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Kelston Boys High School has a difficult end-of-year assignment when they defend the BNZ Condor Sevens against the rest of New Zealand in Auckland next month.

Kelston, who beat cross-town rivals Mt Albert Grammar School 26-17 a year ago, is pitted against rugby powerhouses New Plymouth BHS, St Patrick's College (Silverstream) and Nelson College in Pool A of the 25th running of the national secondary schools rugby sevens.

The draw sees twelve schools from the North Island join four from the Mainland in a true national championship that features a minimum of a dozen ‘north v south’ clashes. The 16 schools qualified through a series of regional tournaments around New Zealand and BNZ Head of Sponsorship Ross Halpin says the bank is proud to get behind one of New Zealand’s great passions.

“New Zealand’s high-school rugby is an undisputed breeding ground for producing some of the country’s top athletes, and with the BNZ Condor Sevens we see a way to discover the next wave of Sevens superstars,” Mr Halpin said.

“The inclusion of Rugby Sevens in the 2016 Olympics shows the rise of this game, and is going to give the sport greater prominence on the global stage. It’s a sport New Zealand has consistently excelled at.”

MAGS has a tradition of excellence at the Condor Sevens, having won it three times and been in the Cup final six of the last seven years. MAGS turned the tables on Kelston to win the Auckland qualifier in August and will look to take that form into Pool B where they take on Rotorua BHS, Napier BHS and Otago BHS.

Six-time winners Wesley College square off against Feilding HS, Rosmini College and Southland BHS in Pool C while Pool D features Hamilton BHS, Whangarei BHS, Auckland Grammar School and Shirley BHS from Christchurch.

In addition to the quest for the prestigious Condor Cup, which was first held aloft by Sacred Heart College captain Craig Innes in 1986, the 192 players will be vying for places in the tournament team and an opportunity to train with New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens.

The College Rifles RFC in Auckland hosts the feast of schoolboy action on Sunday 4 December starting at 8:45 am. The Remuera club was recently the venue for exhibition matches in the presence of IOC President Jacques Rogge, in recognition of the sport's acceptance into the Olympic Games in Rio 2016.

The four pools of four will be followed after lunch by the knockout phases with the final of the BNZ Condor Sevens scheduled for 3:40 in the afternoon.

Pools for the BNZ Condor Sevens, Sunday 4 December, College Rifles RFC, Auckland
Pool A: Kelston BHS, New Plymouth BHS, St Patrick's College (Silverstream), Nelson College
Pool B: Mt Albert Grammar School, Rotorua BHS, Napier BHS, Otago BHS
Pool C: Wesley College, Feilding HS, Rosmini College, Southland BHS
Pool D: Hamilton BHS, Whangarei BHS, Auckland Grammar School, Shirley BHS

Recent winners of the BNZ Condor Sevens
2005 Wesley College 26 Mt Albert Grammar School 7
2006 Hamilton BHS 21 Feilding HS 5
2007 Gisborne BHS 26 Mt Albert Grammar School 14
2008 Hamilton BHS 10 Mt Albert Grammar School 5
2009 Mt Albert Grammar School 12 Wesley College 5
2010 Kelston BHS 26 Mt Albert Grammar School 12