Rise to Rugby’s Pinnacle: Saint Kentigern Old Collegians Make the 2023 All Blacks and Black Fern Squads

The recent announcement of five Old Collegians in the first All Blacks squad for the upcoming 2023 Rugby Championship has brought tremendous joy and pride to our school community as we celebrate the selection of Old Collegians Finlay Christie (2013), Braydon Ennor (2015), Dalton Papali’i (2015), Tamaiti Williams (2018) and Tevita Mafileo (2016).

Tevita Mafileo (2016), who was initially selected to join the All Blacks XV Squad, was subsequently named in the All Blacks as injury cover ahead of the opening Rugby Championship.

While Finlay, Braydon, and Dalton are already established members of the All Blacks, Tamaiti’s inclusion signals an exciting milestone as one of five official new caps, marking his first call-up to the national team. A strong scrummager, Tamaiti is known for his solid skills with the ball in hand and is dangerous close to the line. He was included in the All Blacks XV in 2022, playing against the Ireland XV and the Barbarians on their tour.

This announcement comes on the back of another significant achievement by Old Collegian Mererangi Paul (2016) who was selected for the 2023 Black Ferns Rugby Squad and played in the Pacific Four Series and O’Reilly Cup against Australia in June. This is another historic moment for Saint Kentigern with our first ever Old Girl joining the ranks of the Black Ferns.

In a separate announcement, we are also pleased to share that another Old Collegians Etene Nanai-Seturo (2017) has been selected to join the 30-strong All Blacks XV squad.

These outstanding athletes who once honed their skills on our No. 1 field now stand on the precipice of representing New Zealand at the highest level in rugby. Their remarkable achievements not only reflect their extraordinary potential but the profound impact of discipline, tenacity, and dedicated training and support from their coaches and mentors over the years. They carry with them the unwavering drive for excellence to make their mark on the global stage.

We congratulate these talented and tenacious Old Collegians on these remarkable milestones in their careers, and wish them well in their upcoming games.

(* year graduated from Saint Kentigern)

Boys’ School Annual Old Boys’ Golf Day

Compared to the unpredictable weather that marked the beginning of February, the 9th of February vastly contrasted with what Auckland had been delivering over the summer. The skies were blue and the sun was out for the annual Boys’ School Old Boys’ Golf Day at Windross Farm Golf Course.

On arrival, each player received a brown-paper goodie bag with a delicious lunch inside, courtesy of Resene Paints. Perhaps the familiarity with school-packed lunches caused a few hungry golfers to crack into their baked goods before teeing off.

With sixteen teams in the competition, the tournament began with a staggered start from several holes. Each team of four engaged their competitive spirit, putting their best foot forward to win the coveted Mungo Cap. In the end, the win went to Team Halliday, consisting of Dan Halliday, Campbell Hughes, Tom Irving, and Nick Walton.

It would be amiss not to mention some fantastic individual shots.

Congratulations to Jon Ormond for winning the longest drive, thirteenth hole closest to the pin, and the Ron Stone Memorial Trophy, as well as to Matt Hoare for seventh hole closest to the pin.

Laughter between old mates, a beauty of a day, and even better company filled the afternoon. We value our Old Boys’ long-standing connection to Saint Kentigern Boys’ School and look forward to continuing the tradition for many years to come.