Year 12 student, Andrew Medlicott, was recently named in the New Zealand Overwatch team to compete in the World Cup this year.

Andrew is selected as one of six members of the New Zealand team, he received $2000 for making the team, and in July, will get a paid trip to California to compete in the world cup.

ESports have emphatically transcended the idea of childish computer games. Like sports, they involve skill, teamwork, tactics, knowledge, communication, and plenty of practice. This year we had our first school League of Legends team compete in a South Island tournament. ESports are a big deal with millions of dollars in prize money. Another popular game, DotA 2, last year had a prize pool of 20.7 million US dollars for the international tournament. Overwatch has only been around for just over a year, but already has over 30 million players worldwide.

Andrew practises Overwatch around two hours per day, but you would be mistaken if you think this gets in the way of other endeavours. Andrew does debating, learns the piano, is percussionist for the orchestra, and is an Excellence endorsed Student. He is a fantastic example of an OBs boy who is committed, finds a balance in life, and strives for excellence in all he does. 

We wish Andrew the best and look forward to following New Zealand's progress in the world cup.