Wellington College (New Zealand)

Wellington College (in full, The Wellington College and Grammar School, sometimes just Coll) is a state school for boys located next to Government House and the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand. Having a history from 1853, it is a day school for boys aged 13 (Form 3 or Year 9) to 18 (Form 7 or Year 13)2. Wellington College was also a boarding school, until the College?s sole boarding house, Firth House, was demolished in 1981, but now there are plans to reestablish the school as both a day and boarding school.

Rugby football at Wellington College

Wellington College has been one of the most important schools in the development of rugby football in the World.

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The first inter-school rugby match in the world, according to Australasian historian Spiro Zavos, was between Wellington College and Nelson College in 1870 at the Basin Reserve. The game went to Wellington 14–nil.

Related Topics:
Nelson College - Basin Reserve

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Another historical development is the notion of "advantage" in rugby union. This appears to have been developed by Joseph Firth (Head Master) when he was participating in a Wellington College game in 1892: when someone had "knocked on" the ball, Firth allowed the game to continue, shouting "advantage". An IRB decision later allowed the rule. It is generally agreed that Firth was the College's greatest Head Master, and was commemorated by having a boarding house named after him.

Related Topics:
Advantage - Rugby union - Joseph Firth - IRB

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The Quadrangular Rugby Football Tournament between Wellington College, Nelson College, Christ's College, and the Wanganui Collegiate School is the oldest continuing organised rugby tournament in New Zealand. A historical accident means that by tradition halves in Quad games are 5 minutes shorter than in normal rugby (35 instead of 40 minutes).

Related Topics:
Nelson College - Christ's College - Wanganui Collegiate School

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Refer:

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:ZAVOS S How to watch a game of rugby (Awa Press, Wellington, N.Z, 2004)

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