Burnside High ... 2014, the best yet!

In 2014, Burnside High School achieved their best ever result in the UC Championship. They finished fifth overall and second out of the Christchurch based schools.

Burnside scored a first victory (since 1987) against St. Bede's College and won the Plate final against St. Andrew's College.

In 2015 the good run has continued. Burnside has won four out of six UC Championship games and is a strong contender for the semi-finals.

When they defeated Christ's College 36-5, Burnside achieved their first victory against that school for 28 years!

Year 12 openside Cameron Russell is the captain of the First XV. He recalls the relaxed nature of his debut two years ago.

"When I first trailed for the First XV in Year 10, I turned up with a mate at the last-minute. We were kind of casual about it, but we both got in the team," he says.

"We have built a really strong rugby culture here at Burnside. We are training a lot harder and the teachers are starting to embrace it."

One of those teachers is former All Black and 1987 World Cup winner, Warwick Taylor. Russell pays tribute to the staff at Burnside.

"Kevin Harding is our coach and he is amazing. He isn't a teacher, but he relates to the boys really well. He is like our friend, but he has a serious side. Mark Ealey has done a great job with the international program and Warwick is a bit of a legend."

The addition of Ealey is telling. He run an ESOL rugby program for international students at St. Bede's College for several years.

Between 2007 and 2011, St Bede's won 102 out 112 games. They created records for the most points and tries scored in a UC Championship season, winning the competition four times. They represented the South Island four times at the National Top Four and defended the Moascar Cup 17 times between 2007 and 2008.

In 2011, Yoshikazu Fujita played fullback for St. Bede's. He scored 17 tries that season and later became the youngest player to debut for Japan aged 18. He has scored 24 tries in 21 tests.

According to the Burnside High School website:

"The programme includes twelve hours of rugby-focused English tuition, three hours of weight training, two hours of speed and agility work, three skill sessions covering defence, handling and the breakdown, as well as a pilates class and generic ball games.  The programme accepts players either for the whole season or for shorter periods. To date, boys and girls from Japan, France, Italy, the United States and Russia have joined the programme, playing rugby for a Burnside High School team that matches their level of ability."

Russell says the international players "are looked up to" and add "strength" to the team.

Burnside's two First XV internationals are Hyato Kojo, a fullback from Japan, and Pumi Mguca a prop from South Africa.

Another player respected at Burnside is Jack Lindsay. The second-five scored three tries in the win over St. Bede's last year and is a co-captain with Russell.

"Though I am the official captain, we have a leadership group," Russell says.

"We have a lot of returning players and have created an environment where the senior boys are looked up to and expected to lead by example."

Russell says the strengths of his game are "tackling, "winning turnovers" and "making good decisions."

Burnside have had 12 wins in the last year and a half of the UC Championship. Combined that is more wins than what they had achieved in the last decade.

Russell says the goal of the team is to make the Top Four of the UC Championship and push for National co-education Top four honours later in the season.

Away from rugby, Russell enjoys golf and relaxing.

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