Sport Handbook 2023

SPORT • HĀKINAKINA

INSPIRING OPPORTUNITY

Sport at Rangi Ruru is as much about participation and fun as it is about competition, challenge and success at the top level.

If there is one word that encapsulates sport here, it would be “opportunity”. The essence of sport in our school is found in the opportunities which are provided for our ākonga to find their sporting north—the activity or sport which inspires them—and for them to be the very best they can be.

We have a very proud tradition of sporting excellence and participation. Our teams consistently perform highly on the local and national stage, and numerous students represent Canterbury or New Zealand. Aside from these individual and team successes, we consistently achieve participation rates that sit above 85%, indicating a tradition of not just achievement, but also involvement at all levels.

Our focus is on offering opportunities that support our students to flourish as athletes but equally, if not more importantly, as people. Our extensive network of coaches, managers and convenors are committed and passionate about supporting all our rangatahi in their sporting journeys—whatever they might be, and wherever they might go.

Whether sport is about fellowship, excellence, enjoyment or passion, sport at Rangi Ruru is about sport for life.

MANDY ANDERSON Director of Sport

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SOME 2022 SPORT ACHIEVEMENTS

• NZSS Rowing Championships: Top school; top sweep school; golds in all U18 8 races, and U17, U18 coxed 4.

• NZ Secondary School (NZSS) Athletics Championships: Gold in Senior 800m, Junior Para Javelin and Shot Put and Junior Triple Jump; Silver in Senior 4x400m and bronze in 4x400m

• Canterbury Secondary School (CSS) Badminton junior champions

• Forward Foundation Cricket Tournament winners

• Christchurch Schools Cycling U16 and U20 TTT series winners; top girls’ school and overall top school

• Canterbury SS Dragon Boating 250m and 420m winners

• Mainland Football Premier Girls Competition finalists and Gary Sowden Tournament winners

• AIMS Golf Games: gold in Stableford and 5th overall team

• Winners SSL Div 1 hockey and silver at the Chris Arthur National Tournament

• Connetics SSP Hockey Championship: 3rd

• SISS Equestrian Champs: Champion Dressage and Years 7 & 8 teams, and top Show Jumping and Dressage individuals

• Winner CSS Girls Water Polo Competition & SISS Tournament

• CSS Ski and Snowboard Champs:Fastest female skier, 2nd team

• NZSS Mountain Biking Championships: Gold in U20 Downhill and Enduro, U16 Enduro and U14 Cross Country; Silver in U16 Down Hill and Cross Country; Bronze U14 Down Hill

• NZSS Duathlon and Triathlon: U16 Silver

• CSS Rugby Championships: Bronze

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SPORT AT RANGI RURU

COACHES

Our coaches continue to be the foundation of the quality sporting programme that we offer. This is true across our Years 7 to 13 programme, with experienced coaches appointed to teams across year levels. We believe investing in our coaches allows our students to be exposed to invaluable experience which assists them with the skills, mentoring and development that they need to achieve their sporting aspirations. Our coaches include a mix of current and former New Zealand representatives, with 20 of our coaches being either current or previous regional, national or international representatives.

OUR WRAP AROUND SUPPORT

Mental Skills coaching has established itself as a key component of the sports programme, with students able to have one-on-one or team sessions focused on improving their growth, development and performance through understanding themselves and their environment by creating the mindset to be their best selves.

On-campus facilities including the waterbased hockey turf, hard courts, heated pool and Atawhai sport and multi-purpose centre complete with fitness centre and on-site physio, providing opportunities for teams and individuals to train at school.

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OUR ATHLETES

KAIYAH RATU

RANGI RURU STUDENT ATHLETE

WHAT SPORTS ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

“I was in the Rangi 1st XI hockey team in 2021 and 2022, (yet to be named for 2023) and for softball I am in the Canterbury U17s, Canterbury U19s, Canterbury Women’s Team, New Zealand U18s, the New Zealand Women’s Catching Team and New Zealand women’s squad.”

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT SPORT AND WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR CHOSEN CODES?

“I really enjoy sports because of the opportunities you are given and the friendships made along the way. I have made a lot of friends and they’re all-over New Zealand, so it’s pretty cool. The biggest highlight of my career so far would be winning a national title for Canterbury and getting the opportunity to represent my country in softball. It made me feel absolutely amazing, there’s no words to explain it. It was just amazing.”

HOW ARE YOU ENABLED TO BE YOUR BEST IN YOUR SPORTS AT RANGI RURU?

“Rangi has helped me a lot. The culture here is incredible, all the teachers and coaches are very supportive and nice and making sure I am okay with everything.

“I thought one of the biggest challenges for me was going to be fitting in schoolwork and sport at the same time but with the help I’m getting, it’s actually a lot easier than I had expected it to be. The teachers and coaches are always pushing for their girls to always be their best and be better than before and it’s very empowering. I feel like I am getting the opportunity to be my best and it’s building me as a girl.”

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SPORT AT RANGI RURU

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

Catering for over 100 students weekly, this programme assists students to be stronger and fitter to take on the demands of their sport. However, while students might view their strength and conditioning sessions to be about being fitter, the true value is reflected in the reduced injury rate, particularly significant knee injuries.

REGULAR WELLNESS MONITORING

Our coaching and management staff use technology to monitor how our athletes are doing. This provides opportunities for our sports staff to initiate conversations with students who are negotiating the study/school/ sport/life balance on a weekly and sometimes daily basis.

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OUR ALUMNAE

GEORGIA SHEAT

HEAD OF SPORT 2020

TELL US ABOUT YOUR SPORTING JOURNEY IN YOUR TIME AT RANGI RURU - WHERE YOU HAVE COME FROM TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW; WHAT HAS YOUR PATHWAY IN SPORT BEEN DURING YOUR TIME AT RANGI RURU?

“When I arrived at Rangi Ruru in Year 9 I was a keen Touch player who lacked confidence on the field but had a small idea about playing structure and competitive Touch from an U13 Canterbury rep team I had played in. Fast forward four years down the track, I was named female MVP of the New Zealand U18 Mixed team. During my first term at Rangi Ruru, I was whisked

into the Supertouch team and was warmly welcomed by the seniors who would very quickly become my teammates and older sisters for years to come. After some rapid skill development and technical understanding over just one year here, I was selected into the Touch NZ U16 Talent ID Academy. Since then, I have played for the Canterbury U16 Girls, U18 girls and Open Mixed teams.”

WHAT WAS OR WHO WERE SIGNIFICANT IN HELPING YOU IN YOUR SPORTING JOURNEY AT RANGI RURU?

“I think that in my last year at Rangi Ruru Ms Rule (mental performance skills) made a significant difference in my sporting journey, as she has encouraged me to understand that ‘better people make better athletes’. Though physical training is vital, it’s about exercising those interpersonal skills and building relationship with the teammates and coaches around you. Because when push comes to shove, the athletes and teams who come out on top of being under pressure, are those who have built and cemented trust in their processes and within each other.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS SPECIAL ABOUT SPORT AT RANGI RURU?

“I think the most special part about sport at Rangi Ruru is the staff and coaches who go out of their way to care about your personal sports journey and wellbeing. It always felt as though there is someone to go the extra mile to help you reach your potential. There was always someone there for you.”

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S.O.A.R SUPPORTING OUTSTANDING ATHLETES AT RANGI RURU

Built on the philosophy that better people make better athletes, the SOAR programme prides itself on guiding and supporting our wāhine toa to empowerment and self-actualisation.

Our unique programme strives to create a community of like-minded rangatahi and creates the space and opportunity for our Rangi Ruru athletes to flourish.

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The person is at the centre of all we do in S.O.A.R. We recognise that participants are not just athletes, but also daughters, sisters, granddaughters, friends, students and athletes. As part of the programme, participants are offered opportunities such as mental skills coaching, strength and conditioning, body balance profiles, AthleteDISC profiles, nutrition support and hearing the stories of guest sportswomen. All within an environment that listens, supports, challenges and empowers its participants to realise and act upon their true potential.

Students will be eligible to apply for selection in the S.O.A.R programme if they meet one of the following criteria: competing at a minimum at a regional level within a sport(s), a member of a school Senior A team or a NZ representative. Priority is given to senior students.

Ko te pae tawhiti

whaia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina, Seek out distant horizons and cherish those you attain.

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SPORTS ON OFFER

Each year up to 25 different sporting options are on offer to Rangi Ruru students. In all options, ākonga can participate either on a social or a highly competitive level. The current offerings include:

• Athletics

• Badminton

• Basketball

• Cricket

• Cross Country

• Cycling

• Dragon Boating

• Equestrian (Polo, Show Jumping, Mounted Games, Dressage)

• Football

• Futsal

• Hockey

• Indoor Football and Netball

• Lifesaving

• Mountain Biking

• Multisport (Duathlon & Triathlon)

• Netball

• Rowing

• Rugby

• Snow Sports

• Surfing

• Swimming

• Tennis

• Touch

• Volleyball

• Waterpolo

Additionally, students can represent the school at Canterbury, South Island and New Zealand secondary school events in sports which are not directly offered and will also have access to resources such as Mental Performance and Strength and Conditioning to support their sporting aspirations.

Years 7 and 8 students have the ability to take part in many of the above weekly sport opportunities alongside students in Years 9 to 13. As members of the Canterbury Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools (CAIMS) network, Years 7 and 8 students also have the opportunity to compete against other larger intermediate schools on a weekly basis throughout Terms 2 to 4.