The New Zealand Secondary Schools First XI football Premier tournament commences in Napier in a fortnight. More than 200 players will be on display. Here are eight of the best. 
 
Thomas Drillen (Auckland Grammar School) - Drillen will be striving hard to ensure Auckland Grammar finishes higher than 11th, their disappointing placement last year. Combative and skillful, Drillen has been a key figure in driving AGS into the top four of the Auckland Premiership this year. 
 
Raphael Le’ai (Scots College) - The Solomon Islands Under 17 representative broke the record for the most goals scored in the Trevor Rigby Cup Wellington competition this season; scoring 14 goals in 11 games, including a decisive strike in the final. The previous record was 13 set by Hutt Valley High School representative Aaron McDonald in 2013. Quick on his feet and deadly in front of goal, Le’ai promises to entertain. 
 
Tyler Ericksen (Hamilton Boys' High School) - The robust defender is entering his second Nationals hoping to be as stubborn as the wall that won Hamilton top position in 2017. Technically adept and confident going forward, Ericksen will be tough to contain. 
 
Joel Clissond (Sacred Heart College) - The dead-eye striker is among the leading scorers in the country this year. Clissond impressed for Eastern Suburbs in the National Youth League and brings experience and class to his third Nationals. 
 
Oliver Colloty (Otago Boys’ High School) - Otago didn’t qualify for Nationals last year, but with Colloty’s all-round excellence they will have an impact in Napier; one of the best players in the South Island. 
 
Kenny Willox (Havelock North High School) - Havelock North are a wildcard qualifier who shouldn’t be underestimated, especially given they have Willox. A regular in the Havelock North Wanderers, Willox will ensure Havelock make a nuance of all their opponents. 
 
Aaron Scott (Rathkeale College) - Rathkeale was second in the Rex Dawkins second tier tournament in 2018 and are hoping to go a place higher at this year's Nationals. Scott is a key defender; strong on the ball and adept at avoiding carnage at corners.  
 
Tournament details:
 
The Lotto Boys Tournament is being played at Park Island, Napier over Winter Tournament Week from 2-6 September.

The 32 teams competing and the eight pools are below:

Pool A: Saint Kentigern College, St Paul's Collegiate, Selwyn College, Otago Boys’ High School
Pool B: Sacred Heart College, Hastings Boys’ High School,  St Pat’s Town, Burnside High School
Pool C: Westlake Boys’ High School,  Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Nelson College, Rotorua Boys’ High School
Pool D: Auckland Grammar School, Hamilton Boys’ High School, St Pat’s Silverstream,  Napier Boys’ High School
Pool E: St Peter's College, Havelock North High School,  Hutt International Boys’ School, Cashmere High School
Pool F: Rutherford College, St Peter's School,  Rathkeale College, St Thomas’ of Canterbury College
Pool G: Mount Albert Grammar School,  New Plymouth Boys’ High School, Scots College, Christ's College
Pool H: Kings College Tauranga Boys’ College, Waimea High School,  King's High School.

Last 10 winners:
2018: Sacred Heart College, Auckland
​2017: Hamilton Boys' High School
​2016   Sacred Heart College, Auckland
​2015   Nelson College
2014   Sacred Heart College, Auckland
2013   Saint Kentigern College
2012   Mount Albert Grammar School
2011   Sacred Heart College, Auckland
2010   Palmerston North Boys’ High School
2009   Mount Albert Grammar School

“It was surreal. I was so nervous beforehand, and didn’t feel anything during the game. I played alright, but I was kind of on autopilot,” Sam Wall reflected on his appearance for Napier City Rovers in the recent Chatham Cup quarter final against Albany United. 

The 16-year old from Lindisfarne College played nearly the entire 120 minutes of an epic match that Napier should have won, but did their best to lose.
​
“I felt we were dominant, but couldn't score. They had a quick striker who caught us short twice. There were a lot of injuries and we scored in the 99th minute to send it to extra time,” Wall asserted. 
 
Jack Beguely netted a double for Albany, but goals to Josh Stevenson and Sho Goto forced an additional period where “nothing” happened before penalties.
 
“We won the shootout 4-3. I was relieved that I didn’t have to take one. I went off with cramp. I had faith in the boys to do it. We deserve to be in the semi-finals,” Wall said.
 
Four-time champions Napier will host 2017 winners Onehunga Sports on August 25. The South Auckland outfit had an equally dramatic 5-4 overtime win over Wellington Olympic. Andrew Milne was the hero for Onehunga with two goals. Wall concedes he would have preferred to play Bay Olympic.
 
“Onehuga are a dangerous side, with a lot of attacking threats. At least we got a home tie.”
 
Wall will be kept busy in central defencee. In addition to helping Napier into second position in the Central League, he is the leading player in the Lindisfarne First XI who are third in the local schools league. Wall has benefited greatly from senior experience.
 
“It’s great playing for Napier because you are always been tested. We can’t win the league, which is disappointing, but going back to school with the experience of playing men helps me raise the level of my schoolmates.”
 
Lindisfarne rose their reputation internationally when they toured Dubai at the beginning of the season. After two years of planning, Lindisfarne won all four matches, outscoring opponents 23-2.
 
“Dubai was unreal. The facilities and culture were amazing, but the football was average. They weren’t very good.” Wall revealed. 
 
In 2018, Wall was very good winning the Petersen Family Cup as the best young player in the Lindisfarne First XI. 

Wall will be hoping to add the Chatham Cup to his trophy collection. The semi-finals are contested over the weekend of August 24-25 with the decider to be played on September 8.

Perhaps the best way to erase the pain of defeat is to heed the lessons of failure and return to the site of the setback stronger. 

In 2018, Tauranga Boys’ College First XI was beaten narrowly in the final of the Super 8 football competition by Hamilton Boys’ High School. 

On Wednesday, with three returning players from last year’s roster, Tauranga won the Super 8 title for the first since 2007; thumping New Plymouth Boys’ High School 4-0 in the final. 

Riley Bidois, Stan Rust and Scott Hawkins, runners-up a year ago, scored three of the four goals with skipper Hawkins applying the exclamation mark after his side led 3-0 at halftime.

“We tried not to focus on last year, but it was talked about before the final,”  Hawkins admits.

“New Plymouth was a good side and they had a big home crowd out for it. Our early goal was important to silence them.”

In the semi-final, Tauranga managed to silence Hamilton Boys’ High School 2-1. Goals were scored by Rust and Alfie Cole, before Hamilton predictably launched a rally. 

“They scored with about 15 minutes to go. It got a little nervy as they pressed, but our defence was strong,” Hawkins acclaimed. 

Tauranga’s defence wilted in their inconsequential group game against Palmerston North Boys’ High School. Having already qualified for the semi-finals, Tauranga rested some key talent and was beaten 1-3. 

In their first two group games, Tauranga accounted for Gisborne Boys’ High School 3-0 and Hastings Boys’ High School 7-0. In the Gisborne game goals were scored by Cole, Braxton Fisher, and Max Came. The highlight of the Hastings rout was a hat-trick to Fisher.

In addition to their Super 8 triumph, Tauranga - by virtue of their success against Hamilton in the semis - won the Waikato/Bay of Plenty qualifying zone for Nationals. Tauranga was sixth at the Nationals last year and Fisher is hopeful Tauranga can at least match that performance.

“We aim to win every game we play. We’ve got a good team and though competition is tough we’ll back ourselves.”

The Nationals are in Napier in September during Winter Tournament Week.

Riley Bidois was recently named in the New Zealand Under-17 training squad while Hawkins, originally from the South of London, plays in central defense.  

Interestingly Tauranga have won the Super 8 four times with three of those successes in New Plymouth.
​
Coach Neil Howard has won six Super 8 titles across three sports while co-ocach Alex Bryant lost finals in 2012, 2015 and 2018. 

Having already played in the New Zealand Football National Youth Futsal Championships (NYFC) U-16 boys category, Oscar Yee believes this will be very beneficial when he steps on the court in Wellington next week.

2017 was the first year Yee represented Auckland in Futsal, turning out for the U-15 side where he went on to be named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. In 2018 the then 15-year old, was named Captain of the U-16's.

"It is less about the nerves now and more about handling the pressure to achieve success," the 16-year old said.

"As Captain you get to know the players' strengths and weaknesses really well and having played the other teams before you get to match up their weaknesses with your strengths. It's a challenge, but also a lot of fun."

Yee's passion for the five-a-side game is not just as a player. The Year 12 ACG Parnell College student also referees and gives back to his school through coaching. "I enjoy coaching at school because the players are very interactive and filled with energy which makes them fun to coach and easier to develop as players as they are eager to learn. "It also gives me a 360 degree experience as I play, ref and now coach Futsal allowing me to see the game from all points of view which helps develop my knowledge of the game."

The College's Futsal Programme is this year lead by Ouadhah Ragued, a former New Zealand Futsal representative and one of the countries top Futsal coaches meaning Yee is in a perfect position to build up his coaching knowledge.

"Ouadhah is an excellent coach and I've learnt a lot from him already such as knowing when to have fun and when to be serious and how to keep the players engaged. "As this is my first time coaching Futsal, he has set a really good example for me to follow."

His focus will solely be on playing next week however with the NYFC taking place from July 12 - 14. "It is a huge privilege being able to play for Auckland and represent them at a National Tournament," Yee said.

The NYFC take place at the ASB Sports Centre in Wellington

Story provided by ACG Parnell College.

The New Zealand Under-17 women’s football team stunned the World last year when they finished third at the FIFA World Cup, the highest placing by a Kiwi team in a major FIFA tournament. 

Goalkeeper Anna Leat, presently on scholarship at Georgetown University, won the SPS Handa Halberg Award for New Zealand’s Favourite Sporting Moment. Leat made a series of spectacular saves in the quarter final penalty-shootout against Japan to propel New Zealand into the top four.

Ariana Gray from Hutt Valley High School was a keen observer of Leat’s feats and concedes there is some pressure to match her excellence when she appears for New Zealand in an U-16 tournament from 14 to 22 July in Weifang City, China. 

“There’s a little bit of pressure because I want to do the best for my country. It’s an exciting challenge to have such a high benchmark,” Gray said.

No players are returning from last year’s U-17 World Cup, but Grays insists New Zealand are a “tight unit” with plenty of talent.
 
“We’ve been through a whole lot of rep camps together so we know each other pretty well. We have a good chemistry and heaps of talent.”
 
Gray is the only Wellington selection and laughs she “screamed” when receiving email notification of her selection which she attributes to the Petone club and her parents.

“Petone have been amazingly supportive. We often train with the men who really push us. I’d like to thank my parents, they’re amazing.”

Gray started her football as a striker in Year 6. She is also a defender in netball and an avid touch player having traveled to the Gold Coast with a New Zealand team who won an international title.
 
Gray’s primary focus at present is football. New Zealand’s opposition in China  isn’t yet confirmed, but coach Leon Birnie stressed it will be a learning curve.
 
“It will be a real eye-opener for the players in terms of the level required and, for the staff, it’s an excellent opportunity for us to see what these players can do. They need to go out and showcase themselves, both individually and collectively. It should give us real clarity around where we’re at, which would be a good space to be in 15 months out from the World Cup.”
 
Following the U-16 tournament thoughts will turn to the Oceania qualifiers for the World Cup, which are scheduled to take place this December.
 
Gray concluded by praising the management of Birnie.
 
“Leon’s a really nice guy. He’s a real technical coach, but he knows when to have a laugh. I’m really confident were going to do well.”

New Zealand squad for U-16 women’s tournament in China
 
Goalkeepers
Ariana Gray (Capital/Petone/Hutt Valley High School)
Murphy Sheaff (Australia)
 
Defenders
Ella Dorward (Northern/Forrest Hill Milford United/Westlake Girls’ High School)
Kate Taylor (Mainland/Cashmere Technical/Marian College)
Claudia Wilson (Mainland/Cashmere Technical/Burnside High School)
Freya Lodge-Whitham (Mainland/Waimakiriri United/Christchurch Girls’ High School)
Zoe McMeeken (Mainland/Selwyn United/Lincoln High School)
 
Midfielders
Alaina Grainger (Northern/Forrest Hill Milford United/Mt Albert Grammar School)
Samantha Senior (Mainland/Cashmere Technical/Rangi Ruru Girls’ School)
Alyssa Whinham (Mainland/Halswell United/Riccarton High School)
Mona Walker (Australia)
Kate Duncan (Auckland/Three Kings United/Baradene College)
Nina Kondo (Capital/Wairarapa United/Solway College)
 
Forwards
Ava Pritchard (Northern/Forrest Hill Milford United/Westlake Girls’ High School)
Charlotte Lancaster (Central/Taradale/Napier Girls’ High School)
Ella Russ (Auckland/Three Kings United/Diocesan School for Girls)
Lisa Evans (WaiBOP/Otumoetai/Otumoetai College)
Alisha Braun (Auckland/Eastern Suburbs/Epsom Girls’ Grammar School)
 

An opportunity for some of the country’s most-promising young female players to test themselves on the international stage will arrive next month in China.
 
New Zealand will take part in an U-16 women’s tournament from 14 to 22 July in Weifang City, where they will play three matches against yet-to-be-confirmed Asian opposition.
 
A squad of 18 has been selected for the event by Leon Birnie, who is tasked with leading New Zealand’s bid to make an impact at the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
 
Prior to receiving word of the China tour, Birnie had already been hard at work laying the foundations for next year’s World Cup campaign and is relishing the chance to take stock of that progress so early on.
 
“It’s really exciting,” he says.
 
“It will be a real eye-opener for the players in terms of the level required and, for the staff, it’s an excellent opportunity for us to see what these players can do. They need to go out and showcase themselves, both individually and collectively. It should give us real clarity around where we’re at, which would be a good space to be in 15 months out from the World Cup.”
 
No players are returning from last year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup, in which Birnie’s charges captured the hearts of the country’s sporting public with a remarkable third-place finish – the highest position ever recorded by a New Zealand national team at a FIFA tournament.
 
He therefore has a completely clean slate to build from and has been busy filling in those blanks by making full use of a series of identification opportunities across the country.
 
“I put a big emphasis on the first part of any campaign I’m involved in to make sure we do a thorough job around the ID, especially at this U-17 level. It’s important we view as many players and talk to as many coaches, clubs and federations as possible,” he says.
 
“Through the national age-group tournament, seven identification games across the federations and a camp in April, I think we have a good grip of where this group sit. There’s some exciting players in there, I can see that straight away and I think it’s going to be another good group to work with. I’m really looking forward to seeing how these players develop.”
 
Those who make it all the way to next year’s big show in India will have sizeable boots to fill after the heroics of their predecessors. But Birnie does not believe any more pressure will be placed on their young shoulders as a result and instead feels the vintage of 2018 will prove an inspiration.
 
“I think what it’s done has opened the minds of the players – and also the wider football community – as to what can be achieved by Kiwi players on the world stage. We’ve been able to give them an insight into what’s involved and what those players did to get to that point,” he says.
 
“So I see it as an advantage. We’ve been there, we’ve had success and there’s a number of things we did that we’ve been able to share with this group to help them.”
 
Promisingly, echoes of the elements that made the previous squad so successful are beginning to shine through.
 
“While we’ve only just started to work with this next group, I’m already seeing similar attributes from some of the girls and it’s really exciting. I’m hoping we can help them move towards the same space and similar results that the last group achieved.”
 
Following the U-16 tournament in China, Birnie’s thoughts will turn to the Oceania qualifiers for the World Cup, which are scheduled to take place this December.

New Zealand squad for U-16 women’s tournament in China
 
Goalkeepers
Ariana Gray (Capital/Petone/Hutt Valley High School)
Murphy Sheaff (Australia)
 
Defenders
Ella Dorward (Northern/Forrest Hill Milford United/Westlake Girls’ High School)
Kate Taylor (Mainland/Cashmere Technical/Marian College)
Claudia Wilson (Mainland/Cashmere Technical/Burnside High School)
Freya Lodge-Whitham (Mainland/Waimakiriri United/Christchurch Girls’ High School)
Zoe McMeeken (Mainland/Selwyn United/Lincoln High School)
 
Midfielders
Alaina Grainger (Northern/Forrest Hill Milford United/Mt Albert Grammar School)
Samantha Senior (Mainland/Cashmere Technical/Rangi Ruru Girls’ School)
Alyssa Whinham (Mainland/Halswell United/Riccarton High School)
Mona Walker (Australia)
Kate Duncan (Auckland/Three Kings United/Baradene College)
Nina Kondo (Capital/Wairarapa United/Solway College)
 
Forwards
Ava Pritchard (Northern/Forrest Hill Milford United/Westlake Girls’ High School)
Charlotte Lancaster (Central/Taradale/Napier Girls’ High School)
Ella Russ (Auckland/Three Kings United/Diocesan School for Girls)
Lisa Evans (WaiBOP/Otumoetai/Otumoetai College)
Alisha Braun (Auckland/Eastern Suburbs/Epsom Girls’ Grammar School)

​The New Zealand U-17 men have been edged 1-0 by the Thailand U-18 men’s side at the Panda Cup in Chengdu, China.
 
The José Figueira coached team were looking to finish the tournament on a high note after being beaten 4-0 by the eventual winners the Korea Republic two days earlier.
 
But the Thai side, who finished the tournament strongly with two wins in their final two games to finish runners-up, took the initiative early and held on valiantly against New Zealand who went down to 10-men in the 49th minute.
 
Thailand’s Achitpol Keereerom scored in the second minute of the game to finish second on the goal-scoring stakes with two goals.
 
Figueira said it was a tough result to finish on after such a promising start with a 2-0 win over China PR.
 
“Tough one to swallow [tonight],” he said.  “The players showed so much determination, heart and personality with the ball from the start to end. Playing with 10-men for final 40 minutes is always tough but they never stopped and could’ve got something from the game. This tournament has been a great experience.”
 
In the later game, Hwang Jaehwan’s hat-trick helped the Korea Republic defeat the hosts China 3-0 in their final game. Korea went through the tournament undefeated to finish with nine points and a goal difference of +8.
 
The New Zealand team, a year younger than their opponents at the event, will take plenty of lessons from the Panda Cup as they get ready for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil later this year.
 
Panda Cup 
Thailand U-18s 1 (Achitpol Keereerom 2’) 
New Zealand U-17s 0 
HT: 1-0

The New Zealand U-17 men’s team that takes part in the Panda Cup later this month will have a fresh look to it after the welcoming of several new players into the fold.
 
The core of the group that qualified their country for this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup last September have kept their places but will be joined by five newcomers in Nicholas Milicich, Robert Sabo, Jackson Simpkin, Keegan Jelacic and Jesse Randall.
 
Coach Jose Figueira has deliberately kept an open mind as he looks to find a winning formula for the World Cup, which will be staged in the football-mad nation of Brazil in October.
 
That policy has unearthed the likes of Simpkin and Jelacic, who are both based in Australia, while their fellow newcomers have likewise caught the eye in recent months.
  
The three-match format of the Panda Cup serves to replicate the group stages of a World Cup and Figueira feels the experience will prove invaluable.
 
“First of all, it’s about whether the players can go out there and show their personality and the way we want to play against some top opposition,” he says.
 
“Secondly, it’s the mentality. It’s going to be big crowds, playing away from home and playing under pressure. We had that experience at the qualifiers of playing in front of 10,000 fans and we’ll hopefully get that again. We want to see which players come through with flying colours in that test and it should be exciting for us.”
 
New Zealand will take part in the Panda Cup at the Chengdu Shuangliu Sports Centre, Chengdu from 25 – 29 May.
 
New Zealand U-17 squad for Panda Cup 

Alexander Paulsen (Capital Football, Lower Hutt City, Scots College)
Luca Taylor (Northern Football, Birkenhead United, Mt Albert Grammar School)
Max Drake (Capital Football, Lower Hutt City, Westlake Boys High School)
Adam Hillis (Capital Football, Lower Hutt City, Scots College)
Nathan Lobo (Northern Football, Birkenhead United, Liston College)
Nicholas Milicich (Northern Football, Birkenhead United, St Peter’s College)
Finn O’Connor (Capital Football, Lower Hutt City, Scots College)
Robert Sabo (Capital Football, Western Suburbs, Tawa College)
Jackson Simpkin (Brisbane City) 
Sean Bright (Capital Football, Western Suburbs, Tawa College)
Henry Hamilton (Capital Football, Lower Hutt City, Wellington College)
Marko Stamenic (Capital Football, Western Suburbs, St Patrick’s College Silverstream)
Campbell Strong (Northern Football, Eastern Suburbs, Sacred Heart College)
Matthew Garbett (Capital Football, Western Suburbs, Wellington College)
Keegan Jelacic (Queensland Lions)
Jesse Randall (Capital Football, North Wellington, Rongotai College)
Oskar van Hattum (Capital Football, Lower Hutt City, NZ Institute of Sport)
Bradley Wilson (Northern Football, Western Springs, St Peter’s College)
 
Panda Cup schedule

25 May
China vs New Zealand, 7pm local time
 
27 May
New Zealand vs Korea Republic, 3pm local time

29 May
New Zealand vs Thailand, 3pm local time

A wider group of 32 players has been training in Auckland over the school holidays, as part of New Zealand’s preparations for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil in October.

The New Zealand U-17 men’s team will first compete in the Panda Cup from 25-29 May in Chengdu.
 
The 20 players who helped qualify New Zealand at the OFC U-16 Championship last September were all involved in the training camp at QBE Stadium while coach Jose Figueira also took the opportunity to cast his eye over a wider pool of talent.
 
“It’s our first contact with the group this year so we wanted to make sure we kept the net cast wide,” he says of the sessions.
 
“In the U-17 age group, players are developing all the time. In the space of a few months since the qualifiers, there has been significant development across all aspects of them as players but also people. It’s important to keep a fresh eye and mind across the whole age group,” he adds.
 
“The camp was a real eye-opener for us and there’s certainly going to be some hard decisions made in terms of selections. But that’s great because it means football in New Zealand is in a really exciting spot.”
 
The Oceania champions are yet to find out who they will meet in Brazil but, whatever their identity, the opposition is sure to be of the highest quality.
 
“Some of the players we’re going to be playing against are already living the professional football life right across the world,” Figueira explains.
 
“For us, it’s about trying to bridge that gap in our preparations. While it will be a huge challenge, it’s one everyone is really excited about.”

A key part of the team’s build-up will be next month’s Panda Cup in China, in which New Zealand will take on the hosts, Korea Republic and Thailand.
 
Figueira says the benefits of featuring in the tournament are two-fold.
 
“Firstly, it will give us the chance to see these players under pressure on a big-stage environment against top-class players. We’re going to really see the boys under the microscope and find out if they can show their personalities and execute the way we want to play,” he says.
 
“Secondly, it’s an opportunity for both the players and staff to be away and go through our processes in terms of preparation, recovery and review and then backing it up for a second and third game. So it’s a perfect opportunity for us to replicate what would be a group stage at a World Cup.”
 
New Zealand U-17 men’s training squad
 
Goalkeepers
Alex Paulsen (Lower Hutt City)
Luca Taylor (Birkenhead United)
Woody Holmes (Brisbane Roar Academy, Australia)
Joseph Knowles (Bay Olympic) 

Defenders
Campbell Strong (Eastern Suburbs)
Finn O’Connor (Lower Hutt City)
Adam Hillis (Lower Hutt City)
Harry Bark (Lower Hutt City)
Robi Sabo (Western Suburbs)
Jackson Simpkin (Brisbane City, Australia)
Max Drake (Lower Hutt City)
Kris Naicker (Lower Hutt City)
Corban Piper (Birkenhead United)
Nick Milicich (Birkenhead United)
Nathan Lobo (Birkenhead United) 

Midfielders
Sean Bright (Western Suburbs) 
Ryan Verney (Onehunga Sports)
Marko Stamenic (Western Suburbs)
Hayden Aish (Western Springs)
Matthew Garbett (Western Suburbs)
Ben Old (Lower Hutt City) 
Harry Freeman (Eastern Suburbs)
Josh Galletly (Melville United) 
Vincent Best (Western Springs) 

Forwards
Brad Wilson (Western Springs)
Henry Hamilton (Lower Hutt City)
Oskar van Hattum (Lower Hutt City)
Joseph Lee (Lower Hutt City)
Keegan Jelacic (Queensland Lions, Australia)
Jesse Randall (North Wellington)
Blake Driehuis (Lower Hutt City)
Riley Bidois (Tauranga City United)
 

​“It was unbelievable to have both our Senior and Junior teams in National Finals a few hours apart. To see the seniors straight away comfort the juniors after losing their penalty shootout meant we had the culture right within the college and that’s what helps bring success,” says St Thomas of Canterbury College’s Senior futsal team manager and outdoor football First XI co-coach Richard Washington.
 
The school only has three futsal teams, and last Friday two of them made the NZSS tournament finals. The juniors missed out 3-2 on penalties in their decider against St Pat’s Town and the seniors beat Scots College 3-1 and were crowned national champions.
 
The senior trophy is generally dominated by North Island schools, and the only other time it headed south previously was in 2016 when Kavanagh College won.
 
In 2017 St Thomas’s were sixth and last year they improved to fifth, so the school headed to Wellington over Summer Tournament Week hopeful of doing well with a settled team from 2018.
 
“This title was built from winning the Junior national final in 2016. So 2019 was a goal and meant to be a special year for the bulk of this group and it delivered,” says Washington.

'​The senior final was played in front of a hostile Wellington crowd against a talented Scots College team. St Thomas's played with heart and passion, particularly after being reduced to three outfield players when New Zealand school player Tom Stewart received a second yellow card for two minutes. During his absence Scots couldn’t break through.
 
“St Thomas’s mantra (MANAWA) came to mind,  and the commentators spoke about the team culture we had and this is something we pride our self on and fight tooth and nail for each other.”
 
The game ended 1-1. St Thomas’s only goal game from a stunning free kick from Aashish Rai. Luke White also had a big game, closing down several dangerous attacks from Scots College’s U17 Solomon Islands Internationals
 
The final went to penalties, where Lachie Doyle saved their second attempt. Seth Simpson and Mika Rabuka had already converted from the spot and Aashish Rai delivered the knockout blow, sending the away supporters in raptures and a senior National Secondary school title to St Thomas.
 
Of note, 2019 Captain Tom Downes missed the final due to receiving two yellows prior, so Canterbury U19 Futsal player who won nationals with Canterbury last year, Mika Rabuka, was captain for the final.
 
Earlier in the day, St Thomas’s juniors just missed out to St Pat’s Town in a similarly stirring final.

The juniors had built nicely throughout the tournament. Issac Topham scored 17 goals and just missed out on the Golden Boot by one and Aston Thackwell scored 15 goals. It was a special day for the Rabuka family as Api was playing for the juniors and Mika for the seniors.

The age old saying that you sometimes have to lose a final before you can win might be true for this team who are one to watch for the future in football and futsal.

Senior coach James Vallance says:  "I really enjoyed the school futsal national league this year, it was a really well run tournament and there are some really good teams and coaches coming through which is fantastic to see. Long may it continue and i look forward to seeing what the future holds for the sport within the schools format" 
​
“A Newly formed link between the Christchurch United Football Academy is giving our players the opportunity to experience an academy setting with state of the art facilities and coaching staff, “ explained Washington. “This link will help better prepare our players for top class football and futsal in the future.”

“Futsal is an extremely important part of the Overall Football landscape at the college where the bulk of our Junior and senior first X1s play, and we use this for our build-up for our outdoor season.
 
“ Its just the boys together and building an environment. We have an amazing facility to train at school and we bring in two specialist Futsal coaches, James and Shannen, who are part of the Canterbury Dragons Futsal men’s team and who have been with the school for four years and have done extremely well with these talented young men.”
 
The focus for St Thomas’s seniors now turns to football, where their Focus for the seniors now turns to the Football where they are looking to back up their local success last year in wining the Canterbury Premiership and hopefully qualify for the Premier tournament in Napier. Washington and Allen Coach the First XI while Blair Scadden coaches the Junior outdoor XI.
 
Senior squad at nationals and results:

Squad: Mika Rabuka, Lachie Doyle, Hunter Rowe, Tom Downes, Tom Stewart, Aashish Rai, Seth Simpson, John Oakman, Cullum Murdoch, Luke White, Cameron Brewitt. Coach. James Vallance. Managers Richard Washington and Jacob Allen
 
Pool Games
Win 4-1 vs St Patrick’s Silverstream
Win 8-0 vs St Peter’s Palmerston North
Win vs 6-2 Westlake Boys’ High School
Round of 8
Win vs Selwyn 3-1
Semi-final
Win vs Rongatai College 5-3
Final
Win 3-1 vs Scots College
 
Junior squad at nationals and results:

Squad: Api Rabuka, Aston Thackwell, George Campbell (Captain), Issac Topham, Lewis Partridge, Alex Ballard, Jack Robinson, Jacob O’Connell, Diego Lavin, Angus Dempster. Coach Shannen Vailuu. Manager Blair Scadden

Pool games
Win 5-2 vs St Patrick’s Silverstream
Win 4-2 vs Rongotai College
Win 4-1 vs Cashmere High School
Win 10-3 vs Nelson College
Quarter-final
Win 11-3 vs Tauranga Boys’ College
Semi-final
Win 4-3 vs Hamilton Boys’ High School
Final
Lost 3-2 on Penalties St Pat's Town