The annual Otago Secondary Schools Netball Championships were held at the Edgar Centre over Sunday 12th and Monday 13th June, and Columba College put on a dominant display of skill and teamwork across the two-day tournament, leading to some outstanding results for the school.

A much anticipated event on the netball calendar, Columba's four representative netball teams entered the Otago Secondary Schools Netball tournament in cool conditions at the Edgar Centre over the early part of this week. The Columba Senior A, Senior B, 10A and 9A netball teams took part in the tournament, and 2022 proved to be one of the best years yet for Columba College! We are incredibly proud of the efforts displayed and the results achieved by all teams competing in the event. 

The Columba Senior A team dominated in early-round pool play, winning both their games comfortably against South Otago High School (54-12) and Cromwell College (51-18). They progressed through to the semi-finals on Monday morning, beating Otago Girls' High School 59-30, setting up a finals match against their favourite rivals, St. Hilda's Collegiate School Senior A. Steeped in history, the two schools savour the chance to play each other on the netball court, and this year Columba's class shone through, with Columba coming out victorious in the final, winning the A Grade Division 33-21. Congratulations, Senior A, on an absolutely fantastic result! It is great to be able to etch Columba's name on the Lois Muir Shield once again. A very well-deserved win for this incredibly talented group of netball players!

The Columba Senior B team was also outstanding across the two-day tournament. A joy to watch, this strong team of players further consolidated their position as leaders in the regular school competition, having not dropped a game all season. Clear talent was demonstrated right across the court with pinpoint shooters, fit and quick mid-court players, and skilled defenders; the team made their way through pool play with three solid wins over Dunstan High School, Otago Girls' High School and South Otago High School. Semi-finals time on Monday saw the team taking on a strong Mackenzie College; however, with composure and class, the Columba team came out on top with a 25-21 win, setting up a final against St. Hilda's Collegiate in the Senior B division. An exciting match-up and closely fought battle throughout all four quarters led to an intriguing contest. Columba's composure helped cement their lead, however, and they won the match 39-35! Crowned Senior B Champions - Congratulations!      

The 10A team had a tough tournament results-wise but proved why competitions like these are so vital to the development and progression of netball at Columba College. The team continues to grow in strength, skill and on-court composure, thanks to the support and guidance of two dedicated 10A coaches this season (Ella-Rose Lawrence and Laura Freeman). The attitude and effort displayed by team members are commendable, and we are extremely proud of the development seen within the 10A team across the early part of the regular netball season and across this recent two-day tournament. Congratulations, team 10A, continue on your positive pathway and results will certainly come your way soon. Valuable tournament experience was gained, and this will prove vital leading up to the Roncalli tournament this coming Sunday in Timaru and the South Island Secondary Schools Netball Champs in July. We wish you all the best for your upcoming tournaments.

The Columba 9A team had a great tournament, winning all three of their pool play games on day one. A first-up win over Bayfield High School (31-5), followed by a 33-14 win over Dunstan High School, and finally, a closer 25-20 victory over St. Kelvin's College to finish day one of the tournament unbeaten. These results saw the 9A team come out top in their pool, resulting in a tough match-up against Taieri College 9A in the semi-finals on Monday. Columba was able to show their on-court strength and skill by winning this game 27-21, setting up a grand final against....you guessed it, St. Hilda's Collegiate School 9A! Unfortunately, injury and illness hit the 9A team before heading into the final, and after a strongly fought match, the Columba team went down to St. Hilda's 28-13 thereby placing as runners-up in the Year 9 Grade. Congratulations, 9A! A young but talented group of players, this team has a bright future and is extremely lucky to be coached by Jodi Brown and Tara Blaikie.

As always, a huge thank you to all our coaches, managers, parent supporters, and the wider community who volunteer their time and energy to our netball programme here at Columba College. Your efforts were surely rewarded across the tournament! Well done, everyone.