Hitting a
century
U14 220 yards, 1930s.
With the Centenary celebrations fast approaching, it is the perfect time to reflect on some of the fine traditions and sporting successes that have defined St Andrew’s College over its wonderful history. Physical education and sport have always been a vital aspect of student development at StAC. In fact during its very first year of operation in 1917, the College had a First XV rugby team, a tennis team, a swimming team and held its first athletics sports day where all students participated in running events, including a sack race, open mile, and a 120 yard handicap event known as the ‘school race’. Cricket was added to the sports programme the following year, with the College’s first major intercollegiate cricket fixture played against
John McGlashan College in 1919, which StAC won by two wickets. Gymnastics, boxing and basketball were introduced in 1920, and lifesaving in 1923, the same year St Andrew’s held its first swimming sports at the Tepid Baths. It wasn’t long before students were able to enjoy a dip in the College’s own swimming pool, which was built and officially opened in late 1924. Clarence Pocock, a pupil in 1919 and talented boxer, was the first St Andrew’s Old Collegian to become a national sporting figure, after winning middleweight boxing titles in 1925 and 1927. Another notable sportsman from this era was Harold Milliken (1927) who played both rugby and rugby league for New Zealand. The early 1920s saw the introduction of the ‘Blue’ award for top St Andrew’s sportsmen, with the College starting to make its mark in local inter-school competitions. In 1923 its athletes were particularly successful, with the boxers winning the inter-school tournament, the First XI under captain Henry Dowling enjoying an unbeaten season, Rex Bagge winning the inter-school singles tennis championship and the First XV beating Christ’s College for the first time. One of the characters involved with sport at St Andrew’s in the late 1920s was cricket coach Frederick ‘Shack’ Shacklock. The former Nottinghamshire professional and outstanding fast bowler coached the team from 1927–1930 and used to encourage the College batsmen with his catchphrase, “ ’it it ‘ard lad!”
Graham Dowling (OC 1954) became the first player ever to score a double century in his first test as Captain for the New Zealand Cricket team in 1968.
Boxing was still a strong sport in the 1930s, with all boys expected to take part, whatever their size, weight or ability.
St Andrew’s went through some challenging times during The Great Depression and World War Two, with sport helping to keep students busy and morale high. A post-war economic boom saw a dramatic increase in the roll and a return to optimism. Between the 1920s and 1950s the sports programme had remained largely unchanged. Then rowing made its debut in 1953, largely on the initiative of a parent, R Sutherland. By the end of the decade, rowing was firmly established as a sport, with the College’s crew winning the Canterbury 8 Oar Regatta in both 1959 and 1960. After borrowing boats from other sources, the rowers got their first boat, 'Strowan' in 1964. Five years later, the school competed for the first time at the Maadi Cup. Old Collegian Peter Mander (1946) also achieved great success on the water during this era, winning a gold medal in the Sharpie class at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. It was the first major Olympic success for a former pupil of the College. The development of new sports fields on a low lying area known as ‘The Dump’, led to the growth of major sports in the latter half of the 1950s, with the College fielding its first official hockey team in 1958. Golf, yachting, football, skiing and wresting were also introduced at St Andrew’s during the 1950s and 1960s. Although there was a much wider range of sporting opportunities for St Andrew’s students in this era, rugby and cricket were still compulsory for all students. In the words of 1957 Head Boy Neil Thomson, “Compulsory unless you were near death or crippled.”
