Blue Black Sport
Update from the Sports Department
New Zealand Rugby League Youth U16 Tournament
The NZRL Youth U16 Tournament was held in Rotorua during the first week of the holidays, and we were proudly represented by Dougal Grant in the Scorpions team (South Island team), along with Caleb Collins-Polata, Dallys Rapana-Phillips and Sam Dunnett, who were selected to represent Canterbury.
These young men were outstanding, representing their families, teams, and school with excellence. Their efforts and achievements are something to be incredibly proud of, and we certainly are.
In the final standings of the National Tournament, the Scorpions finished 4th, while the Canterbury Bulls secured 7th place.
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CBHS 1st XI Sydney Cricket Tour 2024
During our recent tour to Sydney, the 1st XI team played six matches, achieving four strong performances despite facing a couple of challenging losses against high-quality opponents. The boys displayed exceptional sportsmanship throughout the tour, representing our school with great pride and learning valuable lessons about their cricketing strategies for the term.
A highlight of the tour was the opportunity to train at the outstanding facilities of NSW's first-class cricket centre, as well as to compete on some beautiful cricket grounds.
A massive thank you to Rob Smith and Denis Aberhart for dedicating their time and expertise to coach the team and Mitch Rodden for managing during this tour.
Overall, the tour was a remarkable experience for the boys, providing them with not only competitive matches but also invaluable learning opportunities in a professional environment. We look forward to building on this foundation in the upcoming term.
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Road Cycling Nationals - Timaru 2024
A team of 13 riders headed south to compete in this Championship event that consisted of 3 races over 3 days. A road race (age group based over varied distances), a team time trial (u20 and u16 - 19km) and a Points race (age group based over varied distances) on Levels Race track.
The team rode well over the 3 days and earned enough points to be named 2nd in the top boys schools trophy (Westlake Boys were first).
Most of the team managed to pick up top 10 placings with a couple of notable performances including;
• Ben Davies (U14) 1st in the Road race, 1st in the Points race
• Josh Davies (U17) 1st in the Points Race.
• U20 TTT placing 4th.
Thank you to Andrew and MJ Davies (who travelled with the team) and all the parents who came down and watched the boys race. The boys were outstanding and upheld the school values to the highest degree.
Over and above this, we had 5 keen riders away to the South Island/Nationals Track Championships in Invercargill (Tuesday/Wednesday of the 2nd week). Most of these boys also competed in the annual YUNCA tour based in Invercargill (Friday to Sunday - middle weekend - 5 stages - weather impacting day 2 with flooding on the course).
Riders were Luca Sanders, Oliver Clark, Sean Threadgall, George Hegan and George Clark.
Individual racing in the Omnium (250m flying sprint, Scratch race, Kierin race, Tempo race)
Luca Sanders (U20)
SI placing 6th
Nat placings 15th
Oliver Clark (U17)
SI placing 1st
Nat placings 2nd
George Hegan (U16)
SI placing 4th
Nat placings 12th
Sean Threadgall (U16)
SI placing 5th
Nat placings 14th
George Clark (U15)
SI placing 3rd
Nat placings 4th
Teams Racing
U20 Team Pursuit (3000m) - Luca Sanders, Oliver Clark, Sean Threadgall and George Hegan
SI - 2nd
Nat - 4th
U20 team sprint (750m) - Luca Sanders, Oliver Clark and Sean Threadgall
SI - 3rd
Nat - 7th
U16 team sprint (500m) George Hegan and George Clark
SI - 3rd
Nat - 7th
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CBHS Trap Shooting | NZ Secondary Schools Clay Target Competition
The 2024 New Zealand Fish and Game South Island and New Zealand Secondary Schools Clay Target Competitions were held during the first weekend of the October holidays at the Canterbury Clay Target Club, with over 320 students competing.
CBHS was represented by Lachie Dean, Angus Morton, and William Rump in the Down the Line (DTL) events, with Lachie also competing in Skeet. Despite posting strong scores, the boys narrowly missed out on shoot-offs. William achieved a personal best in the South Island matches, and all three boys showed impressive consistency.
In the Skeet competition, Lachie scored 23/25 in the New Zealand Championships and placed 4th after a dramatic shoot-off.
While no medals were won, the boys achieved personal bests and showed great commitment. Their behavior and sportsmanship were exemplary, making the school proud.
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CBHS Touch Rugby
On October 11th, Christchurch Boys' High School participated in an exciting Senior Touch Tournament hosted at St Bede's College. The competition included teams from various Christchurch schools, along with a visiting team from New Plymouth Boys' High School.
Our team, featuring a mix of senior and junior players, delivered an outstanding performance, showcasing their impressive skills and teamwork throughout the day. After a series of intense matches, we reached the semi-finals, where we faced New Plymouth Boys' High in a thrilling "Drop Off," narrowly missing out on the final.
A huge congratulations to all the players for their hard work and sportsmanship, and a special thank you to the coaches, managers, and parents for their support in making the day such a success!
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CBHS Skiers in action on the New Zealand Freeride Tour
This winter, five CBHS students participated in the New Zealand Freeride Tour, competing in three events across the season. The team included Joe Cookson, Hamish Henderson, Sam Hewitt, Xandy Haycock, and Kobe Coleman. These competitions challenge athletes to ski or snowboard down steep slopes, with points awarded or deducted based on aspects such as fluidity, line choice, air time, and types of jumps. Joe, Hamish, and Sam represented CBHS in the Under 18 Men’s ski section, facing tough competition.
A huge congratulations to Joe and Hamish, who placed 1st and 3rd, respectively, at the Remarkables competition and secured 2nd and 4th place overall in the entire tour. Both Joe and Hamish have earned spots on the New Zealand Junior Freeride Team and will compete at the World Junior Freeride Championships in Austria in 2025.
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James Moore, Josh Findlay and Finn McLeod Selected for NZ Secondary Schools
A huge congratulations to 1st XV players James Moore, Josh Findlay, and Finn McLeod for being selected to attend the New Zealand Secondary Schools camp and subsequently representing New Zealand.
In their match against Samoa, James Moore and Finn McLeod were part of the starting lineup, while Josh Findlay came off the bench in a dominant 91-5 victory. Well done to all three players on this fantastic achievement!
In a hard-fought match against Australia, Finn started in his usual 4 jersey, while Josh and James came off the bench. Despite a valiant effort, the New Zealand boys narrowly lost 38-31. Unfortunately, Finn had to leave the game early due to injury, and Josh also picked up an injury shortly after coming on.
A special mention goes to James, who had the privilege and honor of leading both hakas. His leadership made for two impressive, spine-tingling performances.
Congratulations to all three of you. We are incredibly proud of your achievements. Altiora Peto!
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CBHS Boys selected for the Junior Crusaders
During the school holidays, CBHS 1st XV players attended a Crusader Junior camp in Christchurch, alongside 53 others from the Canterbury and Tasman regions. The camp, lasting three days, focused on training, nutrition, and teamwork. From this group, 36 were selected to play against the Hurricanes U18s at Upper Hutt’s NZ Innovation & Sport Centre.
CBHS was represented by Ethan Webber, Ollie Singleton, Cam Jones, Victory Issako, and Will Haig. Webber impressed with powerful running and strong defence, while Jones showcased his speed from the wing. Singleton excelled at fullback, consistently breaking through the defence, setting up key plays. Haig and Issako shined in the second half, with Haig distributing and kicking accurately, and Issako breaking tackles and gaining valuable ground.
The game ended in a thrilling 41-41 draw, with a late conversion tying the match. The event was well-supported by family and capped off a successful season for CBHS, following the selection of James Moore, Finn McLeod, and Josh Findlay to the NZ Schools team.
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Mountain biking Nationals
During the second week of the holidays, our Mountain bikers were away at the Christchurch Adventure Park with the MTB Nationals.
On the last two days of the competition saw our Downhill boys take on a challenging course with fantastic results.
On the Wednesday, the Juniors raced, with podium finishes for Joel Burkitt, who claimed gold in the U15 boys, and Seb Stettner, who secured silver in the same category.
Thursday marked the final day of racing for the senior boys, where Malik Boatwright took home silver in the U17 boys, and Sam Dunnett followed closely, earning the bronze.
It was a great effort by all our riders—though there were a few crashes, none were serious.
A big thank you to the staff who supported the boys, Gary McNaughton, and Craig Dunnett for his expert mechanical skills, ensuring our riders could compete at their best!
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Oskar Gordon & Linkin Raxworthy part of the StAC Combined Ice Hockey Team
Over the winter period, Oskar Gordon and Linkin Raxworthy competed as part of the StAC Combined Ice Hockey Team. The team, consisting of players from St Andrew’s College (StAC), Christchurch Boys' High School (CBHS), and girls from Rangi Ruru and Christchurch Girls' High School (CGHS), performed strongly in the B Grade competition, finishing 3rd overall.
In the local High School competition, the team narrowly missed out on top spot after a 5-1 loss to Cashmere High School. Despite this, they earned silver medals for their efforts, securing 2nd place in the overall competition.
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Dimitrii Maistrenok-Zubkovskii excels in the Canterbury Ice Hockey Team
Dimitrii Maistrenok-Zubkovskii, known as Dima, has been competing in New Zealand’s highest Ice Hockey League for the past two years. In 2024, he was selected to represent four different leagues: Under 18 Canterbury, Grade 1 League, Mako (New Zealand Representative League), and the Red Devils (Canterbury Men’s Team).
Dima is widely regarded as a consistent, confident, and highly skilled player. His dedication and hard work have been recognized through various accolades this year, including:
Canterbury Under 18 League 2024 Top Defender
Canterbury Under 18 League 2024 Most Valuable Player (MVP)
New Zealand National Under 18 League 2024 Most Valuable Player (MVP)
His achievements are a testament to his commitment to excelling in ice hockey. Well done young man.
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Troy Hansen selected for NZ U15 Water Polo
Massive congratulations to Troy Hansen and the NZ U15 Water Polo team on their GOLD Medal at the Australia National state championship
We are incredibly proud of Troy not only for being selected into the team as goalie but for all his hard work while over in Australia to help his team win Gold.
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Oscar Abbott | Year Nine student New Zealand national ski racer
Oscar Abbott, a current Year Nine student, is a talented New Zealand national ski racer competing in the U16 age group. He trains with the Wanaka Ski Team and spends the ski season based in Wanaka. This season has been full of both challenges and successes for Oscar. He was selected to participate in a camp for young ski racers across New Zealand.
Unfortunately, several races were cancelled due to weather conditions, but the final races of the series took place at Cardrona. Although Oscar experienced some difficulties during his slalom runs, including equipment issues, he secured second place in the giant slalom race.
Oscar has now been selected for the New Zealand Alpine Youth Development Squad. This means he will have the opportunity to represent New Zealand in international alpine racing events in the Northern Hemisphere this summer
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CBHS Students Selected for the Canterbury U16 Metro Red & Black Rugby Teams
During the holidays, several of our boys were selected to represent the Canterbury U16 Metro Red and Black rugby teams. Their performances were outstanding, and they made us all proud. Congratulations, men!
A big well done to:
Oscar Baker
Phoenix Smith
Cameron Buckingham
Dayton Tonihi-Pitama
Jonty Leary
Edward Rea
Jai Tufuga
Isoa Vosalevu
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CBHS driver on track to turn Supercars dream into a reality
Our very own Year 13 student, Chris White, will compete in one of New Zealand’s top junior motor racing championships this year after winning a prestigious scholarship.
Chris will race in the Toyota GR86 Championship, starting next month at Taupō International Motorsport Park, where he’ll line up alongside his best mate, Blake Knowles. Blake, who left Christchurch Boys' High School last year to work full-time, was awarded a $50,000 scholarship and a new Toyota GR86 by the Wolfbrook Motorsport Foundation to compete in the series.
Earlier this year, Chris claimed the Mazda Racing Championship title and secured his spot in the Toyota GR86 series after a successful shootout with three other talented young drivers from across New Zealand.
Well done young men - Altiora Peto
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Let us know | Sports Achievements outside of CBHS
There are so many boys excelling in sports outside of school, and we’d love to celebrate their success!
If your son has achieved something noteworthy, let us know by sending a brief blurb of who and what they’ve done to the sports department at sports@cbhs.nz. Feel free to include a picture or two so we can share their achievements!
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