Scotch College

Hockey skills lift after great NZ tour

Words: Stephen Jenkins – Captain of Hockey

Nineteen Scotch hockey players, together with Messrs John Flynn and Sam Black, coach Colin White and umpire James Black, enjoyed a wonderful tour of New Zealand during April, and improved their hockey skills immensely.

In Auckland we played a well-prepared Westlake Boys’ High School side, who defeated us 5-2, and then the elite hockey team of King’s College, for a meritorious 7 goals to 1 loss. Our third and fourth games were against Hamilton Boys’ High (a 3-all draw) and New Plymouth Boys’ High (a 6-1 loss).

Next came four days of rest and relaxation, including a trek to the summit of Mt Taranaki (elevation 2,518m) and a visit to Lake Taupo, where we enjoyed some thrilling jet-boating at Huka falls, played golf, and went trout fishing and white-water rafting.

Then it was back to hockey, and a hard-fought 4-1 loss to Napier Boys’ High School and a very narrow 1-0 defeat by Tauronga Boys’ College, who were seeded second in the school rankings in New Zealand; and a creditable 4-2 defeat by the top-ranked Auckland Grammar School. In the final game of the tour, against Rangitoto College, the boys achieved a good 5-5 draw. .

The tour finished with a great evening at the home of the Auckland Grammar captain.

The tour was a big success. Many thanks to Mr Black and Mr Flynn for organising a hockey experience which will be with the boys forever. Thanks to James Black for umpiring all our games and Colin for his coaching, which turned every team member into a better hockey player.