Aorere College First XV 2026: a proud Papatoetoe side rolls up its sleeves in Auckland 1B

Down in Papatoetoe, rugby has long been part of who Aorere College is. The co-ed school in South Auckland has built a proud, community-minded programme with deep Pasifika roots, and in 2026 that culture is again on show across the grades.

Where they are competing

Aorere College's First XV is playing in the Auckland 1st XV 1B competition in 2026, according to the Auckland Rugby match centre and Tribe Sports, which lists the grade's fixtures and results. It is a genuinely competitive tier of Auckland college rugby, and for a school that measures itself by effort as much as scoreboard, every round is a chance to test how far the group has come.

The season so far

Detailed match-by-match coverage of the boys' First XV is limited this winter, so the honest picture is a work in progress rather than a headline highlight reel. What the record does show is a side willing to front up. In their Round 1 fixture on 2 May, Aorere College 1B were edged out by Avondale College 1B, 29-14, at Avondale, per the Auckland Rugby match centre. Results across the 1B grade have been tight, and Aorere have kept turning up week to week to keep building.

What stands out just as much is the breadth of the programme. Alongside the First XV, Aorere are fielding a Girls' First XV and a 2nd XV, plus junior grades, across the 2026 Auckland secondary season, according to Auckland Rugby's school fixtures. That is a lot of young people in a jersey, and a sign of a club-within-a-school that is trying to give everyone a game.

The culture behind it

The spirit of the place has been well documented. In a 2020 NZ Herald feature on the programme, coach and old boy David Osofua said "getting pride back into the jersey is important", adding that while the school does not have all the resources of bigger institutions, "what separates us ... is the willingness to train and improve". Aorere have also produced players who went on to professional careers, including former Warriors back Solomone Kata, a reminder of the pathways a South Auckland school can open.

What's ahead

With the back half of the Auckland season still to run, there is plenty of rugby left for Aorere to keep sharpening combinations and chasing wins in a tightly bunched 1B. For a programme that prizes hard work and community, the goal is simple and familiar: keep fronting up, keep improving, and keep making Papatoetoe proud.

Follow the team via Aorere College's official channels: @aorererugby on Instagram and the school website.