A New Zealand Herald investigation into First XV rugby in Auckland shows that five schools are estimated to be spending more than $400,000 collectively on their respective First XVs while the other seven teams in the 1A competition are spending collectively about $50,000.
Auckland’s Sacred Heart estimates total annual expenditure on its First XV to be $50,000. King’s College spends $70,000 a year on rugby overall and $40,000 on its First XV.
The Herald says the other three schools, St Kentigern College, reigning Auckland, New Zealand and world champions, Auckland Grammar and Mt Albert refuse to divulge their financial commitment.
Sources with good knowledge estimate St Kentigern will spend $150,000-$200,000 this year – with the figure inflated as the First XV travelled to Japan for the world Sanix championship in April.
The clustering of talent has fed concerns among the educational fraternity that winning the competition is now beyond the other seven, lower-spending schools.
Since De La Salle, the decile 1 Catholic school from Mangere, won in 2008, the list of 1A winners reads, Mt Albert in 2009 and 2010, followed by St Kentigern in 2011 and 2012 with those two schools fancied to make the final again this year.
“The big worry for me is that we have a really good Under-14 team this year,” says De La Salle’s head of rugby, Nigel Hurst. “But how many of them will be here when they get to Year 11? South Auckland has just become a talent pool for the rich schools.”
Source
- New Zealand Herald
- Image: Auckland Rugby
