St Peter's College (Palmerston North) First XV 2026: proud green and gold grafting through a Manawatū season

St Peter's College in Palmerston North is one of those schools where rugby feels woven into the place. A co-educational, state-integrated Catholic school in the Milson suburb, founded in 1974, it sends its green and gold out onto Manawatū fields every winter, and 2026 has been another season of honest graft for the First XV.

Where they sit

This year the side is competing in the 2026 Manawatū School Boys Premier 3 grade, a competition that throws them up against a real mix of local school sides. It is the kind of grade where every result is earned and no fixture is a gimme.

One of the season's marker games came in Round 4 on 12 June, when St Peter's met Feilding High School's FAHS White side at Colquhoun Park. St Peter's stayed in the contest and put 17 points on the board, but Feilding edged clear for a 31-17 win on the day. It was a game that asked plenty of questions of the young side, and the scoreline flattered neither team's effort.

A tradition worth celebrating

Beyond the weekly competition, St Peter's carries something a bit special. The First XV plays annual "traditional" matches against four other Catholic schools: St John's College in Hastings, Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth, Cullinane College in Whanganui, and Chanel College in Masterton. These fixtures come with their own jerseys and caps awarded to the players who take the field, home and away legs alternating year to year. For a lot of St Peter's boys, pulling on that traditional jersey is the highlight of the winter.

What's ahead

The run home brings a proper local occasion. On Saturday 25 July, St Peter's host Palmerston North Boys' High School's 4th XV at home in Round 7, a cross-town fixture that is always good for the community and a nice chance for the green and gold to finish the campaign strongly in front of their own crowd.

Detailed public match records for the side are thin, so this is a season best told through its shape rather than a full ledger: a young team competing week to week, carrying a proud tradition, and building towards its home derby. You can follow the school on Facebook @stpeterspn or via the official website for the latest.

Whatever the results, the effort and the spirit have been there. That is what school rugby is all about.