In a momentous achievement for Tauranga Boys’ College, the school’s 1st XI hockey team has secured the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Rankin Cup for the first time in the tournament’s 100-year history.

The victory, which took place on Saturday, marks a historic milestone for the school and adds a new chapter to the long-standing tradition of secondary school hockey. The cup, established in 1923, represents the pinnacle of that level of hockey in New Zealand.

For Tauranga Boys’ College, the triumph is particularly significant as it ends a long wait since their closest previous achievement — a runner-up finish in 2003.

Tauranga Boys' College 1st XI playing in the final of the Rankin Cup. Photo: Sally Valois.

The final match against Timaru Boys’ High School was a dramatic and hard-fought contest. After a gripping 1-1 draw at the end of regular play, the game went into a penalty shootout. It concluded with a 4-4 tie, leading to a sudden-death scenario.

In this high-pressure situation, Tauranga Boys’ emerged victorious through a combination of scoring a decisive goal, and then goalkeeper Oliver Pugh making a crucial winning save. The final moments were tense, as the team’s defence and goalkeeping played a pivotal role in clinching the title.

Coach Mark Page described the win as a significant breakthrough.

“It was an incredibly close match, and to finally win the Rankin Cup after such a long time is a monumental achievement for us,” Page said.

“The cup has been contested for over a century, and this win is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with our hockey programme.”

Tauranga Boys’ College goalie Oliver Pugh. Photo: Sally Valois.

The cup features 32 teams from across the country, with the top 16 teams competing for the Rankin Cup and the remaining 16 teams vying for the India Shield.

This format ensures a high level of competition throughout the week-long event, which was held at the Tauranga Hockey Centre, a venue that requires three turfs to accommodate such a large-scale tournament.

“The Tauranga Hockey Centre is awesome. Tauranga Hockey Association did a great job hosting and New Zealand Hockey does a great job running the tournament too.”

Page said the tournament has been previously held in Tauranga in 2018, where he also was involved as a coach. An English teacher at Tauranga Boys’, Page has worked there since 2007 and is also the director of hockey for the college. He is also the 1st XI hockey coach.

Page said he felt calmer as the week went on, despite the high excitement as they moved through each game.

“I could feel the team was in a good groove and they were building game by game. And the belief within the team just increased as the week went on.

“In the first game against St Andrew’s College we had to come from behind to get the draw. At the time I told the boys it could have been a very important point to earn. Ultimately, we didn’t need that point but it showed some fight, and it showed some grit.

“And then we came out the next day and really got our goal scoring going with the 7-1 win against Cambridge. And from there, as long as things went our way, and it’s a hard tournament so you need lots of things to go your way - then I felt we’d be in with a good shot,” said Page.

Tauranga Boys' College 1st XI celebrating after winning the final of the Rankin Cup. Photo: Sally Valois.

Throughout the week, Tauranga Boys’ College showcased impressive performances and strategic prowess. Their journey to the final involved a series of tough matches.

The team opened the tournament with a 2-2 draw against St Andrew’s Collegiate from Christchurch. They followed up with a dominant 7-1 victory over Cambridge High School and a narrow 3-2 win against Wellington College in their final pool game. In the knockout stages, they defeated Auckland Grammar School 2-1 in the round of 16, outplayed Palmerston North Boys’ 4-0 in the quarterfinals, and overcame Westlake Boys’ 2-0 in the semifinals.

Page noted that the team’s progression through the tournament was marked by consistent improvement and growing confidence.

“Each game was a learning experience and a chance to build momentum. The way the team adapted and performed under pressure was remarkable,” Page said.

He also highlighted the critical moments in the final, where the team’s composure and resilience were tested to the fullest.

Tauranga Boys’ College Principal Andrew Turner expressed immense pride in the team’s historic achievement.

“The heart rate was certainly up, that’s for sure,” said Turner. “Saturday’s final was an absolute thriller. We’re incredibly proud of their achievement. Wins like this don’t happen by chance; they are the result of a lot of behind-the-scenes work by coaches, support staff, and the students themselves.

“I’m very impressed with the boys’ composure and ability to be able to execute under pressure.”

Turner praised the dedication and expertise of the coaching staff, particularly Page.

“The coaching team do a mountain of work behind the scenes to prepare the boys, and those results are the fruit of the hard work that’s gone in. We’re really grateful,” said Turner.

“While Mark teaches English, he also has a passion for hockey which he passes on to the boys, which is really special.”

Tauranga Boys’ player Jett Chatfield in action at the final. Photo: Sally Valois.

Page, who has been with Tauranga Boys’ College since 2007 and is an English teacher by profession, has played a vital role in the development of the school’s hockey program. His involvement in coaching and managing the team reflects his deep commitment to the sport.

Page recalled his own experiences as a player in the tournament, having competed in the Rankin Cup for King’s High School in Dunedin during 1997 and 1998.

“Watching King’s High School win the Rankin Cup in Christchurch in 2019, with my former coach Dave Ross still at the helm after 30 years, was incredibly inspiring,” Page said. “I had that on my mind as the week went on, just, how cool it would be.”

He said the Tauranga Boys’ win is for the boys, their families, and all the coaches that have had an input into them over the years.

“While Dhiren Rugnathji the manager and I have our names on the team sheet this year, we were just the guiding hands this time around. It’s a team game to raise a player up. That’s what I’m most happy for – all the effort from all the people.”

Page said at Tauranga Boys’ they have a good hockey ‘DNA’.

“We have a rich history of excellent coaching and strong player development. This win is for everyone who has been part of our hockey programme over the years,” Page noted.

He highlighted the contributions of previous coaches and staff, including Stephen Graham, Logan Gemming, and Gill Gemming, who have all played significant roles in shaping the team.

“And Rob Leslie, who’s been working at the college since 1979 and who was the teacher in charge of hockey before Dhiren took the role over a couple of years ago,” said Page.

“This was Rob’s dream final - he is a Timaru Boys’ High School old boy. But after 45 years at TBC, including coaching the team to 3rd in 1980, he was happier than anyone at the final whistle.

“There’s a long history of people trying really hard, so it’s been great to do it for them, and do it for the boys.”

Tauranga Boys' College 1st XI playing in the final of the Rankin Cup. Photo: Sally Valois.

Looking ahead, Page is focused on sustaining the team’s success. With a squad comprising students from Year 11, 12, and 13, the team is expected to retain several key players for the next season.

He thinks next year they will have eight of the winning team back.

“We carry a squad of 18. We lose a chunk, but we’ve got some good players who will fill those gaps and there’s always good young players coming through.

“The guys who were there this year will be a year older and a year wiser and step into those roles.”

Although Tauranga Boys’ has a strong rugby heritage, they’ve been competing in hockey for a long time.

“While we haven’t won the Rankin Cup until now, most years people saw Tauranga Boys’ College as a strong opponent. They would know that’s not going to be an easy game,” said Page.

Stephen Graham has been coaching the team for the last couple of years and played 26 tests for the Black Sticks as a goalie. Andy Hayward, also a Black Stick from Tauranga Boys’ College presented the medals to the winning team on Saturday.

“That was really special for the boys,” said Page.

“Stephen Graham and Andy Hayward played together in the 2003 team that unfortunately lost the final. So, it was a nice kind of full circle moment.

“More recently, we’ve had Hamish McGeorge, who was head boy of the college in 2014. Since Steve and Andy, we’ve had many boys selected for the NZ U18s but no regular Black Sticks.

“For example, this year, Jett Chatfield was named in the New Zealand U18 team. And two old boys from 2023 – Aiden Bax and Kaleb Adolph have also been named in the New Zealand U18 team, and Aiden was also named in the New Zealand Junior Black Sticks.

“And this year’s captain was Adam Bax who is Aiden’s younger brother.”

Tauranga Boys' College 1st XI playing in the final of the Rankin Cup. Photo: Sally Valois.

Page said he looked up some statistics on Sunday morning.

“Across the tournament, we conceded the second lowest number of goals with seven. Only two teams conceded less than that and one of them was Timaru, which we played in the final.

“But across the week, we scored more goals than Timaru, so our goal difference ended up being better than theirs.

“We had two shutouts in the knockout stages of the tournament - two games where we didn’t let in any goals. We beat Palmerston 4-0 and beat Westlake 2-0. No other team that made the top eight had two shutouts in the knockout stages.

“Our defence was obviously a key to the win, and our two goalies, Taylor Groves and Oliver Pugh were massively strong for us throughout the week.

“We also gave away the fewest number of penalty points or fewest cards across the week. So not only were we disciplined on attack and defence, but we were also very disciplined on the field, and I think ultimately, they represented themselves and their families with distinction.”

The triumph of the 1st XI hockey team is a significant milestone for Tauranga Boys’ College, which has also seen success in other sports. The school’s 1st XI football team reached the final of the national championships, while the volleyball team secured a national title and the 1st XV rugby team had an outstanding season, winning the Super Eight.

Turner concluded by emphasising the broader impact of the victory on the school community.

“We have talented kids in our community and what we try to do is provide a program that meets their needs and grows them to reach their potential. Some years you see them really benefit from that and this has been one of those years for us, which is awesome,” said Turner.

As the celebration continues, Page and his coaching staff will begin planning for the future, aiming to build on this historic achievement and to ensure that Tauranga Boys’ College remains a strong competitor in secondary school hockey for years to come.

Page said while the job for the 1st XI coach is done for the year, the work for the director of hockey kicks in.

“It’s about planning for next year and trying to sustain this. It never ends.”