Holiday Happenings – August 2026

St Andrew’s junior netball, orienteering, cycling and trap shooting teams had success at their holiday tournaments with the highlight being the Year 9A netball team’s outstanding performance to win the South Island Secondary Schools’ Junior Netball Tournament. During the term break, the 1st XV and a group of 32 Preparatory School netballers, basketballers and rugby players escaped the winter chill during successful tours to Queensland.

South Island Junior Netball Championships

The Year 9 A netball team are South Island champions following an exceptional unbeaten campaign against quality opposition at the South Island Secondary Schools’ Junior Netball Tournament in Christchurch from Monday 6 – Thursday 9 July.

The team made their intentions clear from the outset of the tournament, opening with a dominant 49–7 win over Darfield High School. They remained unbeaten throughout the week, with a hard-fought 25–21 win over Central Southland in their first crossover match proving one of their toughest challenges. On day three, they continued their strong form with convincing wins over Dunstan High School and Southland Girls’ High School.

A commanding 38–22 semi-final win over Christchurch Girls' High School booked their place in the final against Rangi Ruru Girls' School. St Andrew’s started strongly and built an early seven-goal lead. Rangi Ruru Girls’ School fought back to close the gap to just two goals, however St Andrew’s team remained composed and finished strongly to secure a well-deserved 39–31 victory and be crowned South Island Champions. It is the third time St Andrew’s has won this prestigious tournament.

Netball and team manager, Anna Kench O-Donnell says every player contributed to the success of the campaign, supporting one another on and off the court and putting team success ahead of individual recognition. “It was a wonderful example of how teams that truly play for one another can achieve great things.

Annabel Magrath (Year 9) was named Team Player of the Tournament for her outstanding shooting performances.

The Year 10A team also competed strongly at the tournament, recording impressive wins over Queen's High School, Craighead Diocesan School, and St Margaret's College before finishing ninth overall.

Cycling

Nine students from the Preparatory and Secondary Schools competed in an individual Time Trial, Team Time Trial, and Road Race at the South Island Schools’ Road Cycling Championships at Ruapuna Motorsport Park. The top individual results were Katalina Williams (Year 10) third in the U16 Girls’ Individual Time Trial and Cooper Pringle (Year 12) second in the U20 Boys.

Katalina Williams also competed at the North Island Track Cycling Championships in Cambridge where she placed fourth in the Omnium (total points form the four different races) which was an exceptional result.

Trap Shooting

St Andrew’s trap shooters took part in two North Island events over the holiday break. The top performer was Samuel Jones (Year 12) who was Single Barrel Champion and fourth highest overall with a score of 85/90 at the North Island Secondary Schools Trap Shooting Championships on Saturday 4 July. Charlotte Oliver (Year 13) was second overall in the Ladies grade at the Hamilton Boys’ High School Interschool shoot on the previous day.

New Zealand Schools’ Orienteering Championships

The New Zealand Schools Orienteering Championships took place in Christchurch during the term break with 10 students from Years 7–11 competing in races held in Kaiapoi, Waikuku, Lincoln and the Port Hills. Felix O’Byrne, Harry Stocker and Toby Maw (all Year 11) competed in all four disciplines – relay, long, sprint, and rogaine – which make up the event and managed to complete all courses successfully. Special mention to Toby Johnson (Year 9) who was sixth in the Junior Boys’ Sprint in a highly competitive field.

1st XV Rugby Tour to Australia

The 1st XV had a successful tour to Brisbane from Friday 3 – Saturday 11 July, where they were hosted by Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie). The team played two matches, the first against St Andrew’s College from South Africa, a school with the same name and similar Scottish roots. Moses Armstrong-Ravula (OC 2022), the 1st XV captain of 2022 who is now based in Brisbane and involved with the Fijian Drua Super Rugby team, presented the jerseys to the players before the game. After a stirring haka, our 1st XV proved too strong, playing with fierce physicality and execution of skills to win comfortably with a score of 69–14.

The team trained with the Churchie 1st XV before taking on their second opponent, Napier Boys’ High School, a strong side which has won the majority of their fixtures in their Super 8 competition. St Andrew’s took an early 14–7 lead, with Napier Boys’ fighting back to lead 26–14 at the break. The teams traded tries in the Brisbane heat in the second half, with Napier Boys’ eventually winning the match 47–33.

The tour was a positive experience for the players, who enjoyed the opportunity to play overseas, experience a different environment, and participate in rugby specific training. Other highlights of the tour included watching an NRL game at Suncorp Stadium, touring the Brisbane Broncos’ training facility, and spending a day at Wet n Wild.

Preparatory School Sports Tour to Australia

The 2026 Australia Tour was a memorable and successful experience for the group of 32 Year 7–8 students from the Preparatory School who travelled to Queensland to participate in basketball, netball and rugby fixtures against Matthew Flinders Anglican College, St Andrew’s Anglican College, and John Paul College during the term break.

Deputy Principal of Preparatory School (Operations), Alex Kelley, says students displayed outstanding determination, resilience, and sportsmanship, with highlights including the rugby team’s victory against St Andrew’s Anglican College, the girls’ basketball team remaining unbeaten throughout the tour, and the netball team securing a hard-earned win in their final match.

“The tour combined sport, adventure, personal growth, and team building, with students embracing a packed itinerary which included visits to the Sunshine Coast Aquarium, Australia Zoo, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild, Mount Tamborine, and Movie World,” shares Alex.

Beyond the results, the tour showcased the character of the group, he adds.

“Daily Random Acts of Kindness Awards recognised students who consistently helped others and represented the St Andrew’s College values with distinction. Praise from members of the public, opposition schools, and venue staff reflected the students’ excellent manners, teamwork, and ambassadorial spirit throughout the tour.”