On the first day of the winter holidays, a contingent of 22 netball and rugby players and five staff travelled to Christchurch, New Zealand, to embark upon the College’s first international sporting tour since 2017. The tour was an amazing success and so much fun for both teams.
Our netballers enjoyed the challenge of competing against a different style of play. The New Zealand game is fluid and fast, but we were able to adapt successfully. We bonded on and off the court, and our teamwork improved as the tour progressed. Our team had comprehensive victories in our first two games against local schools before finishing with a tougher game which we won by a close four points. We had a celebrity breakfast with Kiwi netball legend Anna Garvan who is a former Silver Ferns player, and Parris Petera who is an up and coming star. They shared anecdotes and advice which inspired us. We enjoyed the friendly Trans-Tasman rivalry and returned home with three wins and full of confidence in our abilities and our teammates. Thank you very much to the netball staff who supported us, Mrs O’Donnell for managing and Mrs Hewett for coaching.
Playing rugby in New Zealand was a very different experience for our boys, and it was a major challenge to play on fields that were cold, wet and muddy. However, it didn’t take us long to adjust and we embraced the novelty of playing in these conditions. The skill level of the Kiwis was another noticeable difference, especially the slick passing and running in their backs, despite our best efforts to defend. We held our own in several matches and even managed to take one win from the tour, which showed that we can match it with the New Zealanders if we work as a team and believe in ourselves. A rugby highlight was watching a local high school game where both teams performed the Haka, which was a powerful display of culture and spirit. Other highlights were attending the Canterbury Crusaders home facility and meeting legendary All Black Sam Whitelock. Thanks to Mr Hamson for managing, especially for cleaning our muddy uniforms and Mr Kron for coaching and staying positive with us the whole time. We certainly gained a greater knowledge and appreciation for the ‘game played in heaven’ and playing in New Zealand would have to be a close second.
Apart from the sports, there were plenty of highlights in our action-packed ten days. We enjoyed a wide variety of activities including jet boating and hot pools at Hanmer Springs, a high rope and zipline course, go-karting, paintball, ice-skating, a cultural canoeing trip and a harbour cruise at Akaroa with spectacular scenery, dolphins and seals.
Sincere thanks also go to our families and to the College for making this tour possible. It was an incredibly enriching experience for all of us, and we will cherish the memories for years to come.
Watch more from the New Zealand Tour here:
