Wesley College hits a new milestone

Founded in 1844, Wesley College in South Auckland is the oldest school in the country.

This year another significant milestone has been reached. Thirty years has passed since girls were admitted in 1985.

Wesley remains a predominately boys school; girls are outnumbered nine to one, but female athletes have had a real impact recently.

In 2013, Katofoekina Veainu became the first female to win the Victor ludorum as the schools' top athlete.

Veainu  was a member of the Black Ferns rugby team and was a Counties age-group basketball, sevens and touch representative as well as the schools' athletics and swimming champion. She is the brother of former Crusaders rugby player Telusa Veainu and shifted to Auckland after the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011.

In 2014, history repeated when Malia Palusa won the Victor ludorum. She too was the schools' athletics and swimming champion. She represented Counties in age group basketball and was capped by the Counties women's rugby team and Pukekohe senior basketball team.

Deputy Headmaster Chris Bean says having girls win the Victor ludorum has been huge for the school.

"In the past girls have been sensitive about putting themselves out there in front of a lot of boys. They have found it a bit daunting. The success of Katofoekina and Malia has really changed that."

Michaela Leaupepe and Sia Puamau are two girls carrying on the recent traditional of female success at Wesley. 

Michaela is the cousin of former Samoan rugby international George Leaupepe. She is an accomplished netball player having made the Auckland reps for five consecutive years from Year 7 to Year 11. She plays in defence and admires former Silver Fern Catherine Latu.

The Year 12 student has also played for the Auckland mixed under-21's. Michaela says she enjoys "tussling with the boys." 

There has to be three boys on the court at any given time. Michaela laughs, "they are physical, but not as smart as us."

Before coming to Wesley, Michaela was on scholarship at St. Kentigern College. Why did she leave the private Auckland school?

"My day is a teacher here. I wanted to change. I really like it here."

St. Kent's is a vastly superior netball school to Wesley. St. Kent's won the Auckland competition while Michaela was in the team. Why leave a school that offers a stronger competition?

"My schooling is not just about netball. It's about my studies and my friends."

Netball has improved  considerably at Wesley.  Wesley won the Wednesday Counties Schools' competition in 2014 and was fifth in the premier Counties grade. Last year the achieved a national ranking of 39th or  seventh in the division two National championships. Wesley has never been nationally ranked.

Michaela says Wesley's goal is to get into the top division of the Nationals and to do that they would have to finish in the top two of the B grade event this year. Michaela insists the goal is achievable:

"We have improved lots and will continue to work hard. If you put your mind to it you can do anything."

Wesley College has a formidable reputation in rugby. They have won the National First XV championship five times and produced the great Jonah Lomu.   

Sia Puamau laughs, "the girls are famous to."

Sia is a loose-forward in the First XV. She has represented Counties at an age group level and with another strong season could push for honours in the senior side.

Wesley's girls only started playing rugby two years ago. Sia explains how far girls rugby has come at the college.

"There used to only be a ten-aside competition because Counties wasn't promoting it probably, but the girls have proven we are more than capable of playing the fifteens."

Last year Wesley beat Manurewa High School in the first round of the Counties competition, but lost narrowly in the final. Manurewa just missed out on the National Top Four. 

Sia also plays netball and basketball and says sport has provided her with "great opportunities."

Note: Wesley' new headmaster Steve Hargreaves is the National masters 100m, 200m ,400m and javelin champion in the 45-49 age group. Hargreaves comes from Macleans College in Auckland. He says he can't believe the raw talent that exists at Wesley. With such sporting pedigree coming from the top, Wesley might became known for more than just its rugby in the future.

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