Whanganui Collegiate First XV 2026: a season of graft, and the honour of hosting the 100th Quad

Every season teaches something, and Whanganui Collegiate School's First XV have learned plenty in 2026. The historic Whanganui boarding school has fielded a young, hard-working side in one of the country's toughest schoolboy grades, and while the results column has been unforgiving, the campaign has been defined by resilience, tradition and one very special occasion at home.

A demanding Central North Island campaign

Collegiate compete in the Central North Island (CNI) First XV competition, and 2026 has been a baptism of fire against some of the region's heavyweights. Their fixtures list shows tough afternoons against St John's College Hamilton, St Peter's Cambridge, Feilding High School, Lindisfarne College and St Paul's Collegiate, per CNI Rugby.

But look a little closer and you see a side that keeps swinging. Collegiate ran Francis Douglas Memorial College to within four points (17-21) and pushed Wesley College all the way in a 15-10 arm-wrestle, according to the same CNI Rugby record. For a young group in a grade this deep, those tight contests are the building blocks of a programme.

Centre stage for the 100th Quadrangular

The season's showpiece needed no scoreboard to be a triumph. In June, Collegiate hosted the 100th Quadrangular Tournament, the round-robin shared with Wellington College, Nelson College and Christ's College. NZ Rugby describes the Quad as possibly the world's oldest four-way secondary school rugby tournament, with the four schools together producing close to 8% of all All Blacks.

On the field, Collegiate met Christ's College in the minor final and produced the moment of the weekend. The two sides drew 21-21, with first five-eighths Cruz Malo slotting a clutch conversion from the right touchline on fulltime to level it, after second five-eighths Jonny Afamasaga had crossed for a try, as reported by Fin Ocheduszko Brown for the NZ Herald / Whanganui Chronicle. "It was a very good game of rugby that could have gone either way. To come back right at the end was quite outstanding," First XV coach Steve Simpson told the paper.

Wellington College took the title itself, beating Nelson College 43-13 in the grand final, a result RUGBE covered in its report on Wellington College winning the 100th Quadrangular. For the hosts, though, the achievement was in the staging. "It kept the traditions and the values of the Quad front and centre," headmaster Ainsley Robson told the Whanganui Chronicle, adding that it was "wonderful to hear compliments on the school, the facilities, the state of the playing field and the organisation."

What's ahead

The scoreboard has been tough, but character rarely shows itself in easy seasons. This young Collegiate side has a fixture list full of learning, a late comeback to be proud of, and the memory of hosting rugby history in their own backyard. There is plenty still to build on.

Follow the team on Instagram @wcsrugby_nz and the school at collegiate.school.nz.

Sources: NZ Rugby; NZ Herald / Whanganui Chronicle; CNI Rugby. Hero photo: Andy McArthur / NZ Herald.