Sports News Term 4, Week 8

As the year quickly draws to a close and we begin to wrap up 2025, the SMC sports calendar remains full of exciting events and opportunities. While we look ahead to all the great things happening over the summer and the anticipation of future successes for our girls, it is also a time to reflect on everything that has been achieved in sport this year at SMC.

2025 has been a year of outstanding accomplishments for our teams, individuals, coaches, families, and the wider SMC community. We have consistently punched above our weight across the field, pitch, paddock, court, range, water, and more. But success this year has extended far beyond wins alone. From positive feedback to displays of resilience, skill development, enjoyment of sport, and active participation, this year has truly had it all and will be remembered fondly.

None of these achievements would be possible without the incredible team working behind the scenes; coaches, managers, administrative staff, school leadership, the grounds crew, catering, boarding staff, teachers, families, and the wider community who support our girls every day. A heartfelt thank-you to each of you; every success this year, from the small milestones to national titles, has been made possible because of your dedication and support.

Athletics

On Wednesday, we had a squad of 18 Year 5-8 Girls competing in the Canterbury Primary Schools Athletics Championships at Nga Puna Wai. It was a hot day for our girls with lots of them competing in a number of events; however, they still managed some outstanding results.  Well done to all the girls who competed. 

Y8 relay 4th
Y7 relay 2nd
Y6 relay 5th
Y7 60m 1st Jessie Scott
Y7 100m 3rd Charlotte Robertson
Y8 100m 2nd Belle Greer
Y8 1500m 1st Belle Greer
Y8 long jump 2nd Belle Greer
Y5 Discus 2nd Rosa Smallman

Basketball

Well done to Lucie Davis (Year 12) and Taylah Davis (Year 10), who last week were invited to attend the New Zealand Basketball 5x5 future pathways training held in Christchurch, with Chaz Franklin (Head of Development, Connecticut Suns)

Canoe Polo

Pippa Anderson (Year 11) and Zara Rose (Year 10) have secured an impressive third place at the NZ Secondary Schools Junior Canoe Polo Cup. Competing as part of a Christchurch combined team in the junior girls division, they delivered a fantastic performance. Well done, girls, on an excellent effort.

Congratulations to Pippa Anderson, who has been selected for the Canterbury U15 team.  Yazmin Haddock (Year 11)  has been selected in the Under 18 Mainland team, and Zara Rose in the Under 21 Mainland team, to compete in the New Zealand Canoe Polo Inter-regionals at Lake Roto Kohatu in Christchurch on the 5-7th December - an outstanding achievement.

Cricket

Good luck to the 1st XI as they take on Otago Girls at the Willows this Sunday. A 10:00am start time for the 30-over fixture that promises to be a great match, so head along to support the team if you can. They will then back up on Monday with a 25-over game against St Hilda’s at 9:30am at StAC. These fixtures provide excellent preparation for their upcoming Nationals in Lincoln this December.

Best of luck, girls. We wish you all the very best for your upcoming events. Go with Pride!

Congratulations to Jemima Nation (Year 10) who has been selected to represent Christchurch at the Canterbury Regional Year 9-10 Girls Festival to be held in Timaru in December.

Equestrian

Although we don’t currently have any SMC equestrian events taking place, it has still been a busy and exciting time for many of our girls who have been out competing at various shows around the South Island. Sophie Gibb, in particular, has had a strong and successful start to the season and was recently featured in an article that highlighted her achievements. It had the following to say about her:

“Superstar duo Sophie and her thoroughbred King Leonidas are as versatile as they come, excelling in showjumping, eventing, dressage, round the ring and working hunter.  Their success at the North Canterbury Spring Dressage over the weekend has earned ‘Leo’ a well-deserved Horse of the Week title!” 

With 25 ribbons since tournament week, Sophie is going exceptionally well. Way to go, Sophie!

Football - Indoor

Our enthusiastic indoor football girls have now wrapped up their Wednesday sessions. These have been a fantastic opportunity for the girls to develop their fundamental football skills while enjoying time with friends in a fun, supportive environment. A big thank-you to Mr Walker for sharing his knowledge and providing consistent support throughout the programme.

Kayaking

Following on from Zara’s success in canoeing, she also competed earlier this year at the New Zealand Sprint Kayaking Nationals. At the NZ and Oceania Canoe Marathon Championships in Motueka over Labour Weekend, Zara Rose achieved an outstanding first place in the U16 K2 event (partnering with Nicola Pirnia from Cashmere High) and a third place in the U16 K1 event.

Korfball

Friday marked the final Korfball games for 2025, concluding a rapid-fire six-week competition that also included a junior tournament. The season brought plenty of success—strong results, great development and learning, excellent music, and loads of fun. A huge thank-you to our wonderful coaches and managers, Deb Scott, Michelle Brennan, Tayla, Kennedy, Emma T, Emma H, Jyla, and Charlie, for their knowledge, energy, and encouragement throughout the season.

Congratulations as well to Emma Hoskins, who has once again been selected for the New Zealand U21 Korfball Squad. Fantastic work, Emma—we wish you all the very best for your korfball future.

Netball

Congratulations to Sophie Ockwell, Year 11, for her selection into the Netball New Zealand Development Camp in January 2026.  What an amazing achievement and a testament to all your hard work. We can’t wait to see you continue to rise!

Rowing

Our rowing girls are about to step up their season as the squad heads to Lake Rotoiti at the start of the school holidays. It will be a busy summer for these dedicated athletes, who will follow their Rotoiti camp with another at Kaiapoi before travelling to Lake Ruataniwha to compete in the Canterbury Champs and later the South Island Club Champs. We wish these hardworking girls and their support crew all the very best for the busy season ahead.

Rugby Sevens

Good luck to the Junior 7’s team who are currently away competing at the Condor 7’s tournament in Mt Maunganui.  All the very best, girls.

Tennis

Our junior tennis superstars enjoyed an outstanding two days of competition at the Canterbury Junior Tennis Championships at Wilding Park last week. The girls produced some exceptional tennis, with thrilling, tight battles, impressive comebacks, and several dominant wins.

Final results saw Aliyah Daly (Year 10) claim the Year 10 singles title before teaming up with Jessica Gearry (Year 10) to secure the Year 10 doubles title as well. Elise Donovan (Year 10) fought through several long matches to win the Year 10 consolation cup, then partnered with Bronya Gore (Year 10) to take out the Year 10 consolation doubles cup.

In the Year 9 grade, Sascha Mitchell continued her outstanding sporting year by going unbeaten and winning the Year 9 B Grade singles title. Piata Tainui (Year 9) also delivered an exceptional performance in her singles semifinal, putting up a tremendous fight before narrowly going down.

Well done girls, on a great couple of days of tennis

Touch

Saturday 22 November saw teams from across the region gather at Sheldon Park in Belfast for the Canterbury Secondary School Touch Tournament. St Margaret’s Super Touch team entered the competition following a strong second-place finish in the weekly competition and were eager to continue building towards Touch Nationals in December.

An opening-round loss to CGHS served as an early reminder that the level of competition would be high. The team faced another setback in their second game when co-captain Molly Ginnever suffered an ankle injury. Despite these challenges and some moments of inconsistent play, the girls refocused, strengthened their defence, and committed to executing their game plan.

Their determination paid off, earning them a well-deserved 3rd place finish.

On Monday 17th November, two St Margaret’s College teams competed in the SSC Junior Touch Festival at Hagley Park.

The Junior B team had an outstanding day, finishing undefeated and winning their grade. The Junior A team also showcased some excellent Touch skills, recording victories against Papanui (9-0), CGHS (6-2), and Rangi Ruru (4-1), with their only loss coming against Villa.

Overall, it was a fantastic day of competition for both teams.

Volleyball

Last week, the Junior A volleyball team travelled to Invercargill to compete in the South Island Secondary Schools Junior Volleyball Championships, achieving great success both on and off the court. After finishing second in pool play, the girls advanced to the top 8, dominating their pool to reach the semi-finals. There, they faced a strong Nelson Girls’ College team and, despite a tough first set, were narrowly defeated, finishing a very credible 4th overall.

Friday was scheduled as beach tournament day, but Invercargill’s rain and cold winds had other plans. The girls spent the day exploring Invercargill, and a cancelled flight gave them an extra night of adventure. A big thank-you to Seb and Gabby Farrar-De Wagt for their excellent support and adaptability throughout the trip.

This weekend, our Senior Girls take on school and club teams from Christchurch and Nelson as part of their preparation for the Australian Schools Volleyball Cup on the Gold Coast in early December. We wish them all the best for the weekend and their upcoming trip. Thanks to Seb and Paula Vesty for all their fantastic work with this team.

Meanwhile, our Year 9A team are competing in the Eastern Junior Tournament in Christchurch, another excellent opportunity for these budding volleyballers to hone their skills in a competitive setting. Thanks to Seb and Tom for their ongoing dedication to the girls’ development.

Finally, a massive thank-you to Mrs Hartland for her tireless work in organising volleyball this year. It has been a huge undertaking, and she has done a superb job.

Upcoming Events

27th/28th/29th November - SMC Senior Volleyball Tournament

27th/28th/29th November - Eastern Junior Volleyball Tournament

29th & 30th November - Condor 7’s Champs - Mt Maunganui

5th/6th/7th December - NZSS Athletics Championships - Hastings

7th - 13th December - Australian School Volleyball Championships

Touch Nationals