Howick College’s athletes solidified their school’s reputation for sporting excellence by making their mark on Winter Tournament Week 2024, delivering exceptional performances across multiple sports.
Premier Netball
Leading the charge was the Premier Netball team who were crowned the Upper North Island Secondary Schools (UNISS) Tournament Champions for the second consecutive year.
Building on their history-making win in the Auckland Secondary Schools Premier 1 Netball Competition the previous week, the team cemented their dominance in one of the country’s most competitive school netball tournaments storming through pool play undefeated.
Decisive victories against Kristin College, Westlake Girls and Trident High School took them through to the top 8 where they continued their winning streak, defeating St Paul’s
Collegiate and Mount Albert Grammar School.
In Friday’s semifinals, Howick swept aside St Kentigern College 52-24 and won the final in a thrilling contest 40-39 over Avondale College.
Four Howick College players – Captain Avah Sila, Charlie Lindsay, Eseta Waqaira, and Skylah Tainui-Takerei – were named to the tournament team, with Tainui-Takerei also earning the competition MVP.
Premier netball coach and Howick College Director of Sport, Adelita Sotutu, described the year as one of unprecedented success for the college:
“It’s incredibly exciting to see our Premier girls win their first Auckland Secondary School title and then follow it up by winning UNISS for the second year in a row. These achievements show the hard work and talent of our athletes and the
dedication of our coaches, managers, and supporters. They set a new benchmark for excellence going forward.”
The team is now set to compete at the NZ Secondary Schools Netball Nationals in Christchurch.
Girls’ 1st XV Rugby
In another impressive feat, the Girls 1st XV Rugby team took second place in the NZ Rugby 1st XV Top Four Competition in their debut 15s season.
Travelling to Palmerston North last Thursday to represent the Blues Region, they faced South Island challengers Christchurch Girls High School and came away with a hard-fought 22-17 win.
On Sunday, they faced defending champions Manukura (Hurricanes Region) in the
final.
Coach Waisake Sotutu said the team went into the game knowing they we going to face “next level” rugby. “After beating Christchurch Girls’ High School in the semi-final, we knew we were the underdogs against last year’s champions, Manukura. As they say, it was a game of two halves.
“Playing into the Palmerston North wind meant we had to adjust our game plan accordingly. We went into the break ahead by one point, but the second half was a different challenge.”
Despite having the wind behind them, Howick’s fairytale run came to an end with Manukura turning the screws in the second half dominating the forward exchanges and making it difficult for Howick to gain territorial advantage.
Although initially disappointed by the loss, the team is immensely proud of their inaugural 15s season:
“What began as a ‘let’s give 15s a go’ resulted in us finishing as the second-best girls’ 1st XV team in New Zealand,” said Sotutu.
“It’s an incredible achievement in their first year. The memories and success the team has created will be cherished by the players, their families, and the whole school
community.”
Girls’ 1st XI Football
Meanwhile, Howick College’s 1st XI Girls Football team also had an impressive tournament week claiming 2nd place at the Maurice Hulme Tournament in Taupo.
The team won their pool matches decisively, including 2-0 against Wanganui High School, 5-0 against Tauhara College, 7-1 against Aquinas College, and 6-0 against Kapiti College.
They defeated Kingsway School 2-0 in the quarterfinals and triumphed 5-0 over Mahurangi College in the semis.
In the final, Mount Maunganui scored early, and despite a strong performance, Howick College could not equalise. The match ended 1-0 in favour of Mount Maunganui College.
On top of earning silver medals, their top two finish also guaranteed them automatic entry into next year’s Premier Tournament.
Coach Brendon White expressed immense pride in the team, who entered tournament week as winners of the Auckland Provisional Championship (APC). “A gold medal in the APC and now silver at the Maurice Hulme Tournament – what a way to finish the season!”
Senior Open Underwater Hockey
The Howick College Senior Underwater Hockey team concluded the NZSS Underwater Hockey competition in Mount Maunganui with impressive results.
Leading up to nationals, the team was awarded the silver medal in the Auckland Secondary Schools Underwater Hockey Competition, with Rhyan Galloway named Most Valuable Player (Boy) and Kendra Scully named Most Valuable Player (Girl) and Outstanding Senior Girl.
Building on that momentum, the team competed in seven games at nationals, taking five wins and only two losses, ultimately claiming third place and bringing home the bronze medal. Their journey to the podium was highlighted by strong teamwork and moments of tactical brilliance, with Rhyan Galloway and Ben Hew named for the Senior Open Tournament Team, and Kendra Scully earning MVP for her exceptional performance in the Senior Open division.
The Junior Open team finished in 8th place and was awarded the Fair Play Trophy for their outstanding sportsmanship. Reilee Butcher earned the MVP title for the Junior Open division.
Boys’ 1st XI Football
Rounding off the school’s impressive results, the Boys 1st XI Football team reached the quarterfinals of the Rex Dawkins Tournament in Wellington. They began with a 4-0 win over Katikati College and followed with a 1-0 victory against St John College Hamilton.
A 1-1 draw against St. Bedes College was followed by a 3-1 win over Onslow College and a 1-0 win against St Bernard’s College, advancing them to the quarterfinals where they went down narrowly to Paraparaumu College by 1-0.
They then faced Wairarapa College in the semi-final, falling 5-7. The team concluded the tournament in 8th place after a 3-5 defeat in their final game against St Bedes College.
Despite the challenging end to their campaign, the team’s resilience and skill throughout the tournament demonstrated their potential for future success.
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