karl Tu’inukuafe. example, Malakai Fekitoa came in on A stack of Wesleyans have represented a hardship scholarship after his father Pacific Island nations, including Waisake passed away in Tonga. People find it hard Sotutu (Fiji), Seilala Mapusua (Samoa) and to believe,” says Bean. Hale T-Pole (Tonga). Uini Atonio (France) The First XV is now in a rebuilding and Sekope Kepu (Australia) have gone phase and is on the cusp of the CNI further afield for their rugby. semifinals after some close defeats. But Casey Laulala is one of 12 All 2019 captain ThorWeber’s Manase passing with is slicker than Blacks out of Wesley College. Wesley’s No 1 field as backdrop.it was a few years ago. “It’s nice that if some of the boys don’t Manase and his team will still say their get to go all the way in the New Zealand prayers and sing their hymns before the “You are not the environment, they get to play for their game, think about this team’s rich history families’ country of origin,” says Bean.