Barbarians impress the most as New Zealand age-group rugby teams run riot

All up New Zealand’s best rugby teens racked up 236 points in three games, running in 35 tries and 22 conversions while not conceding a try.

Champagne stuff, but the bigger challenge was finding any meaning in it, given across-the-board mismatches meant these all turned out to be little more than opposed training runs.

The contests at least served a wider purpose with all three teams looking to fine-tune ahead of much trickier and more success-defining assignments on Wednesday at the same venue, when New Zealand Schools face Australia Schools (3.30pm), the Barbarians entertain Australia U18 (2pm) and Māori play Waikato U19 (12.30pm). Completing the day, Tonga U18 play Samoa U18 at 11am.

With the worth of tries devalued by the ease with which they were accumulated, and the one-sided scorelines ultimately of interest only to pointy-headed statisticians, the major takeaway from the three first-up matches in a busy week was perhaps the emergence of the New Zealand Barbarians.

There is a case to argue that the Barbarians could now be considered something well in advance of their traditional purpose of being an alternative elite age-group representative add-on operating underneath the primary flagship of the New Zealand Schools team, for second-choice leftover players.

Back in early 2025 New Zealand Rugby proposed introducing a New Zealand U18 team – similar to Australia’s structure – but this was quickly ditched following an outcry from secondary school principals, who were concerned the move would undermine the traditional School team.

It’s early days, but on the evidence emerging in Hamilton, we may yet be seeing the start of the Barbarians assuming that de facto flagship U18 role regardless, simply on the basis of their greater on-field clout and experience after mainly selecting from outside the school ecosystem.

Of the Barbarians starting XV, they only required the services of two schoolboys (Palmerston North winger Eric Miller and Hamilton prop Deon Fifita), instead fronting with a line-up largely battle-hardened from senior club competition.

And the bottom line is, they really looked the part, holding opponents scoreless for the first time in 22 matches (16 wins).

With more rugby smarts and bruises under their belts, players such as prop Sean Burgess, No 8 Luke Goodman, smooth first five-eighths Alapati Tusa Soagia, staunch centre Triumph Voice and galloping fullback Noah Rogers arguably performed at a level at least at the same as the most mercurial talents from a handy New Zealand Schools team.

As a result, the Barbarians’ Wednesday clash with an Australian U18 team, which has dominated its past three meetings with New Zealand Schools, may prove to be the most telling contest of this year’s 12-match U18 pathways programme.

The Barbarians don’t get to play New Zealand Schools this year, and within that vacuum, Barbarians head coach, former All Black Greg Feek, was suitably diplomatic when asked whether we might be unconsciously witnessing a change to the pecking order on the age-group rugby landscape.

“All I know is the team I have,” Feek said. “I’m very privileged to have the players I’ve got in the squad. There’s some absolute talent we have here.

“I think New Zealand Rugby’s done a great job. The secondary schools team is pretty obvious – if they’re at school, they get picked.

“But yes, we’ve got 16, 17 guys that are not in school in this [Barbarians] team this year and that’s the most there’s ever been.

“Now we’re actually capturing a whole new demographic of players that potentially could have got lost in the system. They’ve had a year out of school, they’ve had club rugby, and you can see the difference.

“And yeah, I’m excited. We’ve got a big test on Wednesday against the Australians.”

The Barbarians swamped Tonga early, with Burgess rampant as he scored twice in the first 10 minutes.

Goodman also scored two, as did Rogers.

Goodman has dispensed with the conspicuous headgear he wore at New Plymouth Boys’ High last year and opted for peroxide-blonde protection instead, a style perhaps too liberal for Coronation Ave.

Not that Goodman needs to work too hard for attention. He stands out as much as his equally outstanding sports brother, Oscar Goodman, an NCAA Division 1 basketball champion at the University of Michigan.

Openside Viliami Ronogokea Tupou, Voice, blindside Solomone Tuitupou and subs Kane Shedlock and Jett Timbrell got the others as the Barbarians made everything look simple with their power and precision.

Feek was pleased with his team’s showing after just three trainings together.

“I felt that the key part was getting some cohesion as a group, trying to get our game plan going, get some combinations going.

“There were some good tries scored out there. I thought the forward pack stood up and we were physical.

“We showed lots of maturity and I’m just excited by what I’m seeing.”

His challenge to the team at halftime was to keep Tonga scoreless and the Barbarians did so without too much fuss.

“There’s a few areas that we probably need to tidy up, a few handling areas. We’ve probably tried a few things and got a bit excited, but that’s normal.

“Overall, you can’t take things for granted. That scoreline’s still pretty heavy.”

Barbarians’ captains this year are prop Santino Naufahu and midfield back Voice.

Naufahu is a former Carlton Juniors player from Auckland Grammar. In 2026, he played colts and prems for Gallaher Shield runners-up Grammar TEC – and here proved dominant for the Barbarians.

Naufahu received the Sir Wilson Whineray scholarship, which supports recipients’ fulltime tuition at a tertiary institution up to $5000 annually and is awarded for up to three years while they play rugby at Grammar TEC. Other recipients in 2026 are Charles Howlett (son of All Black Doug Howlett) and Logan Platt, the 2025 New Zealand Schools Bronze Boot.

Meanwhile, Voice, the backline leader, is out of Hastings Boys’ High and the Hastings Rugby and Sports Club.

He was involved with the New Zealand U20s this year and the Schools last year and his former First XV coach, Jason Shoemark, spoke highly of him.

“He’ll have lots of good knowledge to share with the other boys,” Shoemark said. “He’ll be the type of captain to lead from the front. He won’t say much; when he does, the boys will have respect for him.”

Barbarians’ biggest win was 102-10 against Samoa Schools in Hamilton in 2024. In that match Wellington Lions No 8 Rupeni Raviyawa (Feilding High) scored four of the 16 tries.

New Zealand Barbarians U18s: 1. Deon Fifita (Hamilton Boys’ High), 2. Santino Naufahu (Grammar TEC Rugby Club), 3. Sean Burgess (Hautapu Sports Club), 4. Junior Slade (Pakuranga United Rugby Club), 5. Chanel Filiva’a (Clifton Rugby Football Club), 6. Solomone Tuitupou (Takapuna Rugby Football Club), 7. Viliami Rongokea Tupou (Kia Toa Rugby Football Club), 8. Luke Goodman (Hautapu Sports Club), 9. Matt Harris (College Rifles Rugby Football Club), 10. Alapati Tusa Soagia (Hautapu Sports Club), 11. Josh Shore (Lincoln University Rugby Football Club), 12. Reuben McIntyre (Stoke Rugby Football Club), 13. Triumph Voice (Hastings Rugby & Sports Club), 14. Eric Miller (Palmerston North Boys’ High), 15. Noah Rogers (University of Waikato Rugby Club). Subs: 16. Caleb Collins-Polata (St Andrew’s College), 17. Poliko Javaan Faalialia (Southland Boys’ High), 18. Harry Baddington (Wellington College), 19. Oliver Groenewald (Sacred Heart College), 20. Kitiona Talaepa, (Petone Rugby Football Club), 21. Kane Shedlock (Brisbane Boys College), 22. Toni Tuuhoko Pole (Saint Kentigern College), 23. Axel Daken (Petone Rugby Football Club), 24. Max Talbot (Kelston Boys’ High), 25. Jett Timbrell (St Andrew’s College), 26. Niko Boylan (Southern Rugby Football Club).

New Zealand Schools’ win was routine, with six tries in the first spell and eight in the second, as they showed both class and composure against Waikato U19, pulled in after Fiji U18 withdrew.

Coach Kane Jury said while his team’s win was comprehensive, the play was still a step up from school First XV rugby and there was a lot of information for the players to take on board, but they had responded by playing at the required speed.

“We want to find young guys who can adapt to hard situations, whether that’s more information, whether it’s learning something new or whether it’s the intensity of the game,” Jury said. “And what they’ve shown today is that they can adapt.”

It took 20 minutes for Schools to establish their dominance through two driving tries to hooker Lucas Goodman.

After Goodman’s bursts, the tries came thick and fast.

Starting players out of their usual college positions has long been a New Zealand Schools thing, partially due to a desire to get all the best talent on to the pitch and partially because the coaching crew see deeper possibilities.

Kobe Narruhn, asked to play as right wing, made the most of his opportunity, and impressed with his athletic prowess as he bagged three tries, while halfback Nikora Mata’afa scored one.

Second five-eighths Cruz Kea Cameron started at second five-eighths and later switched to the right wing, securing two tries.

Coach Kane Jury elected to play Westlake’s star centre Matt Fleming, forever a centre, on the left wing, and he contributed the day’s most long-range try, scooting a good 90m to score.

“I think when you watch Matt play he’s really exciting, but he loves to tuck that ball in his left arm and just run,” Jury said.

“And with his height, the threat that he could be in the air – he’s also ambidextrous, he tells us – so I just thought that type of person on the edge is really important.

“I know he can cover the midfield for us, but we’ve also got some good midfielders there too.”

It was a similar story with Narruhn.

“Kobe’s only played like five or six games this year, but his talent is really evident when he’s on and plays. He hit one little beautiful line down here, he works hard and is so natural with the ball in hand. So we put him on the wing, and then fullback.”

Nobody was more delighted with Narruhn’s impact than Justin Fowler, who coached him during his time at St Kevin’s in Oamaru.

“He’s a helluva nice kid and an absolute athlete,” Fowler said. “His family moved to Twizel from Fiji in 2023 and then to Auckland this year. Dad is Fijian, Mum is a Kiwi.”

Narruhn started at St Kevin’s in 2023, lived in the hostel and made his First XV debut as a Year 10 in the final game of the season. Then in Year 11, he played fullback.

“A strong defender and lethal on the counter-attack, he was picked for the Highlanders Schools. Last year, he was hurt early in the season and missed several weeks before returning to perform strongly.

“Narruhn is also a real talent in basketball, representing our top team and North Otago.”

Elsewhere, Will Lovatt later shifted from fullback to first five.

“That’s really important within our game as well, having players with the versatility to play across a number of positions.”

First five Fletcher Cooper didn’t have the best game in failing with three of his five conversions, but chipped in with a nice solo try.

Lovatt made seven conversions, missing two, including a droppie attempt after replacement Carlos Nordstrom’s final try.

There were also second-half tries from subs Solomone Halaufia, Luchian Opperman and Zy Woodham, who at 1.97m is taller than some of the squad’s locks.

Jury was pleased with his players across the board.

“What was really awesome to see was the confidence of them to play the space and from four days put something together which allowed them to use their athletic ability.

“They’re a really fast moving group, really athletic.”

Jury was most pleased with the manner his team finished so many of the openings they created.

“At one point in the game we had 15 entries and executed 81 per cent of them.

“That’s a pretty awesome stat for that point of the game. So it was really pleasing that we had a high conversion rate in our own attack 22-metre area.

Jury hadn’t watched the Barbarians game, but thought a match against his team would be “hotly contested”.

Meanwhile, for Waikato U19, hooker Taine Gordon caught the eye, if only because he had the best rugby mullet since Hamilton Boys’ High and All Blacks Sevens winger Joe Webber achieved notoriety for his “drullet” (a dreadlock mullet), which was voted the best haircut of the 2020 NPC.

New Zealand Schools: 1. Julius Toimata (Wellington College), 2. Lucas Goodman (Feilding High), 3. Tevita Fakava (Feilding High), 4. Kelekolio Makasini (Otago Boys’ High), 5. Jay-Morris Rawiri (St John’s College, Hamilton), 6. Laifone Kamoto (Wellington College), 7. Te Ariki Rogers, (Rotorua Boys’ High), 8. Carter Pirie (Napier Boys’ High), 9. Nikora Mata’afa (St Thomas of Canterbury), 10. Fletcher Cooper (St Patrick’s College Silverstream) 11. Matthew Fleming, (Westlake Boys’ High), 12. Cruz Kea Cameron (Saint Kentigern), 13. Nico Stanley (Auckland Grammar), 14. Kobe Narruhn (Mt Albert Grammar), 15. Will Lovatt (Napier Boys’ High). Subs: 16. Max Hammond (Gisborne Boys’ High), 17. Sione Kaufononga (Hastings Boys’ High), 18. Lennox Kopelani (St Andrew’s), 20. Solomone Halaufia (Hastings Boys’ High), 21. Carlos Nordstrom (Hamilton Boys’ High), 22. Finn Hurley (Southland Boys’ High), 23. Zy Woodham (Timaru Boys’ High), 24. Luchian Opperman (Rosmini College), 25. Liam Newfield (Christchurch Boys’ High), 26. Donncha McNamara-Taele (St Patrick’s College, Wellington).

The New Zealand Schools victory was their fifth-largest in 165 matches (142 wins).

In 1992 in Melbourne, New Zealand demolished Australia B 112-5 with eye-popping numbers. They scored 18 tries and 11 conversions while the squad included 10 future All Blacks, including Jonah Lomu, Jeff Wilson, and Nico Stanley’s dad, Jeremy Stanley.

Additionally, hooker Trevor Leota (Kelston Boys’ High) and Ngapaku Ngapaku (De Salle College) represented Samoa.

New Zealand beat Tonga 100-0 in 2000 and Japan 96-7 in 2004. Both Kiwi teams went on to beat Australia, unlike the 2024 New Zealand team that thrashed Samoa 91-5 in Hamilton but was then beaten 38-31 by the Aussies.

More impressive perhaps is that the last time New Zealand held opponents scoreless was when they whitewashed Fiji 58-0 at Jerry Collins Stadium in Porirua in 2014. New Zealand’s captain was future All Black Reiko Ioane, who scored two of the 10 tries.

Māori U18 quickly established dominance over Samoa U18 as they registered their third-largest win ever.

And Māori have now won four in a row, their best run since winning their first five matches. (Their overall record is 11-3.)

Campbell Bibbie, playing at fullback rather than the first-five berth where he made his mark for Rangitoto College this year, impressed with his dynamic bursts.

Bibbie, the first Rangitoto player to be selected for any national development squad since the 1990s, set the mood for the day with a slick step to wrong-foot three defenders and score the opening try.

Halfback Paice Mitchell-Hopa did even better with a nimble try shortly after, blindside Sol Anderson scored two before halftime, as did fleet-footed right wing Tommy “Ethereal” McQuoid.

In the second spell there were further tries to McQuoid, replacement hooker Synton Bowden, first five-eighths Keanu Simpson and centre Casey Wright.

Simpson, from Sacred Heart College, made seven conversions, and was the standout performer in directing his team around the park.

On the debit side, substitute back Lafa Tofiga looked to have picked up a serious arm injury before halftime.

Samoa scored through two first-half penalties from first five Faaiugamuafeititi Titi.

They also offered some resistance at scrum time, while lock Peleti Poasa Papalii was busy and abrasive.

But in the final analysis the biggest challenge Samoa presented was getting their names squeezed into the match programme, with lock Charles Balvo Tivani Wulf Masoe, blindside Hanzkaylan Sitivi Pauli, halfback Salatautai Na-Totogi Filipo Tipi, wing Isaac Junior Fetuai-Alopopo and sub Charlie New Year Maroni Lasalo all contributing to a squad list which in total consumed a daunting 477 characters.

Meanwhile, Māori skipper Carlos Isaac (Ngāti Kahungunu) made a fine contribution. He is originally from the Greytown Rugby Club in Wairarapa and helped Palmerston North Boys’ High win their first Super 8 title since 2005 last year. In 2026, he joined the Hawke’s Bay Academy and was named Havelock North Premier Player of the Year.

Isaac’s former First XV coach, Dan Turnock, noted: “He’s a grafter, a man of few words. He’ll lead by example. Carlo is a great defender and strong with the ball in hand.”

Māori U18 head coach Kahu Carey was delighted with his team’s effort, built off a character-building base of having slept on marae floors out at Port Waikato all week.

“We got out of the club and school mentality and threw the ball about in the middle,” Carey said. “I’m real happy with it. We made good decisions, with just the skillset errors in the final 20 minutes.

“I loved the endeavour and the mindset and the decisions were spot on.”

Carey said camp time had been split 50-50 between tikanga and rugby.

“They can all play rugby. So we just want to uplift them in being Māori.”

In that respect, marae life had been good for his squad.

“No distractions, no Wi-Fi, no girls, nothing taking them away. You need that to get them to be Māori, to have that time to focus on being Māori.”

Māori face Waikato U19 on Wednesday and then Australia Schools on Sunday (12.30pm)

“That is an outstanding opportunity for us. it’s probably 20-odd years since a Māori U18 team played an Australian team.”

Meanwhile, Carey had no regrets about Māori not getting to play New Zealand Schools, whom they beat last time they met, back in 2024.

“It’s actually been quite nice to not have to beat the crap out of each other again. The three of us [New Zealand] teams have been working awesomely and collaboratively ... It just makes New Zealand rugby stronger.”

Australia’s top U18 side will arrive in New Zealand in formidable form, seeking an unprecedented fourth victory against the New Zealand Schools.

They had their first match on Friday at Knox Grammar School in Sydney and scored 10 tries to three in beating Australian Schoolboys 62-19.

It means they are now on a 12-match winning streak since their last defeat against Ulster 22-17 in Belfast in 2018.

Though comprehensive, the outcome against Australian Schoolboys was not as emphatic as the 81-5 victory in the corresponding fixture last year.

Still, Jack Plamondon scored a hat-trick in half an hour. The American-born, Canadian-raised fullback has had a breakout season with St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, Sydney. (St Ignatius’ most prominent rugby international recently is Wallaby and Scottish loose forward Jack Dempsey.)

Loose forward Justice Taumoepeau has already started for the senior Waratahs in Super Rugby Australia and is described as intelligent, busy and huge.

Centre Taione Taka can also cover the wing. He was a regular selection for Australia at the World Rugby Under 20 Junior Championship in Georgia.

They also have proven athletes in prop Isaiah Sheck, as well as the blindside Tahj Smith and winger Aidan Wunsch.

Australia U18 are well organised on defence and deadly in broken play, with an eye for clean breaks – though may have more trouble in containing New Zealand Schools’ attack this year.

Since their inception in 1969, Australia have played 270 matches with 198 wins, outscoring opponents 7061 to 3311. Of those games, 130 were test matches, of which Australia have won 13 of 42 outings against New Zealand.

Their longest winning streak is 19 successive matches, from a 20-9 win over New Zealand in Brisbane in 1985 until an 18-8 loss to New Zealand in Christchurch the following year.

Australia also won 18 consecutive matches from 1976 until the first transtasman test in Auckland in 1978, which New Zealand won 7-6.

Of the 1984 Grand Slam-winning Wallabies team and the two Rugby World Cup-winning Wallaby teams in 1991 and 1999, 27 of the players were Australian Schoolboy representatives.

The 2019 Australian team that beat New Zealand 18-14 at St Paul’s Collegiate in Hamilton featured current Wallabies Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Billy Pollard and Tom Hooper.

Meanwhile, the Australian Schools team looks to be a lot better than last year with an effective attacking shape. They could also prove tricky opposition for New Zealand Schools and Māori.

The most eye-catching Australian Schoolboys are returnees, Lane Edmonds and Jeremy Rath. Flanker Edmonds is a classic big-engine pest, while Rath is an authoritative halfback.

First five Rokko Walker is headed to NRL club, St George Dragons. He is the son of former Māori All Black Willie Walker, who coached the Blues to three Super Rugby Aupiki titles.

Former King’s College fullback Calvin Harris-Tavita (Parnell, 2022–25), a key member of the school’s champions 1A team last year, has been awarded the 2026 Peter Sterling Medal and Player of the Season award after helping Wavell State High School win the NRL National Schoolboy Cup. Harris-Tavita is now under contract to the Brisbane Broncos.

St Paul’s Collegiate, Hamilton

Game Day 2, Wednesday, September 30:

Game Day 3, Sunday, October 4:

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