Piopio College’s under 16s squad. Coach, Franky Bourke is pictured far right) and team captain Hunter Rogers is holding the John Boe Cup
Piopio College has been savouring an epic victory in the recent Under-16 Waikato Secondary Schools Rugby final.
“We lost to Hamilton Boys’ High School in the last game of the round-robin,” the college’s rugby coach, Franky Bourke, told The News. “But our guys all really showed up when we played them again the following week in the final. They had faith in themselves and played some really good rugby.”
Piopio won the final 39–25 to claim the John Boe Cup.
Strictly speaking, Bourke’s boys aren’t regarded as the school’s first XV, but they may as well be.
“We have just one rugby team here, this is it,” Bourke said. “We only had 17 players fit and available to play in the final, which meant we only had two reserves on the bench, but we still won.”
What’s more, as the college has approximately 150 students, some of the players in Piopio’s under 16s are as young as 13.
By contrast, Hamilton Boys High has a roll of more than 2000 students and has been dominant across the rugby grades.
“Last year, the under-16s was won by Hamilton’s St Paul’s Collegiate School but Hamilton Boys’ had been on a real hot streak before that – they’d won it for four or five years in a row,” Bourke said.
Boys High, the grade’s number one ranked team, went into the final off the back of a 22–20 win over Piopio the week prior. However, the King Country squad promptly took the last game of the season by the scruff of the neck.
“We shot out to a decent lead early on; we scored two tries in quick succession, one straight after the kick-off. Then, still only about 15 minutes in, we were awarded a penalty.”
Piopio’s regular kicker, Keanu Edkins, came into the match after a tough day at the office the week before – he had missed all five of his attempts at goal.
Fortunately, the plucky second-five was able to shake off his demons and step back up to the mark when it really counted.
“All week leading up to the final, Keanu said he didn’t want to kick. I told him we had flushed the last game away, but that it was up to him to decide when he was ready,” Bourke said. “So, although he didn’t take the first couple of kicks, when that penalty was called, he took the shot and nailed it. He only missed one from five in total.”
Although there was still plenty of time for Piopio’s opponents to make up lost ground, the Hamilton team looked as though they weren’t used to playing catch-up rugby, Bourke said.
“They played in the style that got them to the final – kicking into the corners, winning lineouts and driving the ball in – and they scored five tries from that too. But we kept the scoreboard ticking over; we kept up the pressure and held our lead right up until the final whistle.”
While all 17 of Piopio’s under-16s contributed to the victory, the team’s fullback was on particularly hot form.
“Corey Mason was another standout. He really caused the opposition plenty of grief. Practically every time he came into the line, every time he touched the ball, he was really hard for them to contain.”
Other top performers throughout the season included team captain and number eight, Hunter Rogers.
“Hunter had a great season. He led from the front, alongside his twin brother, Quinn Rogers (flanker),” Bourke said. “And, although Aden Bradcock, our halfback, came in probably halfway through the season, he gave us a lot of go-forward ball from then on.”
Jayden Collins Kohe-Love (centre) and Ryshard Tapara (prop), both of whom are now playing representative rugby for King Country, were also noted by Bourke for their contributions.
His surname is well known in the Waipā region – Bourkes have been involved with the Hautapu Rugby Club for more than a century – but this is just a coincidence. While Franky Bourke is great mates with some of his namesakes, he is not related to the famous Cambridge family.
Originally from Takanini, Auckland, Bourke had previous successes coaching rugby in Hamilton before becoming a teacher and coach at Piopio College.
“I was coaching up at Hamilton Girls High School and we had some success with the first XV there. I’m now in my second year at Piopio College and it has been a challenge coming to a small rural school,” he said.
“I’ve really had to keep the boys engaged with an exciting type of rugby for them to play. They have come a long way and worked very hard, so they really do deserve to celebrate.”
