Round one of the GPS rugby season delivered exactly what schoolboy rugby fans were hoping for, with the all three fixtures decided by single digits in a thrilling opening weekend of action.

Kings snatched victory after the bell against Joeys, Newington stormed home in a second-half shootout against Scots, while Riverview held off a relentless Shore side in one of the games of the round.

The opening week showed just how even this year’s competition could be, with momentum swings, big individual performances and high-pressure moments shaping every contest.

Kings 32–31 Joeys

Kings kicked a penalty goal in injury time to claim a dramatic one-point win over Joeys in a contest that swung wildly across both halves.

The opening stages were dominated by defence, with both sides spending the first 10 minutes testing each other physically while struggling to generate fluency in attack.

Joeys eventually broke through after sustained pressure inside Kings’ 22m, spreading the ball wide for winger Henry Troy to open the scoring in the corner after 13 minutes.

Kings responded immediately through outside centre Nick Platis, who crashed over the line before springing back to his feet and charging to halfway in a moment that reflected the home side’s intention.

A major turning point came midway through the half when Joeys fullback Julian Minto mistimed a contest in the air while chasing his own bomb, being lucky to only receive a yellow card after dangerous contact with Kings flyhalf Will Taylor.

Despite being down a man, Joeys struck again against the run of play when Riley Bourne pounced on a loose ball and sprinted 90 metres untouched to restore the visitors’ seven point lead.

Kings then capitalised on the numerical advantage, shifting the ball edge-to-edge before hooker Oli Smith crossed to narrow the deficit to 14-12.

But Joeys continued to thrive in broken play. Just before the break, another loose ball near their own line saw Troy race the length of the field for his second, stepping past desperate cover defence to give Joeys a 21-12 half-time advantage.

Kings opened the second half perfectly, driving over from a rolling maul after earning an early penalty to reduce the margin to four points.

Rain began to fall as the match opened up, with handling errors increasing but both sides still committed to attacking rugby.

A penalty goal from Joeys flyhalf Finn Hannon pushed the lead back to seven, only for Kings’ forward pack to respond immediately with another dominant maul effort from long range to make it 24-22.

Joeys again found a way to strike through broken play, with Minto producing a clever chip ahead before Hannon hacked the ball forward for scrumhalf Lachlan Wallace to collect and score in the corner.

Trailing 31-24 with five minutes remaining, Kings refused to go away. Repeated short carries near the line eventually saw inside centre Talen Risati muscle over before calmly converting from the sideline to level the scores.

Kings then regained possession in the dying moments and worked patiently into penalty range. 

With the clock in the red, Risati stepped up and calmly slotted the winning penalty goal to seal a remarkable 32-31 victory.

Newington 29–24 Scots

Newington held off a fast-finishing Scots outfit in a high-quality clash that featured dramatic momentum swings throughout the second half.

The opening 15 minutes were locked in a defensive stalemate, with both sides bringing strong line speed and physicality while struggling to handle pressure in attack.

Newington eventually struck first through a well-worked short-side play, with fullback Jayden Best receiving the final pass before beating two defenders near the line.

The visitors quickly doubled their lead when captain Isaiah Sheck powered over from close range after sustained pressure in the same corner.

Scots gradually settled into the contest and hit back through winger Ben Wright, who finished a slick backline movement with a strong 40-metre run down the touchline.

Just as Scots began building momentum, Newington capitalised on an error when flyhalf Kaden Carter intercepted an errant pass and raced away to score, extending the lead to 17-5 at half time.

Scots emerged from the break looking far sharper in attack, continuing to play deep and shift the ball wide. Their approach paid off when flanker Jackson Rodwell burst through the defensive line for their second try.

Moments later, Rodwell again sparked the attack with a half break before offloading to flyhalf Sonny Patane, who sprinted 70 metres untouched to suddenly lock the scores at 17-all.

The momentum stayed with Scots as they surged into the lead through outside centre Oscar Tremlett, who sliced through after a long ball created space out wide.

Newington needed a response and found one through inside centre Cooper Moore, who produced one of the individual moments of the round with a superb chip-and-chase try. The difficult sideline conversion levelled the scores once again at 24-all.

Both sides created chances late, but desperate defence repeatedly shut down attacking opportunities as the tension built.

Eventually, Newington cracked Scots’ resistance, barging over from close range in the dying stages to secure a hard-fought 29-24 victory.

Riverview 33–31 Shore

Riverview survived a fierce challenge from Shore in a thrilling end-to-end contest that remained in the balance until the final minutes. 

The home side started strongly, controlling possession from kick-off and marching deep into attacking territory before centre Taj Scarr brushed off defenders to score the opening try.

Shore responded immediately through their rolling maul, using forward dominance to muscle over and level the scores.

The pace of the game continued to rise as Riverview again struck quickly, with Scarr breaking through before offloading brilliantly to Jack Plamondon, who sprinted away to score.

Shore answered through another powerful forward effort, with a pick-and-go eventually levelling the match at 12-all.

Riverview’s forwards then responded themselves, barging over from close range in what had quickly become a high-scoring shootout.

Territory became difficult for either side to hold as both teams struggled to exit their own end, allowing the opposition to apply relentless pressure. Shore again hit back through winger Noah Quayle, who fought his way over to reduce the deficit to 19-17 at half time.

Shore claimed their first lead of the afternoon shortly after the break when winger Nate Martin produced a brilliant offload for centre Will Powell to finish.

The lead lasted only minutes, with Riverview responding almost instantly through more offloading brilliance as Plamondon crossed for his second to regain the advantage at 26-24.

Shore then returned to their biggest weapon, pinning Riverview deep in their own territory before driving over from another rolling maul to reclaim a five-point lead.

The score remained 31-26 for an extended period as both defences absorbed repeated pressure.

Eventually, Riverview broke through when Plamondon completed his hat-trick from close range before converting his own try to edge the home side ahead by two points with 10 minutes remaining.

Both teams had opportunities late, repeatedly getting within inches of the tryline, but Riverview held firm in the closing stages to secure a gripping 33-31 victory.