The Auckland Gulls will take on the Bay of Plenty Steamers in a historic event in their last round-robin game of the 2024 National Provincial Premiership (NPC) season brought to you by Bunnings Warehouse.

Auckland Grammar School (AGS) will host the match on Sunday 6th October to bring the community and players closer together.

This year, Auckland Rugby is focusing on representing their clubs, communities, and schools. Taking one of their high-performance games to AGS.

AGS School Principal, Tim O'Connor says he is looking forward to hosting the Auckland Rugby team. 

"Given our longstanding relationship with Auckland Rugby and their ongoing support of schoolboy rugby, through the provision of referees and development support for schools, this is an opportunity for the school to say thanks.

"We also felt it would be quite special for the 6 Old Boys playing across the Auckland and Bay of Plenty teams to have the opportunity to play once more on a field they know so well," O'Connor says.

The crowd will hope to witness old boys of the school and future All Blacks in the making Josh Fusitua and Sam Hainsworth-Fa’aofo who’ll be making a return back onto their old stomping grounds.

Akira Ioane (2013), Reiko Ioane (2014) and Wiseguy Faiane (2016) are other ex-students who are currently part of the Auckland Squad to come out of the school.

Auckland Rugby Club Manager, Grant Wilson feels it'll be a special moment honouring the deep ties between Auckland Rugby and the school.

"This match takes on even further meaning with both Auckland and Bay of Plenty playing for the John Drake Boot.

"John as we know is a past All Black and World Cup Winner, and an old boy of Auckland Grammar so it is only fitting that this game is played at Auckland Grammar,” Wilson says.

There will be Captain Beer floating around, giant slides for kids, a pie-eating contest, a Griffins caravan, wayward face painters and all kinds of fun for kids and adults.

Tickets will be available online as per-normal and please look out for instructions on how to enter the grounds.

More to come on this event...

For media inquiries or interviews, please get in touch with Rugby Media Manager Aaron 
Ryan at aaron.ryan@aucklandrugby.co.nz or +64210373232

Article added: Wednesday 11 September 2024