St Heliers Strikes Gold at Water Polo Winter Festival
From 11–14 June, St Heliers School competed in the Water Polo New Zealand Year 7/8 Winter Festival Tournament. The event featured 46 school teams from across Auckland and the Waikato, including several large intermediate schools with rolls of up to 1,500 Year 7 and 8 students.
Although the tournament was designed for Year 7 and 8 players, the St Heliers team was predominantly made up of Year 5 and 6 students, with only one Year 8 player in the squad. Despite facing older, bigger, and more experienced opposition throughout the tournament, the team remained undefeated and claimed the C-Grade championship.
The final against Northcross Intermediate was a fiercely contested match. Demonstrating outstanding skill, determination, and teamwork, the St Heliers players overcame their larger opponents to secure a well-deserved 6–4 victory and the gold medal.
Congratulations to the team:
Matthew Ball – Year 6
Flynn Burdett – Year 6
Harrison Hornibrook – Year 6
Adriana Ji – Year 7
Noah Leyden – Year 7
George May – Year 5
Jackson Pateman – Year 8
Charlie Shaw – Year 7
This was an exceptional achievement and a testament to the hard work, commitment, and resilience shown by all players throughout the season.
Tim Hornibrook
