It has been a very busy term of sport as we end the winter season and prepare for the summer sports.

Unfortunately, it was another year where Winter Tournament week didn't go ahead due to being in level 4 lockdown, which was very disappointing for the six teams that were due to travel away, Senior Netball, Girls Hockey, Senior Basketball Boys & Girls, and Junior Basketball Boys & Girls. We also had U18 Rugby this year, with both boys and girls teams to be playing in a two-day tournament in Rolleston.

Basketball

This year we had a record number of 16 teams playing Basketball. Our Senior Boys & Girls team played Div 2 in the McDonalds Thompson & Whelan Trophy, with games each Tuesday Night. Two boys’ teams, U17 & U15, played in the CBA Club competition on Saturdays, and a total of 12 teams played in the Friday Night competition. We have had a very successful season with seven teams making the finals and four teams playing off for 3rd & 4th. Well done to the U15 Boys team playing in the Canterbury Basketball Club competition that played their final last week in a close battle that could have gone either way. The team has had a great season.

Congratulations to our two senior teams who played their finals at Cowles Stadium in front of a selected crowd with only 40 spectators allowed. Thankfully these games were live-streamed for everyone else to watch. WOW, what a night for KHS Basketball it was with both teams coming away with wins in the McDonalds Thompson & Whelan Dv2 Trophy.

KHS Girls 78-65 vs Hagley - What a way to finish the season, going out on such a high finishing unbeaten all year which was an awesome effort from the Girls

KHS Boys 92-90 vs Riccarton - What a win in an absolute thriller of a game, so exciting to watch, a real nail-biter coming down to the last seconds of the game.

What a great finish to the season by both of these teams, which will leave lasting memories for our Yr 13 Basketballers. The photos show the Yr 13 boys and girls from the teams and the two trophies.

Congratulations to Aliyah Newton and Oscar Roberts on being awarded MVP in the finals of their respective games.

Hockey

Hockey has continued to grow at Kaiapoi High in 2021! After winning their competition in 2020, the Kaiapoi High Girls’ Hockey team was bumped up to division 2 of the Canterbury Hockey competition. As usual in a hockey season, there were a few injuries and setbacks, however, the team worked hard and proved that they were able to keep up with the improved level of competition, which was great to see. Our Boys’ Hockey team was made up of enthusiastic junior students, some of whom had never picked up a hockey stick. Throughout the season there was a drastic improvement through players' individual skill and teamwork. The boys' persistent efforts can be seen in the results as they chased some of the hardest teams in the division. The boys continued to tackle challenges head-on, like having no subs or their usual goalkeeper for some games, but that didn’t stop them from giving it their all. They showed persistence and determination.

Netball

Our number of Netball teams keep growing each year and this season we had six teams selected and entered into the North Canterbury competition, two Years 9 and 10 teams, a Senior A team, and a Senior B team. Congratulations to you all for a successful season and especially Team 5, our Year 9s, that went through and won their competition. Our Senior A team also competed strongly in the supernet competition played indoor each Wednesday, with some very close games each week. Our Y10A & Y9A teams both took part in the SISS Junior tournament which was played in Hagley Park in the July school holidays, where both teams competed strongly.

Rugby League

We have a keen group of boys that have been playing in a weekly Rugby League competition in Nga Puna Wai on Wednesdays. Our Y9 & Y10 Boys took up the challenge and competed against Darfield High, Haeata College, and St Thomas of Canterbury. Most of the boys are new to League and some are returning from a long hiatus, with less than a handful having played this season. The boys are keen to learn and have an amazing attitude towards training and playing, which has been great to watch.

Pool

We have an enthusiastic team of Years 9 and 10 boys playing Pool each Wednesday at the Kaiapoi Working Men's Club. Most of these boys are playing without any knowledge of the sport. It was fantastic to see the keenness of the boys and the respect they held for their coaches. Although the team did not get to play any other schools this year due to covid, they showed rapid improvement in the sport and really enjoyed themselves.

Badminton

Well done to our Senior Girls Badminton team that finished 3rd in their competition. These girls all show great commitment to the game each week.

Smallbore Shooting

Smallbore has become very popular this year. This takes place at MainPower Oval every Wednesday & term 3 saw a mix of Years 9 -13 students involved, which was great to see.

Our Grateful Thanks

All of these teams have been trained and coached either by teachers, parents, students or community-based coaches. Our thanks and gratitude goes out to you all and we are very grateful for all the help that we receive to give our students the opportunity to be involved in these sporting activities.