SPORT Rugby
In many ways, the rugby season came down to the last three minutes of a postponed final in Nelson. For some, the 1st XV loss in those final minutes was painful. For others, it was an opportunity to finetune systems and processes for the future. It was a remarkable game and testimony to all the hard work by the boys, coaches, and management of the 2021 1st XV. The introduction of underweight grades at every level in 2021 created an opportunity for our late developers to have fun and play with their mates. It means our boys can now play against others of similar size and shape, and I believe this is the future of our sport as it will keep boys in the game. I was amazed at the enthusiasm and passion in these grades. The matches were fast and the skill levels very high. Our U75kg White versus Black was one of the highlights of the season, and easily as exciting as any match played on Upper. We are fortunate to have so many accomplished and passionate coaches who provide all our players with opportunities to improve at every training session. Our rugby programme is blessed to have such great people and this creates the fun and improvement in our players that we all cherish. In 2021, all our rugby teams were fortunate to have at least two coaches and a manager preparing sides each week. When we reflect on the season, we also look at those selected in higher teams, and our injury and rehabilitation statistics. College had 11 players selected for the Crusaders schools’ training squad – the most of any school in the Crusaders’ region. Six were selected in the final team that faced Otago.
Six players who left College in 2020 made the Canterbury U19; four Old Boys from the past four years were selected in the Canterbury A team and we had five players selected for the Metro U16. With our two current All Blacks, Joe Moody and Damian McKenzie, College rugby is having a major impact on New Zealand rugby at all levels. In 2021, we suffered our lowest injury rate to date. There were no concussions at 1st XV level for the first time and very few injuries overall. This is unique considering the 1st XV plays 18 high-intensity matches against far bigger teams each season. This is testimony to our focus on safety and the skills and the techniques needed in today’s game. Our rehabilitation and back-to-play protocols are a unique feature of our programme. From a diagnosis perspective, we are incredibly fortunate to have so many Old Boy parent doctors and specialists who support our lads. This is a major point of difference for College sport in general. I am often asked the reason for our success and why we develop so many leaders and elite sportsmen. My one answer is ‘balance’. By providing all our boys with a balanced sport and co-curricular programme, we provide them with diversity of thought and actions. They come into the rugby programme each season, fresh and enthusiastic, bringing new ideas and strategies from their other pursuits into the rugby environment. This balance creates a diverse set of contacts, discussion, and analysis of topics. From this, a strong brotherhood develops, with all boys enjoying a large support base that, in return, supports them. We had 190 players registered in
2021, with eight teams. We are not a large programme, but our teams have produced some fantastic results. Five teams made the quarter-final games, and the U15A and 1st XV made the finals. The U15 did not play the final because of Covid-19, so the U15 title was shared with St Thomas of Canterbury College. The U14A and U14B team both performed remarkably well and could have made their finals. Unfortunately, Covid-19 cancelled the U16 Quad and South Island U15 tournaments. MiC: Stephen Dods 1ST XV RUGBY Manager: Neil Porter Coach: Ross Kennedy Assistant coach: Sam Broomhall, Sam Chamberlain Trainer: Kris Miller Physio: Ben Ardagh Team: Johnny Lee (captain), Nathan McKenzie (vice-captain), Anton Marshall (vice-captain), Jack Belcher, Louis Bethell, Ash Cassidy, George Goodman, Marcus Hamilton, Angus Hammett, Sam Idiens, Liam Jack, Ethan Jones, Jack Jones, Gus Orr, Sean Rutherford-Bradford, Jayden Sa, Nic Shearer, Ollie Shore, Jack Smith, Callum Summerfield, Hendrix Taylor, Jackson Thomas, Tom Thyne, Flynn Topham, Benji Ward, Sam Whitaker The 2021 season started with the traditional ‘Going to the Well’ exercise, which tested the senior playing group, both mentally and physically. This was followed by a training camp, in conjunction with Dilworth School from Auckland. The finale of this camp was a ‘game of
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Register 2021 Sport
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