SBHS First XV Receives Victory Celebration

Southland Boys’ High School has much to celebrate this week.

Moascar Cup rugby history goes right back to the end of the first World War, but for the next year it all belongs in the south.

Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark congratulated the First XV team at a special ceremony today, along with Southland Stags CEO Steve Mitchell and board chair Murray Brown.

He was super proud of the high school team winning the cup and hoped that their name stayed on the trophy in future years, “lets hope it’s not another 100 years before we win it again.”

Mayor Clark said Kumagaya where he and other city councillors had recently visited, as part of the sister city relationship, was also strong on rugby, being the top team in Japan.

The Mayor is also chair of the Kumagaya Rugby Association, and keen to develop rugby with Southland on three levels: firstly through Stag players, secondly with development players and thirdly through SBHS.

“It gives you guys a pathway forward.  That’s been really important to promote that,” Mayor Clark said to the SBHS Ist XV team.

Steve said he had watched the SBHS journey for the past two years and was really impressed with how they had been doing.  “There is some raw talent there and in this region.”

Reflecting on the winning game against Westlake Boys’ High School, he said no matter how many hits they took, the boys kept getting back up, “and didn’t mind going the extra mile.”

The Stags CEO said he hoped to see them all in Stags colours and was looking forward to turning the Southland team into a competitive NPC side.