A great day of action between PNBHS & Wellington College. Check out some photos and results below.

Results from the exchange

• Senior A Debating: win
• Senior B Debating: loss
• Colts Rugby: 65 - 12 win
• 1st XI Football: 4-2 win
• 2nd XI Football: 1 - 1 draw
• Junior A Debating: loss
• Junior B Debating: win
• Junior A Football: 7 - 3 win
• Junior A Basketball: 64 - 69 loss
• Colts Hockey: 2 - 0 win
• 1st XI Hockey: 6 -1 win
• Premier A Basketball: 100-71 win

Match Reports

PNBHS 1st XI Football

1st XI Football played Wellington College yesterday in the annual exchange, winning 4–2. Boys’ High started well, dominating both territory and possession early in the match. After 10 minutes, Boys’ High were rewarded with this effort, going 2 nil ahead with striker Ben Mori knocking in both goals. Not to be outdone, Wellington College struck back to narrow the scoreline. Shortly after, Ben Mori struck again, beating the goalie at the “near post”, taking the score to 3-1 into the break.

After halftime, Wellington College stepped up the tempo and began to string together some passes, resulting in a goal, which put pressure back onto the home team. However, Ben Mori found the back of the net to “seal the deal”, giving Boys’ High the win.

Of note, Bay Shi played his first game for the 1st XI, making a favourable impression. The four goals by Ben Mori was also an outstanding effort, supplemented by solid games from captain Mason Charlton and Brooklyn Browne in goal.

The 1st XI would like to thank our team sponsors: PlaceMakers Palmerston North and JG Residential.

2nd XI Football

The match between the PNBHS 2nd XI Football v Wellington College ended in a 1-1 draw, where Boys' High levelled the scores in the 87th minute. A good battled ensued and for periods of the game some really good football was played. Boys' High had plenty of opportunities to put the game away in the first half, however Wellington were first to score through a wonder strike into the top right corner. The second half saw Wellington tighten the screws and through some well structured and composed football, kept the pressure on Boys' High. However, the boys weathered the storm and pinched an equaliser through some good build up play and a pinpoint through ball from Ashton Castell-Spence to Thomas Bell who slotted the goal.This team is full of potential and are only going to get better. Stand out performances from Matt Watson, Dom Rankin and Ashton Castell-Spence. Also, a thank you to John Blackwell for joining the team as injury cover at short notice. Great work boys!A big thank you to Year 12 student Hunter Morton for the photos!

Junior XI Football

A new playing system this year has seen our coaching staff demand a higher level of game understanding from our young men. The first traditional fixture for the season also gave the Junior XI players an opportunity to size themselves up against a similar age group opposition after playing preseason and grading games in the U19 Division.

After an unbridled first 15 minutes, Wellington College found the back of the net twice, taking advantage of defensive errors. The PNBHS players did well to keep their chins up and execute their player roles, constructing well-formed attacking movements. From this change in temperament, goal scoring opportunities came aplenty, with Zack, Xavier and Darren putting points on the board to lead at the half time whistle. Halftime score: 3-2.

The second half saw PNBHS start to dominate the game against a tiring WC team. After making numerous penetrating runs on the wing, Aiden F scored with a stunning finish. From the bench, Mateo injected additional speed up the front and was rewarded with a ‘right time, right place’ headed goal. WC held their own, putting away another in an attempt to get back into the game. In the closing minutes of the game, Darren notched up his hat-trick, getting on the end of a loose ball and tapping in for his third. Final score: 7-3 win.

The team and coaching staff will use these learnings to build from. The level of execution, especially in the early stages of the game, needs to be further elevated to achieve the season goals set out by the players.

U15 Colts Rugby

In only their first full game together the Colts produced an impressive performance against Wellington College. The forwards dominated set piece and provided a strong platform for the backs to play off. Unselfish played saw the team build phases, create line-breaks, and ultimately run in 11 tries.

Try scorers: Tom Ilston-Park x 3, Eli Oudenryn x 2, Braxton Wilson-Clune x 2, Sione Latu, Kylem Vunipola, Liam O'Connor, Kahn Mason.

Final Score: 65-12

A big thank you to the team sponsor McDonald's Manawatu for their on-going support. 

Premier A Basketball 

The first interschool of the year saw us playing Wellington College at Arena Manawatu on Wednesday. Wellington College got off to a good start with some good 3 point shooting from their centre, and the team had to work hard to initially stay in touch. Wellington College's lack of a ball carrier, and some improved defending from the Premier A's, saw PNBHS eventually claim the lead mid-way through the first quarter and by the end of the first quarter we had built a lead of 20 points.The game continued with PNBHS maintaining the lead and placing lots of pressure on the Wellington ball carriers. This pressure told and we were able to stretch the lead in the fourth quarter eventually winning 100 - 71. A great start to the interschool season.

Junior A Basketball 

The first traditional game of the season resulted in a narrow loss to a well drilled and efficient Wellington College. The Junior A team started well with Lewis Bertinshaw scoring the team’s first 9 points, but Wellington increased their defensive intensity and were able to slow the Boys' High scoring and took a 44-28 halftime lead. The second half was more even with both teams playing a more up-tempo game. Despite a valiant effort the Junior A team were unable to overcome the deficit of the first half. For PNBHS Lewis Bertinshaw had an outstanding game scoring 19 points.Final score: 64-69 loss

PNBHS 1st XI Hockey  

The 1st XI played their first traditional interschool match against Wellington College on Wednesday. The match started in a typically even fashion with Wellington College playing most of the quarter in their attacking half. Connor Managh managed to score the first goal against the run of play, giving PNBHS the advantage after the first quarter.

The momentum of the match began to swing in the second quarter with PNBHS solidifying their gameplan as they started to play with more confidence. Blake Rhodes- Robinson scored his first for the day. Malaki Masoe then converted a penalty corner giving PNBHS a 3-nil half time lead.

The second half saw PNBHS apply more pressure on the visiting side. However, Wellington College did manage to score early in the third quarter before PNBHS was awarded a penalty corner that was ably converted by Zac Buinimasi.

PNBHS wanted to press this advantage home, and a great passing game came to the fore in the final quarter of the match. Blake Rhodes-Robinson scored his second of the match and Malaki Masoe also scored his second from a penalty corner.

William Morgan had an outstanding game in the goal. This match was a comprehensive 6 – 1 win for the 1st XI Hockey Team and a great start to the day as they headed to the Wairarapa to play Rathkeale College that evening.

A big thank you to the team sponsor Hunting & Fishing Palmerston North for their on-going support.

PNBHS U15 Colts Hockey

The team won their match against Wellington College U15 Hockey team 2-0 during the annual exchange with Wellington College yesterday. The first quarter was evenly matched with both teams having shots on goal, but none converted. Throughout the second and third quarters the teams continued to battle, delivering a barrage of tackles and more attempts at goal, but still to no avail. Wellington College came into the fourth quarter firing on all cylinders with a penalty corner attempt at goal within two minutes. The PNBHS Colts soldiered on and started to play their game. Through perseverance and team work, a field goal was scored by Thomas van Rysewyk six minutes into the quarter and shortly after a goal by Will Roberts off a penalty corner, completing the 2-0 win. The team played later on that day against Feilding High School U15 Colts team to take home their second win for the day 8-0. 

A big thank you to the team sponsor Metro Glass for their on-going support. 

Senior A Debating

Team: Blake Storrier, Ollie Gillespie, Lucas Grapes
Moot: THW make those in forced isolation cost-share
Adjudicators Dr Geoff Watson and John Worthington

It has been six years since the Blewitt Cup last resided at Palmerston North Boys’ High School. But the reign of Wellington College is over. In a moot which brings to light many current issues facing governments around the globe, the Senior A presented a model in which all returning citizens to New Zealand would be required to cover 60% of the cost of their isolation. Their model was founded on three principals: economic benefits, equality and citizenship. Wellington College strongly contested the governments' right to require citizens to pay for their upkeep, claiming it is the job of the government to protect their people and that citizens should not be forced to pay for something the government should fund. Unfortunately Wellington College we’re unable to convincingly defend their model against the concept of taxation as a precedent for charging citizens the isolation cost in times of crisis and the Blewitt Cup has returned to its rightful place at Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

Senior B Debating  

Team: Lucas Richardson, Muhammad Huzaifa and John Hopcroft 

Moot: "This House would stop schools importing players for sports teams"

PNBHS (affirming) vs Wellington College (negating) PNBHS came out strong with the hardlines that schools are for education, not sports; that school sports are only to advertise the school and don't serve a useful purpose past that and that if you pay for an asset you will use it as such, disregarding other human factors. Wellington College's case was built around sports being a gateway to better opportunities and that students from lower socio-economic brackets could enhance their potential learning opportunities by being imported into more prestigious schools. Ultimately, the debate hinged on one line from Wellington College that summed up the debate succinctly - "that keeping students in their rural schools is not home-grown talent, it is home-killed talent" - which clinched it for them in a very close debate.

Junior A Debating

Team: William Duncan, Phoenix Harvey and Alex Hindmarsh

Moot: This House would make it compulsory for all signs to be in Te Reo Māori and English. Junior A (affirming) vs Wellington College (negating)

A hotly contested debate with many emotive points made by both sides, and both sides seemed to have a common goal: the enhancement of the mana of Te Reo Māori within the public space of Aotearoa. The Junior A's made a very strong case for all government signs to be in both languages as it is virtually mandated by the first article of the Treaty of Waitangi and it helps celebrate the multicultural heritage of New Zealand. Wellington College came back strongly with the assertion that doing this is merely lip service and for Te Reo to thrive it would be necessary for signs to be exclusively in Te Reo. Even though they strayed from the moot significantly, and at times appeared to perpetuate the inherent racism in such a claim, it seemed to win over the adjudicators in a very close debate. It was a pity that style won over substance in this Junior debate as Wellington College were deemed to have carried the day.

Junior B Debating

Team: Torrence Cheung, Noah McCallum, Jayden Paddison
Moot: This House supports a parent's right to spy on their children's online activity
Adjudicator: William Wood

Each team presented a thorough case on the merits and demerits of permissible spying by parents on their children in a well reasoned and very logical debate. The Junior B team presented a model in which parents would have the opportunity to mirror their child’s screen should they wish to. The mainstay of their argument was that although this was a breach in privacy, in the age of technology, stranger danger no longer stops at the threshold of the home, but rather, the biggest danger to youths today is coming to them through their devices. Wellington College rebutted with concerns around breach of trust and the necessity to develop an understanding of the dangers of the internet, however, the debate ultimately went in favour of the Junior Bs with the quip, we don’t hand children the keys to a car without first ensuring that we have trained them how to use it.