Nelson College has a long and proud rugby history, dating back to 1870 when we played New Zealand’s first ever rugby game against the Nelson Rugby Football Club.
Over the years, we have produced many top players, including 23 All Blacks. In recent years, our 1st XV has achieved remarkable success. In 2019, they won the UC Championship, claimed victory in the South Island Final, and placed fourth in New Zealand. In 2021, they repeated this success, winning the Miles Toyota Championship and the South Island Final. They also qualified for the National Top four competition, though this was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19.
In 2022, the 1st XV won the Miles Toyota Championship once again and secured their fourth consecutive Quadrangular Tournament title. The 2024 team has been the most successful in the College’s history, winning the Trust Bank Cup, Moascar Cup, Quadrangular Tournament, Miles Toyota Premiership, and South Island Final, before finishing as runners-up in the National Top four Final.
International Representatives
Nelson College has produced 23 All Blacks and numerous Old Boys who have represented other countries, many playing against the All Blacks. Probably one of the greatest players produced at Nelson College during the late 19th century was Alfred Nolan Fell, but he chose not to play against his native country. Fell was selected to play for Nelson Province in 1896 while still at school but left New Zealand for Edinburgh in 1898 to study medicine. Fell was then picked to represent Scotland for four successive years from 1901 to 1904.
He was selected to play for Scotland against the ground-breaking 1905 All Blacks but refused to take the field against his countrymen. Fell was never picked for Scotland again. He is believed to be the first New Zealand-born player to represent against another major rugby-playing country.