It’s been a busy few weeks in the sporting world at Rangi Ruru! We are moving at pace towards the pointy end of the sporting term with teams and individuals involved in a wider variety of events and activities and with Canterbury, South Island and national tournaments filling the calendar.

We wish all individuals and teams the best as they head into their pinnacle events. Most of all, we hope you enjoy yourselves and represent Rangi Ruru with pride.

What is Just Play?

This year we have introduced a new term – Just Play – to our process of signing up for hākinakina. This phrase has evolved from an increased awareness and understanding that not all young people/rangatahi want to ‘trial’. In fact the very notion of trialing can put our young people off sporting involvement.

To try and combat that, this year many of our offerings are promoting a Just Play session. The aim of this is to encourage our wāhine to come along and "just play" and we will put you into teams.

The notion of trials will still remain and we will still select A teams. However, it is vital we have a place for all students to be active and involved. Our hope is that Just Play sessions will allow for and encourage participation for all.

Sign up and come along to just play!

Winter Sport Trials – Sign Ups Now Underway

Sign ups continue for winter sport with Just Play and Open Sessions scheduled to kick in from late February. Students can sign up here: WINTER SPORT SIGN UPS

Please note - Signs up for Years 7 and 8 winter sport options and all other sport options, will be available later in Term 1.

School Athletics – Monday, February 13

Congratulations to the following students who are our age group champions for 2023:

Yr 7/8 Champion
Zoe Hurring – 110 points

Runner Up
Daisy Fitchett – 70 points

U14 Champion
Toia Sheed – 90 points

Joint Runners Up
Sofia Harris & Nicole Ridd – 70 points

U15 Champion
Blaise France – 120 points

Runner Up
Zara McDonnell – 90 points

U16 Champion
Meg Edwards – 150 points

Runner Up
Ava Rattray – 80 points

Senior Champion
Finella Guttmann – 135 points

Runner Up
Arabelle McGuckin – 80 points

We look forward to seeing our athletes in action at the Canterbury Secondary School Athletics Championships in the coming week. 

School Swimming Finals – Thursday, March 2

It was a fast (and hot!) afternoon in the pool last week for the School Swimming finals. Some great racing, lots of colour, clan spirit and awesome displays of grit and determination. Several records were broken – check these out below:

U14 – Sofia Harris broke the 50m Breastroke record while Maddy Young broke the 50m Backstroke and 50m Fly records.

Senior – Florence Nelson broke the 50m Free and Fly while Aggie Weston broke the 50m Breastroke record.

In ParaSwimming – Gaby Smith set new records in all events.

Swimming Champions in each age group are determined by points awarded for placing 1st-4th in swimming in A and B finals.

Congratulations to the 2023 Age Group Swimming Champions as below:

Yr 7/8 Champion
Arden Leeds – 180 points

Runner Up
Cleo Newman – 100 points

U14 Champion
Sofia Harris – 160 points

Runner Up
Maddy Young – 105 points

U15 Champion
Emily Carr – 140 points

Runner Up
Jessica Drury – 115 points

U16 Champion
Ella Harris – 130 points

Runner Up
Addie Voight – 115 points

Senior Champion
Florence Nelson – 187.5 points

Runner Up
Grace Haydon – 110 points

Congratulations to Glamis who took out the Junior Freestyle relay and Balmoral who took out the Senior event.

Looking for Sports Draws?!

The weekly sport draw can be found on The Hub: Sport + Draws

What's New

Every term we intend to profile some of the sporting options on offer at Rangi Ruru – and in particular those which are new to our programme and showing steady growth. Check out the latest in Paihikara Maunga / Mountain Biking written by our teacher supporting our mountain bikers each week, Ms Sherrilee Herangi-Harrison. A massive thanks to Ms Herangi-Harrison for her support of the group this term.

Kia ora koutou,

The summer season has finally started after two rained off Wednesdays. Six of our seven riders started a cross country series of races on Wednesday, March 1 and will continue for the next few Wednesdays at Halswell Quarry with races scheduled at different times for the varying grades.

For some of our riders this is a completely new experience. We are ably supported by wonderful parents who ensure transporation to and from school in order that our students can compete. Many thanks to the Gray and Woodfield whānau. As the support teacher I was very impressed with the manaakitanga that Juliet Freeman showed to our team at the event and the way our senior riders Rebekah Skinner and Indy Philips supported our junior riders Sophie Sara, Sophie Gray and Hollie Tribble. The event organisers and marshalls commented that Rangi Ruru have the most female riders racing. The sport of mountain biking is truly alive and well at Rangi Ruru. Whaia tō te rangi!

Special mention to Vesper Woodfield and Juliet Freeman who both competed in the Torpedo 7 National Cross Country Championship held recently in Queenstown, Coronet Peak on Saturday February 25 with Vesper achieving 1st place in the U15 female catergory and Juliet finishing 6th in the U17 female catergory. Both of these brilliant and capable riders followed that up by competing the very next day in the Torpedo 7 National Downhill Championship at the same venue. Vesper placing 5th in the U15 and Juliet placing 8th. The downhill event saw them shredding exactly the same trail with world famous elite racers! Super exciting for them, their whānau and the supporters alike.

Juliet and Ruby Hewitt also achieved awesome success at the NZ National Enduro Champs at the beginning on the month. The enduro event was run over six stages, with riders pedaling to the top of each stage to race the timed downhill sections. A fantastic weekend had by both Ruby and Juliet, with Ruby placing 2nd in U19 and Juliet placing 1st in U17.

Mountain biking is not for the faint hearted and requires grit and determination. Hurling yourself down a hill at impresive speeds is dangerous and challenging and really shows the courage these young wāhine have. Riding varying terrain uphill, traversing and then down again in cross country within a certain time limit requires commitment and discipline. It is a joy to watch these riders commit, learn, sweat and achieve in this adrenalin filled sport. I look forward to watching them in their chosen sport.

#mtb #girlscandoanything #shredders

Sherrilee Herangi-Harrison
Teacher supporting MTB 2023

Year 7 and 8 Hākinakina

Students have been having a great time learning new skills across futsal, volleyball, water polo, tennis, touch and cricket. It has been fabulous to see students participating and trying something new.

Our Touch Gold and Blue teams, futsal team, Tennis Whero and Kahurangi and cricket team all participated in CAIMS Summer Tournament this week. All teams had such a fantastic time and have all come away with some memorable experiences.

We have an action-packed couple of weeks of sport ahead of us:

• Tuesday March 14 - CAIMS Triathlon – Beau Collier, Eden Peti and Cleo Newman
• Tuesday April 4 – CAIMS Swimming – Students who have qualified will be contacted

Tuesday sport period has now finished for Term 1. In Periods 5 and 6 for the rest of the term students will be participating in PE. All Years 7 and 8 students are to continue to wear their PE uniform every Tuesday.

Nicole Sinclair
Head of Year 7 and 8 Sport

Sports Staff Overview

Ms Mandy Anderson Director of Sport

Mrs Melissa Brooks Assistant Director of Sport

Mrs Nicole Sinclair Sports Coordinator – Head of Year 7/8 Sport

Miss Trisha Hopcroft Sports Coordinator

Mrs Anna Kennedy Sports Coordinator - Netball

Mrs Sally Goldsmith Equestrian Manager

Ms Olivia Ling Rowing Manager

Mr Ross Kennedy Strength & Conditioning Coach

Ms Paula Rule Mental Skills Coach

Mrs Lesley Joyce Fitness Centre Manager