St Bernard’s College, a Catholic boys’ school at 183 Waterloo Road, Hutt Central, Lower Hutt, boasts a long and noteworthy rugby history.
On three occasions, St. Bernard’s First XV were Wellington Premier 1 Champions: 1988, 1989, and 2001. Their only All Black, the late John Dougan, was the first to score a four-point try in All Blacks history when he dotted down in a 29-6 win against Australia at Eden Park, Auckland, in 1972. The year before, the try’s value increased from three points to four. In 1992, the try would become five points.
Other leading players from St. Bernard’s include former Tongan captain Inoke Afeaki, one of five Tongan internationals; Earl Va’a, one of five Samoan internationals. Kiwis rugby league representatives Isaac Luke and Ben Matulino; and current New Zealand Warrior Jacob Laban are also old boys.
St Bernard’s opened in 1946 and now they have a book that traces the fortunes of every First XV since their first in 1957 with selected match reports and full results from 1960 onwards. There is an account of all the school’s traditional matches, past and present, including the background to each fixture.
Author Mark Keating, a former old boy and First XV Coach, published the original edition of his tome ten years ago after discovering that knowledge of the past was scattered across generations, yet no one had the full picture. Keating says, “The book has allowed us to show just how strong the college has been over an extended period of time.”
The inspiration to start the book came in 2011, before the match against St. Pats Town. Keating explained. “We learned the true meaning of the Jonathan Collins Memorial Cup contested between the two schools. This inspired us to a famous win that year.
“Just as important is acknowledging the students who have gone on to play representative rugby for Wellington, the Hurricanes, or their country. It’s a source of inspiration to the present and shows the value of hard work, talent, and buying into something bigger than yourself.”
The book is a comprehensive 210-page showcase with more than 200 photos. Keating described the project as “a labour of love.” It is a vital record of the school’s history with plenty of interesting colour stories.
To buy the book visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdeUsqeOkynYVClAUq344aMJumHjlV04wXQoZX4Ii7Xctry3g/viewform?usp=send_form