16-05-2025
Sky to resume First XV coverage
Sky Sport is resuming coverage of First XV rugby following a two-year hiatus.
It has announced plans to broadcast up to 20 games, including the Southern Schools Rugby Championship fixture between Otago Boys' High School and King's High School on July 19.
Another confirmed game is the rivalry between last year's national runners-up, Nelson College, and Marlborough Boys' College on May 29.
That will be followed by a North Harbour 1A derby between 2023 Top Four finalists Westlake Boys' High School and Rosmini College on June 7.
While First XV draws are still being confirmed, Sky Sport is making plans with the support of schools around the country to broadcast up to 20 games this year. Nine have been confirmed to date.
The full list will be released when available.
There are no plans to broadcast any Auckland 1A games as a media ban has remained in place since October 2022.
School principals cited "the wellbeing of the students" for the ban as they believed they were being exposed to "an unhealthy level of scrutiny in both traditional and social media".
Gary Burchett, head of sport content at Sky, said the scheduled broadcasts would help highlight some of the best schoolboy rugby from across the country.
"The return of First XV rugby to Sky Sport allow us to connect and uplift school rugby on a national scale, and to highlight and support the passionate and positive tribalism that exists within New Zealand's school communities," Burchett said.
"We've heard from rugby fans around the country that they appreciate the opportunity to follow the fortunes of school teams, whether they're school age themselves, or continuing to support a team that they've long held an interest in."
— APL
