Rongotai College - Capital Ambition

Rongotai College have been building a strong basketball roster for some time. Twice North Island Junior champions, Rongotai made the Nationals for the first time in two decades last year and achieved a top eight finish at the Nationals.

In 2018, Rongotai won the Wellington competition for the eighth time, and for the first time since 1998, and boast a sharp shooting and fast ball moving team with high hopes of producing a fine performance in Palmerston North next week.

Squad

Management: Chris Tupu (Former Tall Black), Josh Maessen, Rob Clarke, Denise McLure.
Players: Klein Salmon, Ezrah Vaigafa, Jaylin To’o, Evyatar Tabor, Jayden Puroku, Ben Robertson, Adam Rybinski, Te Hoera Sullivan, Zion Upton-Mahan, Zach Campbell-Smith, Kane Upton-Mahan.

Nationals Record
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1978 - 5th
1979 - 5th
1980 - 1st
1983 - 4th
1990 - 5th
1991 - 6th
1992 - 6th
1993 - 4th
1994 - 3rd
1997 - 4th
2017 - 8th

Key Players

Ezrah Vaigafa

• NZ Under 17 World representative that played in Argentina at the World Cup this year.
• Wellington Under 17 Rep and National Tournament MVP and champion.
• Wellington Saints Squad Member 2018 season.
• Steven Adams High School Invitational team member 2018.

Jaylin To’o

• NZ Under 17 Team member. Played in China at the Asian Cup finishing 3rd prior to the World Championships, didn’t retrial for the World Champs Team due to cost.
• Wellington Under 19 Rep 2018, 3rd place finish at Nationals.
• Steven Adams High School Invitational team member 2018.

Finn McClure

• Wgtn Under 19 Rep.
• Steven Adams High School Invitational team member 2018.

Klein Salmon

• Wgtn Under 19 Rep team 2018
• Junior Tall Blacks Trialist 2018
• Porirua Under 23 Rep Team 2018
• Steven Adams High School Invitational team member 2018

Others: Evyatar Tabor (Wellington Under 17 Rep and National Champion), Jayden Puroku (Hutt Valley Under 19 Rep team 2018), Ben Robertson (Saints Squad member 2018), Adam Rybinski (Co-Captain/Head Boy).

2018

College Sport Wellington Champions for the first time in 20 years winning the Pohlen Cup with a 14-1 record. Rongotai was the best offensive and defensive team in the competition.
For a second year in a row finished second in the Zone 3 Regionals narrowly losing to Napier Boys’ High School 77-72 in the final.

Group
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Rosmini College - Zone 1: First/2017 National Champions
Mount Albert Grammar School - Zone 1: Seventh
Hamilton Boys’ High School - Zone 2: First
New Plymouth Boys’ High School - Zone 3: Fifth
St Andrew’s College -  Zone 4: Fifth

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