Christchurch Boys’ High School v Christ’s College: The day Will Jordan lit up Straven Road in school rugby’s fiercest rivalry

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

A young Will Jordan celebrates one of his four tries for Christchurch Boys’ against Christ’s College in 2015.

What: Traditional interschool first XV, Christchurch Boys’ High School v Christ’s College. Where: CBHS No 1. When: 1pm Tuesday, SIBSN (South Island Boys School Network) TV.

Nearly 11 years to the day, spectators dispersed from the Christchurch Boys’ High grounds all talking about the potential future All Black.

A baby-faced Will Jordan had just put on an attacking clinic, cutting the Christ’s College defence to shreds in a record 80-0 scoreline in the 2015 fixture.

For the record, Boys’ High fullback Jordan scored four tries at Straven Road with another future pro rugby player, first five Josh McKay, bagging a hat-trick of tries in his 35-point haul.

Four years later, Jordan was debuting for the Crusaders and then pulling on the All Blacks jersey for the first time the following season against Australia in the Rugby Championship in 2020.

No shortage of future All Blacks and top-level rugby players have emerged from the match and the two Christchurch schools over the years.

Christ’s College’s Ngane Punivai and Dallas McLeod, right, wrap up Christchurch Boys’ Ben Chippendale in the 2016 interschool.

Another chapter in the long schoolboy rugby rivalry, which dates back to 1892, will be written on Tuesday at Christchurch Boys’ High.

Crusaders midfielder Dallas McLeod, who attended Christ’s College, played in the 2016 match, won by Boys’ High 32-11. Even though the result did not go their way, it gave McLeod a glimpse of what playing in front of a noisy, passionate crowd would be like.

“It’s your first experience of it, so it’s pretty cool, but it’s also pretty intimidating, especially if you’re away. I was pretty lucky we were at home in front of our fans…

Christchurch Boys’ Jamie Hannah carries against Nelson College in his schoolboy days in 2019.

“Just running out to the full school chanting. The boys were getting behind me, so that was pretty cool.”

Christchurch Boys’ have won four straight in the traditional interschool with College’s last victory coming in 2021 (35-34).

Last year, the sides played out a 13-try thriller at College’s Upper ground with a late try from Boys’ High co-captain Mac Chaplin sealing a 48-38 win. The schools also met in last year’s Crusaders secondary schools final in August with Boys’ High earning a crushing 52-0 win.

Christchurch Boys’and Christ’s College players get up close during the haka’s at last year’s interschool, won 48-38 by Boy’s High.

Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah was a member of the Boys’ High First XV for two seasons in 2019 and 2020, co-captaining them in his final year with Callum Simpson.

Hannah experienced the full range of emotions in the interschool. He won his first match in 2019 (31-13), but lost the following year (28-27), a rare College victory in the fixture in recent times.

“It’s just cool playing in front of that sized crowd for the first time. There’s definitely some pretty ruthless chants when you’re playing away, especially if you’re playing fullback in front of the crowd it can be a bit rough. I was right up the front [in the forwards],” Hannah said.

His time in the First XV and dealing with the spotlight and expectation of the interschool had helped set him up for a career in pro rugby.

The week leading into the game was equally exciting and nerve-racking for the players, he said. School-mates treated them like royalty and were desperate for them to do well against their fierce rival, who are separated by about 4km in the city.

“I reckon it definitely lit the fire for me of playing in front of big crowds and after playing in those games it’s definitely something I wanted to do in the future,” Hannah said.

“It’s pretty cool to experience it and get a taste of what it’s like and try and get after it.”

Christchurch Boys’ are yet to lose this season, but needed a last minute try from second five Dougal Grant to draw 29-29 with St Andrew’s College on Saturday. William Brown had a chance to win it, but could not hit the difficult conversion attempt. Boys’ High fought back from 17-0 down.

Christ’s College, who have one win from five games this season, lost 41-34 to Timaru Boys’ High in a high-scoring clash on Saturday.

Christchurch Boys’ High: Lucas Stirling, Louis Shanahan, William Brown, Dougal Grant, Lennox Limu-Franklin, Kaci Heath, Harry Staunton, Phoenix Smith, Adam Forbes, Jonty Leary (capt), Liam Newfield, Enzo Kyle, Frano Chaplin, Max Carr, Hamish McGuckin. Reserves: George Williamson, Luke Abercrombie, Joel Moffett, Cameron Yaxley, Sonny-Bill McAndrew, Freddy Davis, Isoa Vosalevu.

Christ’s College: Yoshi Matsunami, Henry Botherway, Hoani Kahukiwa, Harvey Gubb, Drew Edmundson, Jackson Grace, Austin Beer, Max Osmers, Matthew Vance, James Hunter, Gus Moylan, Richie Hazeldine, Gus Kooyman, Jan-Adriaan Van Wyk (capt), Ollie Innes. Reserves: Charlie Peacock, Gus McKenzie, Brody Cheek, Liam Mullinger, Felipe Felitti-Duter, George Wood, Blake Nation.