Winter Sports Tournament 2024

This year Hillcrest High School had 8 teams competing in tournaments for football, netball, hockey, basketball and climbing.

Football

This year’s Winter Tournament Week was a showcase of our school’s football talent and potential, featuring impressive performances from both our boys’ and girls’ teams, along with several standout achievements across various competitions. Here are the highlights:

Girls’ 1st XI – NZSS Tournament in Nelson

Our Girls’ 1st XI football team travelled to Nelson for the NZSS Tournament. Captain Maddy Kay reflected on the experience:

“The NZSS Tournament in Nelson was our main focus throughout the season, and we went down ready to fight for a Top 16 spot. Unfortunately, the curse of the first-game loss struck again, and we narrowly missed the Top 16 after a hard-fought game against last year’s champions, Baraden, losing out by one goal. However, the team’s resilience was amazing, and we fought our way to the bowl semi-final, where some controversial officiating saw us fall 2-1 to Takapuna. We wrapped up the tournament with a 5-1 win, a great send-off for our Year 13 players. A massive thank you to our coach Gregory Hobson for his dedication, and to our manager Lee Te Kani, who has been vital to our success this season.”

Coach Greg Hobson echoed this sentiment:
“It was another solid performance at Nationals, finishing 19th overall, the same as last season. Despite missing the Top 16 by goal difference, this was one of the most unified teams I’ve coached. They supported each other through challenges and celebrated each success as a team.”

Boys’ 1st XI – Malcolm Cowie Tournament in Whangārei

The Boys’ 1st XI took part in the Malcolm Cowie Tournament in Whangārei, competing fiercely throughout. Captain Oisin Ballinger shared his thoughts on the experience:

“Tournament week was a highlight of the season. Despite our final placing not reflecting the effort we put in, we proved we belonged there, taking on some of the best teams in New Zealand. We started strong but faced some tough losses before bouncing back with impressive victories, including a 9-0 win over Papakura and a 3-1 victory against Whakatāne. We finished 23rd overall, but the boys learnt a lot, and we’re excited for next season.”

Coach Mr Michael Groom added:
“The Boys’ 1st XI displayed tremendous spirit and represented the school with pride throughout the tournament. Their teamwork, inspired by the Brazilian ethos of Jogo Bonito, was impressive, and their behaviour off the pitch was equally commendable. With many young players in the squad, the future looks bright.”

Junior Boys Premier – Hillsdene Tournament in Tauranga

The Junior Boys Premier team travelled to Tauranga for the Hillsdene Tournament, captained by Max Heslop, who reflected on their performance:

“Tournament week was a real highlight of the season for us. We trained hard and fundraised to get here, and while our final placing didn’t reflect our effort, we showed we could compete with the best. After a tough loss to Hamilton Boys’ High School, we drew 1-1 with Aquinas College and secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Gisborne Boys’. A close penalty shootout loss to St Paul’s Collegiate was followed by a victorious 6-4 penalty shootout win over Gisborne Boys’, ending our tournament on a high note.”

Acknowledgements for Tournament Week

Thank you to Girls’ 1st XI Coach Greg Hobson and Manager Lee Te Kani for their incredible dedication, support and expertise throughout the season and during the NZSS Tournament.

Thank you to Boys’ 1st XI  Coach Mr Michael Groom, Assistant Coach/Manager Ben Groom, and Team Manager/Referee Brett Chibnall for their guidance and passion during tournament week. A special mention to Season Manager Cellina Fraser for her efforts all season long.

Thank you to Junior Premier Boys Coach Luke Ashby, Tournament Manager David Hall, and extend a special mention to Season Manager Meli Tuiavii for their commitment and leadership throughout the season.

Special thanks to Sports Director Ben Kennedy for his continued support and dedication to the football programme, as well as for all his efforts in facilitating the success of tournament week.

Lastly, a huge thank you to the whānau and friends who have supported the teams with fundraising efforts and overall support, ensuring their success at tournament. Your contributions have been vital and much appreciated!

Further Football Achievements

• All the best to the Junior Girls Premier team, who will compete in the Knockout Cup final against St Peter’s School on the 28th of September, also at Korikori Park. Captain Leila Steward expressed her gratitude to the team:
  “The camaraderie and mutual support within the squad were instrumental in our team’s success. Every player in each position on the field has contributed to our collective achievements. As we strive to finish the season strong, we are reminded of what can be achieved through hard work, perseverance, and unity.”

• Congratulations to the Navy Senior Boys’ team, who came top of their division by winning 9 out of their 10 pool games. Coach John Ward praised the team’s spirit, stating, “The team demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and should be proud of their results and how they represented the school. Many of their victories were hard-won and were achieved through determination, skill, and teamwork.”

• Well done to the Boys’ 2nd XI who finished second in their competition. Notable wins included a 3-1 victory over Waihi after previously losing 7-2 to them earlier in the season, followed by a 1-0 win over St John’s after an earlier 6-0 loss. The team is through to the knockout A Cup final after making an incredible comeback from 2-0 down in the previous two rounds. Best of luck to coach Luke Kennedy and the team as they face Hamilton Boys’ High School Development in the final on 28th September at Korikori Park!

We are extremely proud of all our teams this season and wish the very best of luck to those heading into their finals!

Mr Josh Groom, Director of Football

Basketball

Junior Premier Boys – Rotorua

A very young inexperienced team gave it everything but couldn’t quite achieve any victories but got within a few points of a win in some games.

The boys will have gained a lot from the tournament and will set them up for next year.

It was pleasing to see them develop a strong Team bond where they supported each other in a tough competition.

Senior Girls – Auckland

The Girls were unlucky to be drawn in a tough pool with both the other teams in their pool making the Semi Finals and one going on to win the Tournament.

Both Pool games were close with the result in the 2nd game coming down to the final minutes  with an early start to the day and travel taking its toll.

The Team bounced back well with a Tournament high Score of 91-15 in their first game of day 2 and another solid win in game 2 to set them up for the 9th/10 playoff. They started well but a poor scoring conversion rate through the middle of the game had them 20 points down going into the last quarter. A 22 point run saw them gain the lead with second to go only to have it slip away at the end.

Having a short roster of only 8 players probably counted against them in the end but they can be proud of their efforts

Gordon Sim (Director of Basketball)

Netball

Going into UNISS we had just gained three year 9’s meaning 5 of our players were juniors, however, with the support and encouragement of our whole team and coaches we were able to help them feel welcome into the team and also help them grow as players. We started the week with a few losses but managed to pick it up and win 4 games while also having close losses and a draw. We ended up placing 24th and were lucky enough to stay in C grade and not get relegated. Even though our week was tough, we finished with our heads held high. Our team improved each game and worked well together to reflect on the things we needed to change to play better. We are proud of how we played at UNISS with standout performances from everyone all across the court. We made some great friendships with the girls from Kingsway School, and it was awesome bonding over the games and sharing some laughs along the way. We came together well and had some fun times at our camp which will leave us with lifelong memories. As the captains of this team, we are incredibly proud of the way our team persevered throughout the week, giving everything they had and maintaining a positive attitude. We would like to give a special acknowledgement to Arieta Kie Atatoa Carr for making the Magics Development Squad, this is a huge accomplishment and we’re very proud of her. Aria Maulder and Samara Cribb.

Hockey

After five years away from school tournaments Hillcrest 1st Girls entered the Tier 4 Mary Clinton Cup tournament at North Harbour. The focus for this group of players was to develop their hockey knowledge and understanding of tournament play. A tough draw saw the girls up against eventual winners Epsom Girls Grammar, Papamoa College and Sacred Heart in pool play. The team fought hard in all three games but were unable to secure a point. The closest match was against Papamoa where Hillcrest led 1-0 for around 40 minutes before an agonizing last six minutes in which Papamoa scored three goals.

This placed Hillcrest in the bottom four pool, and with some new goals set for the last three games the team regrouped. In the first match the team played some more consistent hockey and with more time on the ball managed to score five well constructed goals to defeat Taupo-Nui-a-Tia 5-0. In the afternoon match against Lynfield College, the enthusiasm of the morning’s win overshadowed the team’s focus and Hillcrest failed to convert their chances for a 0-0 draw. In the last match against Whakatane High School, Hillcrest scored twice in the third quarter to seal a 2-0 victory and finish in 25th place.

This was a really good experience for the team who are now looking to build on this experience for 2025. Thanks again to Robyn Richardson for her managerial expertise during the week and thanks to Aaron McNabb for being our tournament umpire. Richard Baggs (TiC Hockey).

Rockclimbing

8 students competed at the National Champs during the Winter tournament.

Sasha Melman collected 2 Bronze medals In Junior Girls Speed Climbing and Top Rope/Bouldering.

Claire and Liam Gwilliam both made finals for Speed climbing also.

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