Hitting a century

century Hitting a

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

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. 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!” 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.”

Alex ‘Grizz’ Wyllie (OC 1963) had a successful 20 year career as an All Black forward and All Black Coach .

From fielding six or seven teams in the 1920s, cricket at St Andrew’s had grown steadily with 12 teams taking part in the 1950s and 16 teams by the 1960s.

One of the College’s most high profile sportsmen emerged during this era. Cricketer Graham Dowling (1954) followed in his father Henry’s footsteps to captain the St Andrew’s First XI, and was one of New Zealand’s most prominent players of the 1960s, playing for the national side from 1959 –1972 (as captain from 1967–1972). He was named New Zealand Cricket Player of the Year in 1962. Graham still has the Gunn and Moore ‘Harrow’ bat he was presented in 1951 at St Andrew’s for the first century of the season, 100 not out versus Christ’s College. He was also a talented tennis player and remembers many who had chosen tennis as their

The College’s first rowing eight: B J Fraser (stroke), H D C Field, R W K Anderson, G W Simes, M C Butler, J S Harverson, G C Wilson, J H P Thompson, G Harverson (cox). In 1983 the rowing four won the Springbok Four title at the Maadi Cup – the first South Island school to do so.

summer sport being really ‘brassed off’ when he, a cricketer, won the school singles title. The talented allrounder was also a member of the First XV, and remembers creeping across the Avon River into the grounds of Christ’s College the night before a match, where Jim Wilson climbed up one of the goal posts and tied a StAC flag up top. “Sadly it had been taken down by match day,” says Graham. He has fond memories of his time at St Andrew’s. “They were wonderful times when I think back, and my closest school friends are still friends to this day.” Less then a decade later, Alex (Grizz) Wyllie (1963) would rise to prominence as a first class rugby player, playing in the forwards for both Canterbury and the All Blacks. He later coached Canterbury during its record-breaking Ranfurly Shield era in the 1980s and was All Blacks coach from 1988–1991.

During the 1970s, an Old Collegian and a future Rector achieved Olympic glory. Athol Earl (1970) was part of the gold medal winning eight crew at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and Barry Maister (former St Andrew’s Rector 1995–2001) was a member of the New Zealand hockey team that struck gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

The 2001 First XI hockey team was the most successful side in the history of the school becoming, national champions by winning the Rankin Cup. From left: Michael Goldstein, Andrew Wilson, Doug Mathews, Michael Lewis, Peter Borren.

Amiria Rule (née Marsh, OC 2001) one of the College’s leading sportswomen during the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which was won by New Zealand in 2006.

Students dressed in House colours for Athletics Day 2007.

The sports programme has continued to grow exponentially at St Andrew’s over the years with an incredible 25 sports added since the 1970s. This was partly due to the arrival of girls at the College in 1991. A year later girls were representing StAC for the first time across a range of sports including athletics and rowing. Netball was introduced as a new sport that year. Girls began to play rugby for the school in 1999, and the first girls’ cricket team was formed in 2001. The Collegian 2001 stated their first game was ‘a little daunting, but the girls kept their spirits high and continued to improve’. Pip Dinsenbacher, who designed and managed the installation of the Centenary Sports Wall in the new Gym 2, said while reading about the early years of girls’ sport she was impressed at how ‘gutsy’ those early girls were. “Some played three or four sports, with many girls’ teams having flexible memberships based on the availability of certain girls. The basketball teams had flashes of brilliance dependent on whether certain players were available to play.” Mixed teams were also formed following the arrival of girls to the College, with the mixed skiing, snowboarding and tennis enjoying considerable success. StAC entered its first mixed ski team in the 1992 Canterbury championships and won the first of many Canterbury and South Island titles, which continues to this day. The boys’ ski team won the National Inter-secondary Skiing Championships in 1991 and 1992. Mixed tennis has also been a huge success for StAC, particularly over the last ten years when the mixed team has won the national championship six times.

Among the College’s greatest achievements of the modern era has been the First XI Boys’ hockey

A girls’ rugby team huddled together before a game.

team winning the Rankin Cup National Secondary Schools title two years running in 2001 and 2002, a wonderful result.

There have been many other successes for St Andrew’s over the years and today its teams continue to perform at an outstanding level, regularly winning South Island or national titles in touch, athletics, multi-sport, rowing, hockey, ice-hockey, trapshooting and futsal. College teams are also fierce competitors in rugby, cricket, netball, football and basketball. Many individuals compete in South Island or national representative teams. St Andrew’s is also incredibly proud of the 88 students and staff featured on the new Centenary Sports Wall, who over the last century have either represented New Zealand, nations other than New Zealand, or won national titles in open (not age group) grades. This number includes a talented group of four current students: Kelera Nawai, who represents Fiji in netball, Lizzie Stevenson a New Zealand women’s trampoline representative, Daisy Hopkins who represents New Zealand in women’s icehockey, and James Field who competed against Australia as a member of the New Zealand Open Men’s skeet shooting team. Black Cap Henry Nicholls (2009) is one the latest Old Collegians to reach national prominence, following in the fine traditions of StAC’s other international cricketers Graham Dowling (1954), Paul McEwan (1971), Roger Ford (1983), and Chris Harris (1987). Two other Old Collegians, Logan van Beek (2008) and Peter Borren (2001) have played cricket for the Netherlands. While the name St Andrew’s College has become synonymous with excellence in sport, participation and fair play are equally important and recognised as the StAC way, and this is something the College is equally proud of. Sports and PE staff also recognise and promote healthy lifestyles, regular physical activity and hauora – health and wellbeing. The College’s Māori whakatauki; Tama tu tama ora, Tama noho tama mate recognises that an active person is a healthy person in body and mind.

St Andrew’s honours and recognises all who support and promote this attitude, and the many sports people over the last 100 years who have represented the College with pride whether at a local, regional, national or international level.

Centenary Partner Profile

Konica Minolta has more than 40 years’ experience successfully delivering leading business solutions and services to more than 20,000 New Zealand schools and businesses.

With 14 branches throughout the North and South Island, we are one of the largest technology companies operating in New Zealand.

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Our managed technology, print and market-leading cloud solutions help schools and businesses to maximise productivity, reduce costs and drive flexibility and agility. Konica Minolta, CSG Australia, CSG New Zealand and Code Blue are all part of the CSG Limited group. CSG Limited is a publically listed company and a leading provider of Technology as a Service solutions across New Zealand and Australia.

Konica Minolta is pleased to be a long-standing partner of St Andrew’s College. For more than ten years, we have provided the College with a range of solutions to help it achieve its goals, including print, cost recovery software and 3D print.

We are proud to sponsor the St Andrew’s College Centenary, and we look forward to celebrating this special milestone with you in 2017.

To learn more about the new solutions offered by Konica Minolta and CSG, please visit www.csg.co.nz

“Hats off to the past – coats off to the future! ”

A K Anderson Rector, 1920–1934

Come celebrate 100 years

Visit www.stac100.co.nz for more information on our Centenary gala weekend 17–19 March 2017.

Centenary partners:

PRINT & DESIGN EXC ELLENCE