RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
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Rugby has been an integral part of Otago Boys' High School since 1871 when the mention of the first game played by a School team is reported in the local newspaper. It is highly likely however, that the oval ball was being kicked around prior to this but as no records exist the year 1871 is taken as the start of the club. The game referred to was against a University team and lasted for 3½ hours on the first day and further 3 hours on the following Saturday - for it to be declared a draw.
Between 1871 and 1883 the boys played against local clubs with a number of them gaining higher honours through representing the province and later New Zealand.
1884 was benchmark year as the first game against Christ's College was played. This came about almost by accident as the visitors had been invited to play another local team. The Christ's College headmaster would not accede to this invitation but gave his approval for a game against Otago High School. As they say - the rest is history - as these teams have met annually since then. The sequence was broken in 1918 because of snow, 1923 with the influenza epidemic and 1944 due to wartime travel restrictions. 2007 saw the 122nd encounter between these two rivals - perhaps not the longest continuous interschool but surely one of the longest.
The intervening years have seen regular fixtures against Southland B.H.S, Waitaki B.H.S., Christchurch B.H.S., Kings H.S. and Timaru B.H.S. added to the interschool programme. Like a lot of New Zealand high schools, Otago Boys', sees itself as something of a nursery for future New Zealand representatives and over the years has produced its share with Byron Kelleher and Richie McCaw being our two most recent All Blacks. Richie has reached the pinnacle of every rugby players career by being named as All Black captain.
2002, was an outstanding year for our 1st XV - winning all their interschool fixtures and going on to be a semi-finalist in the National 1st XV's competition.
In 2009 a new competition was introduced. Named the Zero Fees 1st XV Competition it embraces 14 teams from high schools across the Highlanders Franchise area of Otago and Southland. For the first time since the clubs inception the 1st XV was not involved in the Dunedin club competition.
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