Sport 24 May 2024 窶｢ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･窶冱 College

We are well underway into our busiest time of year for sports at ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s, with new teams added to basketball, football, rugby league and rugby union - I am proud to say that this is our largest sport participation in 10 years +.

We can all be very proud of our sports participation rate, which like our academic results is far above national averages. I am very grateful for the support of parents, Old Boys, family and whﾄ］au who step up, give their time and commit - rain, hail or wind, to provide our young men a chance to express themselves through sport. These are precious, precious memories our young men are making, and without our small army of sports volunteers, we simply would not be able to provide these experiences. I know and parents may remember, how long lasting these experiences will be for our sportsmen, it doesn't matter the grade, the code or even the result - I am confident that these memories of representing their college in sport, will last forever.

Basketball

This week's results:

1st V vs MAGS won 56-21
Under 15 Maroon vs MAGS Lost 11-69
Under 15 Yellow vs Western Springs Lost 37-41
Under 17 A vs AGS lost 21-80
Under 17 B vs Western Springs won 50-22

Our basketball teams are well into their season with no less than six teams playing in College Sport competition. This is the largest registration of basketball teams in at least 10 years, likely more. This is a reflection of the commitment of Mr Jebb to his teams, basketball students with endless hours being spent on the court before and after school, we appreciate his commitment, coaching many teams across various age groups and grades.

Our 1st V has ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ed the season with three wins from three, showing out to be great defensively and efficient when scoring, stand out performances across the board from Sebastian Smith, Leaam Kelemete and Solomon Nash have helped push this team to great wins. This week we played a fantastic game vs Mt Albert Grammar, beating them 56-21, a great display of team play and defensive pressure.

Our U17s A team is full of Year 11 talent is pushing hard playing in a new grade, this team looks to be one for the future. Peter Creevey, Larenz Pua and Malakai Kurata-Lafaele have been stand-out players so far, with great defensive tenacity and strong rebounding performances. The two games this week saw us narrowly lose to Liston, and to Auckland Grammar School, both times the team learned and improved from each.

Our U17s B ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ed with a tough loss, but have since bounced back, showing a great spirit and determination to get better as a team. This week a fantastic win vs Western Springs College saw the team win 51-28.

Our U15 Maroons, are a team loaded with potential but haven't quite found their spark and rhythm yet which over time will come. AJ Hughes and Jackson Leavai two new Year 9 have been great additions to the team showing both skill and shooting. Jett Nash, Preston-David Stanley and Naea Williams are key players in the team. This week we played a tough game vs Mt Albert Grammar, the team came out with a loss, but a lot to take away and learn from.

Our U15 Blue has had some great games with team chemistry building, and strong performances from Augustino Petersen and Tuakore Talauta-Riki who have shown flashes of real potential.

Our U15 Yellow team is our development team and is a team where the joy of playing is screaming out. Brilliant displays of skills from Seron Stanley and Ayden Figota have helped to develop the rest of the team, with Elijah Papalii, Perekina Uaisimeni-Puepuemai and Jose McCarthy adding scoring to the team. This team narrowly lost 41-37 to Western Springs College this week, with standout performances from Seron Stanley and Perekina Uaisimeni-Puepuemai.

A huge thank you to all our players in the program who work hard in training to achieve the goals and improve their game.

And a special thank you and shout out to Tui Cocker our new assistant coach who has come in and gelled exceptionally well with the players, brought in some new ideas and helped establish players' confidence and decision-making.

Football

In the second game of the season for our 15th grade young men, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s played against a strong Auckland Grammar side who put our team under immense pressure in the first half. Preston-David Stanley (Year 11) won a penalty after being fouled before halftime which was slotted by Ryan Halfpenny (Year 10), taking the halftime score to 1-1.

ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s needed to regroup after a first half below the standards that they have set themselves since forming in 2023, with some small adjustments to positioning and an improved attitude, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s were quickly back to their fluid attacking style of football.

Kevin Bentley (Year 9) scored his first goal for the 15th Grade side after beating two players and finishing a one on one to take the score to 2-1 midway through the second half. A further penalty to ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s was put away by Douglas Calvert (Year 10), with Ryan Halfpenny scoring a fourth for his team in what became a comfortable 4-1 victory at the final whistle.

Man of the match: Ardyn McCarthy (Year 11), who worked very hard in midfield for ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s and was unlucky not to get the goal his performance deserved.

At the time of writing, both of our Football teams (13th grade and 15th grade) are undefeated. We are excited to utilise our new "home ground", Ken Maunder park in New Lynn.

Rugby League

This week's results:

Premier 1st XIII vs Aorere won 20-6
2nd XIII vs Onehunga won 28-6
U15 Maroon vs Auckland Seventh Day Adventist won 24-10
U15 Blue vs Aorere won 44-0

The rugby league season is finally upon us after a longer pre-season window with more enhanced preparation on previous seasons.

Last week our Under 15 Maroon team have had a mixed bag of results, with a tough loss vs Manurewa High School, followed by a default win over Westlake Boys High School. Our Under 15 Blue team have ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ed well with a 20-6 victory over Southern Cross, followed by a 20-16 loss to Manurewa High School. Our experienced coaching staff were quick to point out to the players that this loss was in round 2, it was not the grand final and we will no doubt improve as the weeks go by.

Our 2nd XIII have been very impressive with younger and fringe 1st XIII players representing ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s to a very high standard with victories over Otahuhu College and Tamaki College. George Alatini (Year 11) has been impressive as has Jayden Veitch-Tamati (Year 11), both names to remember.

The 1st XIII have made an impressive ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ to their season after a lengthy pre-season, playing Mt Albert Grammar in a non-competition game at home, winning the game 56-0. There will be tougher opponents ahead but the preparation and experience of this team will put them in a strong position to compete every week.

The 1st XIII ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ed their competition away at Aoreore College. The team struggled to put away a determined Aorere team buoyed by strong sideline support. There will be many learnings from this game as tougher opposition is soon to follow. The final score ended 20-6 to ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s College.

Thank you to all our Old Boys, our volunteers, our ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s whﾄ］au who have stepped up to help our rugby league program, with four teams across the grades, this is the largest entry into College Sport rugby league competition in many years with ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s having the highest registrations of any school in the 13 a side code.

Rugby League Report: May 22nd 2024

2nd XIII Team

Performance
The 2nd XIII team had an excellent win over Onehunga High School 28-6. Their strategic gameplay, coupled with their physical prowess made them formidable opponents outclassing Onehunga. With excellent offensive skills and key players consistently breaking through defensive lines and setting up tries.

Defensively the team was strong showing good teamwork and resilience by turning up for each other when their line was threatened.

Even more pleasing was the continued professional attitude displayed by our players since the ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ of the season before and after our games. Warming up together as one unit, knowing what our jobs are, cleaning the changing rooms after the game and making sure we left the club the way we found it. Have all made this team a formidable force.

Martin Willetts (Manager)

Under 15 Team Maroon
Our U15 Maroon team displayed remarkable courage and discipline in their recent win against ASDAH. It was a tough match with some intense moments and big hits. Despite facing frustration in the second half, our boys persevered and continued to fight. Their hard work paid off with a final score of 24-10 in favor of our U15 Maroon. Well done, team!

Oliana Eniata (Manager)

Under 15 Team Blue
Under 15 Team Blue Enjoyed a successful win this week, and a display of promising talent and enthusiasm against Aorere College.

The team exhibited excellent ball-handling skills and a strategic execution during the match. During the week players are consistently dedicated to their training schedule and show a genuine passion for the game. Whilst the team demonstrates resilience, bouncing back from the setback last week against Manurewa, the Blue team maintained a positive attitude against Aorere winning 44-0.

The team members showed great respect for their coaches, teammates, and competitors, and supporting each other both on and off the field. Their love for the game is evident in their enthusiastic participation and encouragement of their peers.

Rangi Fiu (Manager)

Conclusion
The 2nd XIII and under 15 teams have set a high standard for rugby league at our school. Their impressive performances on the field this week are matched by their embodiment of school values, these teams' successes are not just measured in victories but in their demonstration of respect, teamwork, and perseverance.

Rugby Union

In a special match held on Mother's Day weekend, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s 1st XV kicked off their season with a home game against Dilworth School. ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s showcased their attacking prowess early on, playing expansive and open rugby early in the game as both teams looked to gain ascendancy early in the match. This was backed up by the physicality on defense, trapping Dilworth inside their own half for much of the first half. Constant pressure forced Dilworth into making errors and with a turn in possession, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s was able to pounce on the opportunity, with Christian Faifua (Year 12) scoring in the corner to open the account. Conversion by Sebastian Smith (Year 12) was successful. On a nice fine day for running rugby, Sebastian Smith, Christian Faifua and Steven Moala (Year 13) continued to threaten the Dilworth defense line, with strong and elusive carries out wide, supported by the direct running of the loose forward trio, co captains Waka Tate (Year 13) and Meki Sosefo (Year 13).

As the game progressed, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s managed to seize control, capitalizing on their momentum to widen the gap on the scoreboard, another two first-half tries to Sebastian Smith and a second try by Christian Faifua put ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s in a strong position. The second half ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ed much like the same, with Romana Whitiora (Year 12), playing in his only second game of rugby, and for ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s, collecting a smart little kick by Drew Scott (Year 12) who spotted open space behind the Dilworth defense line, to race 50m to score under the posts. With 13 minutes of play remaining, a yellow card to Steven Moala for a technical infringement, placed the team under pressure, and within that time, Dilworth scored three consecutive tries, to close the score line to 28-17. Sebastian Smith had a great day with the boot, landing all four conversions. Despite the finish, it was a good way to avenge last year tough loss, and to ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ 2024 campaign with a convincing victory.

Round two saw the team travel south to play newly promoted Botany Downs College, after their convincing win over Tangaroa, who have now been relegate to 1B. Having not played Botany since 2022, little was known about our South Auckland counterparts. Like first round, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ed fast, playing an expansive and open brand of rugby that Botany struggled to contain early in the game. Confidence saw the players, offloading at will, leaving Botany to scramble on defense. Steven Moala made some incisive runs through the middle, while creating opportunities for wingers, Christian Faifua and Lucky Kali (Year 13).

Within the first 20 minutes, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s raced out to a 14-6 lead, with tries to Christian Faifua and Wake Tate. From there, the match was stalled by errors and penalties, stemming any momentum, as Botany ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ed to show some resolve on defense while enjoy a rich vein of possession. An inconsistent lineout and mounting penalty count, ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s struggled to regain any flow, however, substitutes Ezekiel Fa'aiuaso (Year 11) and Patrick Vea (Year 11) came on and added some much steel to the attack, making an impact as Ezekiel with his speed and power proved a handful for Botany. Young and upcoming player Uli Toki Fisiifetau (Year 11) was outstanding in the tight, carrying strong in the middle, while being a physical menace on defense. Final score was 31-6 to ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s. Two bonus point wins to ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･ the season, leaving the team in unfamiliar territory at the top of leader board after two rounds. Tougher opposition awaits, as they take on perennial powerhouses Auckland Grammar this Saturday. ﾐ翹ｫﾖｱｲ･'s last taste of victory was back in 1999, so the boys are eager to rewrite the history books with a memorable victory on Mountain Rd. Thanks to all our supporters, Old Boys, teachers and students for their support.

We would also like to thank our sponsors - Johnston Associates, Paul Mclaughlan, Greenside Energy Solutions, Baseline Physio, Squincher, Seki.ai, Heartland Bank, BFT Airport Oaks, Pathfinders Services & Busy Oven for their support.

Sponsorship Rugby Union