De La Salle College First XV 2026: brotherhood and belief in a brutal Auckland 1A

There may be no tougher place to learn your rugby than Auckland 1A, and few schools carry as much heart into it as De La Salle College. The Mangere East side sits in the thick of the country's most demanding First XV competition in 2026, and their season so far has been a story of grit, growth and the tight-knit culture the college is known for.

A strong start

De La Salle opened their campaign in style, beating Botany Downs Secondary College 32-17 away in Round 1 (Auckland Rugby). A few weeks later they produced the kind of nail-biter that keeps a season alive, edging Liston College 31-29. Skipper and hooker Folau Sii led from the front with two tries in that win, as reported by the NZ Herald.

There was another sign of fight in Round 5, when De La Salle battled to a 22-22 draw with St Paul's College (Auckland Rugby), a result that showed this group never stops competing until the final whistle.

Learning against the heavyweights

Auckland 1A spares no one, and De La Salle have shared the field with some of the powerhouses of the grade. Kelston Boys' High (33-7), Mt Albert Grammar (48-14, per Auckland Rugby) and Sacred Heart College (57-10, via xplorer.rugby) all proved tough afternoons. For a young side, weeks like these are where the lessons land, and where character is built.

By late June the NZ Herald had De La Salle sitting eighth on the Auckland 1A ladder with 12 points, right in the mix of a fiercely contested competition.

More than a scoreline

De La Salle's rugby story runs deep. The college won Auckland 1A titles in 2003 and 2008, and its production line has reached the very top, with All Black Isaia Toeava among its alumni (NZ Herald). The school is equally renowned as a rugby league nursery, and the Herald has long celebrated the "brotherhood" that binds its teams together, where "when one succeeds, we all succeed" (NZ Herald).

What's ahead

With wins, a draw and plenty of hard lessons banked, De La Salle head into the back half of 2026 with belief and a clear identity. In a grade this brutal, every point is earned the hard way, and this Mangere East side keeps turning up to earn them.

Follow the team on Facebook @delasallecollegeakl and Instagram @delasallecollege_1953.