New Zealand pathways battle: 40 First XV schoolboy rugby stars in Warriors NRL system

From five to 40 players in two years — the Warriors’ stunning raid on rugby’s base is future-proofing the club. WATCH the powerhouse code converts in the Warriors’ pathways system.

The Warriors’ pathways system is stacked with schoolboy rugby talent.

The number of schoolboy rugby stars in the New Zealand Warriors’ pathways system has skyrocketed by over 50 per cent in just 12 months, as a record influx of cross-code talent join the NRL club.

This masthead can reveal the Warriors’ NRL pathways boasts 40 First XV rugby schoolboys players across Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s), SG Ball (under-19s) and Jersey Flegg (under-21s).

The list of rugby schoolboys players is the largest in the Warriors’ 31-year history, surpassing last year’s record of 26 players in the club’s development pathways.

Last year, the Warriors only had five cross-code talents in the Harold Matthews program.

But on the back of consecutive Harold Matthews title wins, the number of rugby players in under-17s has surged to 20 schoolboys stars.

Of those 20 players, eight were part of the Warriors’ second-straight Harold Matthews premiership win in 2025.

From the current cohort of cross-code stars, 11 players are part of rugby programs at the prestigious Kelston Boys’ High School, which has dominated Auckland’s 1A First XV rugby competition over the past five years.

The Warriors have emerged as a genuine threat to rugby union pathways, as more schoolboy players defect into the club’s development system.

Warriors general manager of recruitment and pathways Andrew McFadden said the club’s structured pathways - which aren’t as defined in rugby - are becoming increasingly attractive to emerging talent in the 15-man game.

“I think they’re seeing an opportunity in a clear pathway,” McFadden said.

“If you’re performing and you’re showing a lot of talent, we will prioritise you.

“I think the growth in numbers is an organic one.

SCROLL TO SEE EVERY FIRST XV SCHOOLBOYS STAR IN THE WARRIORS’ SYSTEM

“That’s where a lot of the best athletes are playing, they’re playing First XV rugby.

“That’s the premier age group competition at school, that’s something they all aspire to, is to play First XV and we know that.

“So we just have to get out there and have a look at these competitions, these games, because we’re looking for the best athletes with the best potential, regardless of the code.”

But the threat to rugby union pathways in New Zealand isn’t just coming from the Warriors, with most NRL clubs now having a presence, through satellite academies, across the ditch.

This masthead revealed NZ Rugby is using a ‘loyalty agreement’ to garner a commitment to the code from schoolboys players in a bid to ward off the threat from rugby league.

“It is very competitive. There used to be half a dozen NRL clubs that are over here,” McFadden said.

“I think every club is over here now. All it just means is that we’ve got to be really smart about how we operate and what we provide.

“We prioritise our backyard. We want to develop kids in New Zealand and we have done a really good job to build up our reputation over time, so that kids actually want to stay here, want to play for the Warriors.

“But it is very competitive, with the Super Rugby and now with all the NRL clubs.

“It’s pretty ruthless.”

Originally published as New Zealand pathways battle: 40 First XV schoolboy rugby stars in Warriors NRL system