Named: TAS First XV rugby’s surprise packet players of the season
TAS First XV rugby latest: The Surprise Packet players of the season revealed here ahead of a final round which will see a climactic finish between two teams vying for second place behind premiers St Columban’s.
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The TAS First XV rugby competition is in the home straight following a round which saw St Columban’s show why they have not been beaten since the 2022 grand final against Ormiston.
STC beat John Paul College 57-5, flexing considerable premiership muscle ahead of its final game against St Paul’s.
The week prior, STC put up a similar scoreline when beating CHAC 57-3, taking their tally into the triple-figures over the past fortnight.
This season, there has been coniserable improvement across Canterbury, St Paul’s and WestMAC, with Ormiston College doing their best to stay in the premiership hunt after a false start against unbeaten STC in round 1.
Ormiston currently sit second on the ladder (4-1, 17pts), with long-time rivals STC (5-0, 20pts) at the top with the premiership trophy to remain on school grounds for at least another year.
Ahead of round 7, a weekend which will see Ormiston and Canterbury face off for second place, see who has been making waves as a surprise packet player — someone who has come on in leaps and bounds to be a key cog in their respective side.
One of which is Ormiston College young gun Denham Radford, a Year 10 student who was thrust into the First XV earlier this season due to being a pinch too old for the Year 9/10 competition.
Originally pencilled in as a winger, Denham stepped into the midfield alongside Eduard Welgemoed after a season-ending injury to Welgemoed’s first centre partner.
A season-injury to another Ormiston player, its fullback, meant Denham switched gears to fullback for round 2 and that is where he has found a home over the past month.
In general play attack Denham has spread his wings like a fullback but off set piece play lines up at outside centre.
In defence, he assumes an inside centre role, allowing his flyhalf to drop back and launch the counter attack.
The energiser bunny in Ormiston’s backline, Radford has relished his role this season with his talk, effort and team-first outlook an underrated feature of the side this season.
Built like a greyhound — wiry and strong — the tough-as-nails Radford has shown next-to-no fear of self preservation as he muscles up in defence.
In round 5 against John Paul College, the steadily improving teen threw a wonderful pass to release his winger for one of only a few tries scored in the 17-7 success in wet conditions.
TAS RUGBY SURPRISE PACKET PLAYERS
Max Everett (CHAC)
The Cannon Hill prop has been a young tank, switching from position to new position and maintaining the same rage and ambition in attack.
One of the team’s top metre-eaters, utility Everett is a Year 10 youngster forging a considerable schoolboy rugby resume.
He has played almost every minute of every game this season and has been both versatile and reliable.
Charlie McIntosh (St Paul’s)
The hard-nosed McIntosh has been magic in defence.
A young tone-setter who attacks with his defence, No. 8 McIntosh has made a statement with his toughness and has been a key linchpin bolstering the Pumas line.
Angus Toovey (St Paul’s)
The St Paul’s fullback has big match experience and it showed in a young Pumas outfit this year.
A leader through his actions and with his words in behind the line, Toovey set a high standard and it has reflected in how competitive the team has been.
He has been a handful running the ball, constantly sniffing around for opportunities to inject himself.
Luke Harvey (St Columban’s)
Caboolture rugby junior Harvey has had a steady hand in STC’s clean sweep of five rivals on its way to a three-peat of premierships.
A forward every year he has played rugby at the school, Harvey switched gears to become a scrumhalf given STC’s depth in the backrow.
During the pre-season head coach Mosiah Christian asked the high-IQ Harvey to pass it to him and he found the breadbasket.
The rest is history.
Fergus Neish (WestMAC)
The WestMAC hooker has come out of the woodwork to be one of the team’s most dependable in an improved season.
A workhorse who battled through niggling injuries to give his best for the cause, Neish has been smart with his decisions around the breakdown and accurate with his clean lineout throwing.
Rohan Mendis-Galpin (Canterbury)
Mendis-Galpin’s game has gone up a notch in what is his second year playing First XV rugby.
A swimmer first and rugby prop second, Mendis-Galpin has been all in on learning the dark arts of being a front rower.
Effective carrying the ball and sound in his role, Mendis-Galpin scored three tries this season which was a just reward for his exhaustive effort in games.
Max Newton (Canterbury)
A big reason for Canterbury’s successful campaign has been second rower Newton.
A rugby league lover turned rugby second rower, Newton’s growth has been his biggest asset in 2025.
A big bopper, Newton has brought his toughness from league and, as an added bonus, he has been quick to learn the tricks of the trade as a rugby lock.
A lifter in the lineouts and a key enforcer with the ball, Newton’s tackling and physicality has given Canterbury a big boost.
Tom Smith (Ormiston)
The wiry Ormiston scrumhalf has been superb and the school will be hoping he can put it on a platter again this Saturday in an away game against Canterbury that will decide who finishes second.
Smith’s spot in the First XV wasn’t guaranteed six months ago but the hard working and gutsy halfback has made every post a winner since honing in on nailing his core role.
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