First XV rugby: Hastings suffer first Super 8 rugby loss to New Plymouth in six years
Gabe Dehar scoring one of his three tries for Hastings Boys' High School in the opening match of the 2026 Super 8 First XV rugby match in Hastings on Saturday. Despite the treble, Hastings were beaten 40-24 by New Plymouth Boys’ High School. Photo / Clubhouse
The Hastings Boys’ High School First XV’s hopes of a Super 8 rugby title in 2026 suffered an early setback with a 40-24 loss to New Plymouth Boys’ High School in Hastings on Saturday.
It was the first time Hastings Boys’ High School had been beaten by New Plymouth Boys’ High School since a 35-13 loss in 2020.
The visitors scored six tries to Hastings’ four, three of which were scored by wing Gabe Dehar.
The other Hastings points came from a try and two first-half conversions to first five-eighths Mika Ioasa.
The visitors scored first with a converted try after 14 minutes but the first two of Dehar’s tries, both converted by Ioasa, made it 14-7 to the home side with seven minutes until halftime.
But two more converted tries and another soon after the break gave the visitors a 28-14 lead and set the scene for the triumph, and a final score raised with another try at the end.
Defending champions Palmerston North Boys’ High School had a 71-28 home win over Gisborne Boys’ High School in the only other Super 8 match at the weekend.
Napier Boys’ High School open their campaign against Gisborne Boys’ on June 6, when Hastings Boys’ travel to play Palmerston North Boys’.
The big annual game between the two Hawke’s Bay schools is at Hastings Boys’ High School on June 13, with Hastings having 12 months ago had their biggest win in the match in eight years.
In Central North Island (CNI) championship matches, Lindisfarne College had a resounding 52-3 away win over Matamata College.
Lindisfarne led 35-3 at halftime, including two tries to lock Harry Reed, and eventually scored eight tries, of which six were converted by second five-eighths T.K. Taylor.
It was Lindisfarne’s first win in the 2026 CNI, after narrow losses to St Paul’s Collegiate (Hamilton) and Wesley College (Pukekohe), and they play Whanganui Collegiate in Hastings on Wednesday.
St John’s College continued without a win in the competition this season, beaten 64-19 by St Peter’s Cambridge in Hastings on Saturday.
Te Aute College were beaten 20-15 by Hato Pāora in a traditional schools match at Te Aute on Saturday.
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter, with 53 years in the news industry, from Masterton but based in Napier for 39 years consecutively since starting a second stint at the Daily Telegraph, Napier, in 1987.