This year, Waitākere College had six teams competing in various national and regional tournaments during Winter Tournament Week.

We sent our Boys and Girls 1st XI Football teams, Boys and Girls Premier Basketball teams, Premier Girls Netball team, and six wrestlers from our Wrestling Training Team.

A huge thank you to all the coaches, managers, and helpers who attended the tournaments with our teams.

Boys First XI Football

After a challenging league season, the boys were excited to test themselves and start fresh at the Rex Dawkins Football Tournament, hosted at Huapai Domain.

The tournament began with a tough 5–2 loss to Hillcrest High School. Despite the result, the boys showed glimpses of their potential and went on to produce some impressive performances in the group stage, recording a 5–2 win over Sancta Maria College, a 3–0 win over One Tree Hill College, and a 7–1 win over Tauhara College. Jared Soma grabbed a hat-trick against Tauhara, while Ardy Swainson-Whaanga scored what many considered the goal of the tournament with a long-range effort into the top corner.

These results set up a crucial final group match against Pakuranga College, with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals. Waitākere produced an excellent defensive performance and secured a 1–0 victory thanks to a goal from Ash Perry, sending the team through to the quarter-finals.

The boys faced King’s College in the quarter-finals, a side they had previously played during the league season and knew would provide a tough challenge. Unfortunately, Waitākere fell to a 3–0 defeat.

Over the remaining days, the team battled through injuries, fatigue, and illness as they competed to finish as high as possible. Despite the challenges, the boys finished an impressive 8th out of 23 teams.

The Player of the Tournament was awarded to Ardy Swainson-Whaanga, who demonstrated superb technical ability and excellent fitness throughout the tournament, consistently dominating opposition midfielders.

Girls First XI Football

Last week, the Girls 1st XI competed at the Kathy Seaward Tournament in Onehunga. After a challenging five games in pool play, the team finished fifth in their group, with several matches being closely contested and capable of going either way.

After finding their rhythm, the girls finished the tournament strongly, winning their final three games convincingly. This included a 5–0 victory over Sancta Maria College, a 1–0 win against Albany Senior High School, and a 3–0 victory over Papatoetoe, securing 17th place overall.

Paenunu Tepapauoatua was named Tournament MVP for her excellent performances as a stand-in goalkeeper and in midfield. Aimee Dickins finished as the team’s top goalscorer, while Chelsea Devcich Wulf was recognised for making the most improvement across the eight games.

Premier Boys Basketball

The Senior Boys Basketball team competed at the Northern Qualifiers as part of Winter Tournament Week. The boys finished pool play tied for fourth after a valiant effort against Premier Grade schools. Unfortunately, due to point differential, the team entered the bottom half of the draw.

The boys finished the tournament strongly, winning three of their four games in the lower draw, including a dominant 40-point victory.

A special shout-out to our Year 13s, Heber Gasu and Christopher Delaibau, who concluded their time as part of the Waitākere College basketball programme. We wish them all the best for the future.

Premier Girls Basketball

The Senior A Girls Basketball team competed at the AA Premiership National Qualifying Tournament for the first time in over 25 years. The girls rose to the challenge, pushing top teams throughout the week and earning a particularly satisfying win over Carmel.

A quarter-final against the current and four-time national champions, Westlake, required a strategic approach, managing injuries and preserving players for the crucial national qualifying match that followed. This was a high-stakes game, not only for Nationals contention but also because it was against Epsom, a team our girls had a score to settle with.

From the opening whistle, Waitākere dominated. Our defensive pressure proved too much for Epsom, resulting in a commanding 74–56 victory and securing our place at Nationals. The team finished a very respectable 6th overall, ahead of three Premier Grade teams – a strong statement heading into next season.

Congratulations to the girls, and all the best for Nationals in the first week of the holidays.

Premier Netball

The Premier Netball team had a successful week in Hamilton at the Upper North Island Secondary Schools Competition (UNISS). Going into the tournament with the goals of strength, talk, and trust, the team focused on building connections and coming together, which they achieved throughout the week.

The girls played 10 tough games, winning six and losing four to finish 9th out of 32 teams in A Grade. Some key performances included a 38–29 win over St Cuthbert’s, a closely fought 28–27 loss to St Kentigern’s, and a convincing 37–17 win over St Doms in their final game to secure 9th place and a strong pool for 2027.

Standout players included Belle Ah Van for her consistency in the circle, Vanesah Mapa-Tupou and Adria Gawn for their defensive combination, and Belle Porter and Paige Kopittke for their impressive performances in the midcourt.

A special congratulations to Belle Ah Van, who was selected in the A Grade Tournament Team for the third consecutive year – a fantastic way to finish her Waitākere College career.

We also congratulate our Year 13 players, Belle Ah Van, Adria Gawn, Peyton Nathan, Madison-Rose Folau, and Gia Brown-Albert, on their outstanding journey from Year 9 through to Year 13. Thank you for your service to Waitākere College Netball, and we wish you all the best for the future.

Wrestling

As part of Winter Tournament Week, six Waitākere College students competed at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Wrestling Championships on Monday. As the premier secondary school wrestling competition in New Zealand, the event brought together wrestlers from schools across the country, including current New Zealand and Oceania representatives.

The Waitākere College team produced an outstanding set of results, with Tyler-James Hutchinson finishing 1st, Ahmed Adnan finishing 2nd, and Joshua Dittmar and Ngakirikiri Marupo both finishing 3rd in their respective age and weight categories.

A big thank you to Mr Te’o for supporting the students throughout the day and providing valuable tactical advice, encouragement, and motivation.