Sports Hall of Fame recipient Stuart Jacobs

Stuart was unable to attend our Sports Hall of Fame ceremony in February but we had the opportunity to catch up with him in Palmerston North when his Scots College 1st XI played our PNBHS 1st XI at the Arena last week. It was a great opportunity to present him with his award.

Stuart Jacobs receiving his Sports Hall of Fame awards by Rachel Wenham

PNBHS Old Boys

— Jun 6, 2021

Mr Stu Jacobs (Football) (Year at PNBHS 1979-1982. Vernon Club).

Profile

The 1st XI Football Coach Steve Robb said "Stu was born to play football". He also had other sporting talents including athletics where he was first in the Junior 800m and 3rd in the Intermediate Pentathlon. He played cricket in Mr Doyle's talented 8th XI. Stu also won a Junior Freestyle swimming event.

The school recognised his talents in 1980 when he was awarded the Hornblow Brothers Cup for All Round Excellence in Scholarship and Sport in the Junior School.

It was football where Stu shone, captaining both the 3rd and 4th Form Specials with Charlie Lake as coach. He was promoted to the 1st XI in Form 4 and immediately made an impact. He was regarded as the mid-field general with all the skills and scored 50 goals for the 1st XI. Steve Robb said "The greatest honour to ever befall a soccer player while at PNBHS was bestowed on one of our fine team – Stuart Jacobs” when he was named in the NZ Under 19 World Cup Squad in 1982. He was the youngest in the squad and the only one not playing in National or Regional Leagues. Since leaving school he has followed his football dream by playing overseas and returning to play 31 times for the All Whites between 1988-1997. He made 220 appearances for Miramar Rangers between 1984-2000.

Following retirement, Stu has embarked on an extensive coaching career including

· Junior All Whites to the 2007 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Canada

· The NZ Under 23 "Olywhites'' to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

· Team Wellington

· Young Heart Manawatu

· Central Coast Mariners (Youth)

· Assistant Coach with both the Phoenix and All Whites

· Coached with Hibernian in Edinburgh, Scotland

· Currently Director of Football at Scots College, Wellington and coaching consultant with a number of clubs