New Plymouth Boys' High First XV 2026: a Super 8 season with plenty still to play for

New Plymouth Boys' High School's First XV have given their supporters plenty to smile about through the first half of the 2026 Super 8 season, mixing a milestone win with the kind of tight, high-scoring games that make this central North Island competition such a good watch.

A statement win in Hawke's Bay

One of the campaign's early highlights came on the road, where the NPBHS side beat Hastings Boys' High School 40-24, scoring six tries to four. As Doug Laing reported for Hawke's Bay Today, it was the first time Hastings had lost to New Plymouth since 2020, a result that showed the Taranaki boys can travel and finish their chances against strong company.

A one-point heartbreaker

Rugby can be cruel, and Round 4 delivered one of the season's closest finishes. New Plymouth raced out to a 22-0 lead over Gisborne Boys' High before the home side mounted a remarkable comeback to win 33-32, scoring three tries in the final 29 minutes. In the NZ Herald schools wrap, Bruce Holloway and Adam Julian noted New Plymouth's attacking spark through the day, with right wing Coredae Wipiiti-Boylan and fullback George Le Quesne both crossing twice and halfback Harry Sheehan also getting on the scoresheet. It was the sort of first-half performance that will give the coaching group real confidence heading into the run home.

Right in the mix

The Super 8 has been unusually even in 2026. In the same late-June wrap, Hamilton Boys' High led the table on 18 points, but the chasing pack was bunched tightly behind, Napier and Rotorua on 16, Palmerston North on 15, and New Plymouth on 13. With so little separating the top five, every remaining round matters, and NPBHS remain very much in touch.

What's ahead

The Super 8 First XV competition runs its Saturday rounds through June and July before culminating in a final between the top two sides on 8 August. That leaves New Plymouth with plenty of season still to shape, and, on the evidence of their fast starts and willingness to throw the ball around, plenty of reasons for Taranaki supporters to keep turning up.

You can follow the team through the official NPBHS Rugby Facebook page and the school's website.

Results and standings as reported in late June 2026; the competition continues through July to the 8 August final.