Sports News Term 3, Week 8 2026

What a fantastic week of sport we had last week as 11 St Margaret’s teams travelled across New Zealand to compete at tournaments and championships. Tournament Week is always a highlight of the sporting calendar, and once again our girls represented SMC with pride, commitment and enthusiasm.

There were some outstanding results throughout the week. A huge congratulations to our 2nd XI Hockey team, who were crowned National Champions at the Chris Arthur Cup after an exceptional week of competition. Our Equestrian and Senior Netball teams also had fantastic tournaments, both finishing runners-up at their respective South Island tournaments. These results are a wonderful reflection of the hard work and dedication shown by our athletes throughout the season.

While results are always exciting, it was also fantastic to see all 11 teams representing St Margaret’s so positively. The girls showed great sportsmanship, supported one another and competed with determination across a wide range of sports and locations.

A huge thank you must go to our coaches and managers who gave up their time to travel with the teams and provide support, guidance and encouragement throughout the week. We simply could not offer these opportunities to our girls without their commitment.

We would also like to acknowledge our amazing parents and supporters. There was fantastic SMC support on the sidelines throughout the week, with families travelling, cheering, encouraging and celebrating with our girls. That support makes such a difference and certainly helps create the special atmosphere that surrounds Tournament Week.

And just like that, there is no real break for our sports department! Summer sport trials have already begun this week, with preparations underway for another busy and exciting season.

A huge congratulations to all our girls on a fantastic Winter Tournament Week, and thank you to everyone who played a part in making it such a success. Go SMC!

SPORTS REPORTS FROM TOURNAMENT WEEK

BADMINTON 

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Badminton Championships in Wellington were a challenging but rewarding tournament. With only three team members, we faced a demanding schedule of two ties each day, with each player playing four matches. We competed strongly against Whakatane, Whanganui, Epsom Girls, Newlands, Burnside and Hutt Valley, securing three wins across our seven ties. Several matches were closely contested, including a narrow one-set loss to Burnside High School. Finishing 11th overall with three wins from seven ties was a fantastic achievement.

Our final placing was a fantastic achievement given the small size of our team and the physical demands placed on each player. We remained positive, supported one another and enjoyed competing against schools from around New Zealand. A highlight was being recognised with the All-Together Award, which reflected our teamwork, attitude and commitment throughout the tournament. Overall, it was a challenging but highly rewarding NZSS experience and one we can be very proud of.

Emily Tan

BASKETBALL 

Last week, our Senior A Basketball team competed at the South Island Secondary Schools Basketball Championships at Parakiore in Christchurch, finishing a hard-fought 8th overall.

Despite battling a number of injuries, as well as the fatigue that comes with Tournament Week and competing across multiple sporting codes, the team showed tremendous grit and determination throughout the tournament. A particular highlight was their fierce quarter-final comeback against Hillmorton, where they fought their way back from a significant deficit to narrowly miss out by just five points. While the result meant they missed out on national qualification, the effort and resilience shown by the squad were undeniable.

With Lucie Davis unable to take the court due to injury, she stepped up to support the team as an assistant coach, helping to ease the load for Head Coach Stacey Hickford. Stacey's dedication throughout the season has been instrumental in developing the girls not only as a team, but as more confident and well-rounded basketballers.

Just four days earlier, our Junior A team had also competed at their own South Island tournament and showed plenty of promise. Flourishing under the guidance of Head Coach Caitlin Glue, this talented group has made huge strides throughout the season. While they faced some tough games and didn't always get the results they were hoping for, their growth and development throughout the tournament was a real highlight. The progress they have made is a great indication of the exciting future ahead for SMC basketball.

As the basketball programme farewells Bronny O’Sullivan and Lucie Davis, we extend a heartfelt thank you to both girls for their contribution, commitment and leadership over their years in the programme. While we will certainly miss them, the development of our younger players means the future of SMC basketball is looking very bright.

Lucie Davis - Head of Basketball

CYCLING

The SMC Cycling Team travelled to Blenheim two weekends ago for the NZ Secondary Schools Southern Tour, hosted by Cuddon Cycling Marlborough.  Strong winds tested riders across all four stages: Individual Time Trial, Criterium, Hill Climb, and Road Race

Emma Crawford, Year 12, claimed the Secondary Schools National Criterium Championship title

Emma took out both the Yellow Jersey (overall leader) and Green Jersey (sprint points)

Emma won 3 of the 4 stages in the U17 category

Lucy O'Connor, Year 12, made her debut race for St Margaret's College, placing 7th in the Time Trial, Hill Climb, and Road Race in the U20 category.

A brilliant result for the team in tough conditions.

This brilliant form follows on from an incredible year of results for Emma already in 2026

2026 was Emma's first year racing internationally. Riding on the road in Australia with her trade team, Black Magic Women's Cycling, she picked up a podium finish and placed 4th on GC (General Classification) in Brisbane and 5th in Adelaide.

On the track, Emma was selected for the NZ Development Team for the YSD track series in Malaysia, an international meet contested by six countries. She won four gold medals and one silver, a strong endorsement of her progress and potential at the next level. She also claimed the U17 Girls Australasian Endurance Championship title, confirming her place among the region's top young endurance riders.

Domestically, Emma backed up her international form with a dominant season on home soil. She topped the podium at NZ Track Nationals in the Team Pursuit and Team Sprint, claimed 5 individual medals, won the New Zealand National Schools Criterium, and posted the fastest overall women's time across all age categories at the South Island Champs ITT (Individual Time Trial).

Way to go, Emma, on what has already been an outstanding year for you.

DUATHLON

Braving a chilly Canterbury day, our Year 5–8 girls showed remarkable grit and perseverance at the PSC Duathlon on Monday, September 7.  Every athlete pushed hard through the gruelling run-bike-run sections, representing SMC with pride. A special shoutout to Isla Foley for taking an impressive 4th place and Charlotte Robertson for finishing 9th.  Congratulations to our entire 2026 PSC Duathlon team: Eden Hughes (Yr 5), Claudia Cook, Freya Dutton, Margot Farrell, Isla Foley, Isla Hughes (Yr 7), and Charlotte Robertson (Yr 8). Fantastic work, girls.

EQUESTRIAN

Our Equestrian girls had a fantastic week at McLeans Island last week, coming away with an impressive collection of individual ribbons as well as four top team prizes.

This year saw significant growth in both the number of SMC riders and the overall size of the event. SISS Equestrian has now become the largest equestrian event of the year, with close to 800 riders competing. With 20 riders across three teams, along with our Year 7 and 8 riders competing as individuals, this was the largest SMC team we have had at the event.

The quality of coaching and development provided throughout the year by Emily Cammock and Anna Poole was clearly evident in the results. The SMC Red team took out 1st place in both Arena Eventing and Show Jumping, while the White team claimed 1st place in Show Hunter. To cap off an amazing week, the Red team also finished 2nd overall as a team – a truly remarkable achievement given that they did not compete in two of the events.

Throughout Tournament Week, Anna was incredibly generous with her time, providing advice, assistance in the warm-up arenas and plenty of encouragement to all of our equestrian girls. Her support was greatly appreciated and made a real difference to the riders throughout the week.

One of the highlights of the week was seeing the exceptional relationship between our senior and junior riders. The encouragement, support and genuine care that the girls showed towards one another was fantastic to see and reflected the wonderful culture within our Equestrian programme.

Of course, an event such as this is a huge commitment, not only for the riders and their horses and ponies, but also for the parents and caregivers who make it all possible. The time, travel, preparation and support required behind the scenes is significant.

A massive thank you to our riders, coaches, parents and caregivers for everything they contributed to making SISS Equestrian such a special and successful event for St Margaret’s College.

Tara Morgan - Head of Equestrian

SMC also hit the national news for our equestrian efforts last week; see links below to an interview with Emi-Lee Elvy, Year 10, who gained a special mention at prizegiving for Emi’s great bubbly personality and her positivity.

Emi-Lee Elvy

National News

FOOTBALL - GARY SOWDEN

Winter tournament week was so much fun, filled with unforgettable memories and incredible moments both on and off the field. 

Our highs were definitely the way we bonded as a team, celebrated our game wins, and truly worked together every time we stepped onto the field. We grew and developed game after game, bringing enthusiasm, strength, determination and passion to every single match. Maintaining a positive attitude allowed us to finish the tournament on a high with a well-deserved final win, finishing 15th overall.  For our Year 13s, it was their last game for the school, and going out with a win was the perfect way to finish. 

It wasn't all smooth sailing, as we faced our fair share of challenges. Sickness hit us hard, leaving some of our most valuable players unable to play at full strength. The weather also made it a battle, especially on one incredibly rainy day when we had to play through the downpour. On top of that, playing back-to-back games took a heavy toll on our bodies, but we dug deep and pushed through right to the end. Through it all, as a team, we had so much fun and focused on making our moments matter. 

A massive thank you to Mr Ryan, Mr McDee and Mr Wilson for coaching us this season and giving up so much of your time. With all your knowledge and guidance, you pushed us to be our best, but most importantly, keeping things fun when we were down had a huge impact on all the girls' experiences and attitudes. Thank you to Mr McDee for organising everything behind the scenes, and to Robyn Young for managing the team and looking after us so well. Lastly, thank you to all the supporters and parents for coming down and cheering us on every day—we really appreciate your endless support!

Lucy Young - Head of Football

HOCKEY - CHRIS ARTHUR

The SMC Second XI Hockey team travelled to Stratford, Taranaki, for the 2XI Chris Arthur Cup, where we placed 1st overall. In the pool games, we had 3 wins and one draw against Rangi; our goal difference placed us first in the pool, meaning we played second place in the other pool for the semi-final. Our semi-final was against Christchurch Girls High, who we played in the Canterbury weekly competition final, so we knew them well and knew it was going to be a tough battle. We had a couple of injuries at this point, and CGHS were very strong, but we dug deep and won the match 2-0 to secure our spot in the final. Our final was against Rangi, who we knew was going to be a tough opposition due to our draw in the pool rounds. With Rangi also being a team we were familiar with, we knew we had to take our opportunities and chances at goal when they came, and we won the final 3-1 to claim the Chris Arthur Cup! Overall, it was a great tournament where we got to build connections on and off the field with each other, whilst improving our hockey skills and taking the win! 

We want to thank our coaches, Kelvin and Rachel, for their support and guidance throughout the season and for believing in us! Your time spent making team talks and debriefs, and analysing the other teams whilst away, did not go unnoticed! Also, to our manager, Ms E, for all of her hard work behind the scenes during this tournament and throughout the season, from letting us know when to meet for games to making sure we had food whilst away, we couldn’t have done it without you! We would not have achieved what we did without their hard work and effort supporting us players. We also want to say farewell to our Year 13 players who played their final game in the SMC gear during the tournament!

HOCKEY - FED CUP

The SMC First XI Hockey team travelled to Whangārei for the Federation Cup last week, where we finished 7th overall. Although our final placing was a little disappointing, we all had a really enjoyable tournament and it was a great opportunity to spend time together as a team, build our culture, and create memories away from school. 

In our pool games, we had a strong start, winning two games and losing one. This placed us second in our pool, putting us through to the top 16, where we crossed over against Rangi Ruru Girls. Rangi is a local rival, so we were familiar with them and knew it would be a competitive game. The game ended in a draw, meaning we went to shootouts, where we managed to come out on top with a 3-2 shootout win. This win put us into the top eight.

In the quarter-finals, we played StAC; unfortunately, we had a tough 3–1 loss, which was disappointing, especially after our performance against them in the local competition. 

We then played Christchurch Girls’ High and unfortunately lost 2–1. This meant we had to play for 7th and 8th place against Palmerston North Girls’ High School. We finished the tournament strongly, winning 3–0 and securing 7th place overall.

Thank you to our coaches, Sunjay and Ben. Your time and effort you have given the team throughout the season, especially in tournaments, have not gone unnoticed. All the video analysis and scouting of the games you do is so helpful and helps us reach our full potential as a team. Thank you for always being positive even when things get hard. Another huge thank you to our amazing manager, Ms Surridge. You have been a rock in tournament organising, everything from washing and home-cooked meals to helping out in the dugout and making sure everyone feels ready to play. We don't know what we would have done without you. And lastly, to Murray, who came to support us all the way in Whangarei. All your stories and knowledge are so inspiring and interesting. Thank you for your support and help this season. 

Maya Young, Lily Fowler, Stella Valentine - Heads of Hockey

NETBALL SISS

This year our Senior A Netball team headed away to Nelson for the 2026 South Island Secondary School competition. Throughout this tournament, there were many highlights for the team, from topping their first pool round to advancing to the top 16. With their hard work and determination, they worked their way into the A Grade South Island final against St Hilda's. This was a really big highlight for all the girls in the team; having the opportunity to represent the school in a final was huge. It was a tough, hard-fought game for the girls, with full time being 39-39, meaning we had to play into overtime. St Hilda's just beating us in the end was hard, but we were all extremely proud of ourselves for how far we had come. Being in the top 5 means we are qualifying for nationals, which will be at the start of October. Exciting awards were received at the SISS prize-giving: three girls from the Senior A team received awards for making the tournament team (A Grade Talented Players): Shaye Edwards, Lucy Farrell and Sophie Ockwell. Overall, this year's winter tournament week was filled with many highs and exciting achievements, and we will keep working hard towards Nationals later this year.

Lucie Farrell - Head of Netball

RUGBY - BULLER 10’s

The SMC rugby team played in the Buller 10s Tournament where we were able to field our own team, without needing to combine schools. We had an outstanding few days and showed a lot of fight and determination playing against older and physically bigger teams, ending up in 7th place. 

We had an awesome first game against Greymouth Combined, coming away with the win 20-0. We then played our friends from down the road, St Andrews College, losing in a close match 10-14. That same afternoon we competed against Nelson Girls and Timaru Girls, losing both matches. The next day we had some big competition, playing the top 2 teams, Rangiora and Southland. The girls held on strong, playing some awesome defence, but both games resulted in a loss. We then competed against Waimea and won 17-7. On Saturday, we played against Waimea again to play off for 7th and 8th place, winning 12-5. Overall, the girls performed amazingly and as a team we improved every game. 

We had the introduction of the new Rugby Caps for those who have played 25 games, and we celebrated 7 players reaching that milestone, including Savena Fagalima (46 games), Pippa Bocock, Lucy Johnson, Alice Dale, Bella Grieve, Siobhan Brennan, and Poppy McDonald. 

A massive thank you to Mr Freeman, Miss F and Miss Lord for helping us while we were away.  Also thanks to Grant for all your help throughout the season, and you were missed while we were away.

Alice Dale - Head of Rugby

CELEBRATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

BOULDERING

Lola Brinson, Year 9, has been competing in the National Indoor Bouldering Series for the past few months. The series wrapped up recently in Christchurch. Finishing 3rd in the Christchurch round, Lola wraps up the National Indoor Bouldering Series (NiBS) with a podium finish in the U15 Female category — and 5th nationally, based on her results from Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch.

Olivia Vivian, Year 11 and Charlotte Dunne, Year 9 travelled to Dunedin to compete in the South Island Swimming Championships from 28–30 August, with both girls achieving some fantastic results.

SWIMMING

Olivia Vivian

Olivia, Year 12, had an outstanding championship, winning five gold medals and South Island Under 16 titles, along with two silver medals. She also stepped up in the Open competition, winning gold to become South Island Open Champion in the 200m Individual Medley.

1st – Under 16: 100m IM, 200m IM, 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly

2nd – Under 16: 50m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke

1st – Open: 200m Individual Medley – South Island Open Champion

Charlotte Dunne

Charlotte, Year 9,  also produced some great performances in the Under 14 age group, securing two podium finishes:

2nd – Under 14: 200m Backstroke

3rd – Under 14: 100m Individual Medley

CRICKET 

Congratulations to Lexie Boon, Year 12, who won the Sports Canterbury GirlBoss award.  

BASKETBALL

Well done to Libby Clarkson, Year 9, who was named in the All Star 5 for the U16 Canterbury competition.

TABLE TENNIS

Tracey Hsia, Year 11, recently competed in the 2026 Oceania Youth Championships. 

Tracey achieved some great results in the U19 events:

U19 Girls’ Team – Silver

U19 Girls’ Doubles – Silver

U19 Girls’ Singles – Bronze

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

15th September - Canterbury Secondary Schools Duathlon

16th/17th September - Canterbury Primary Schools Winter Tournament, Hockey and Netball

18th September- Linwood 7’s

20th September NZ Secondary Schools Duathlon - Auckland

27th September - NZ Secondary Schools Road Cycling - Manawatu

6th-9th October - NZ Secondary Schools Netball Nationals

12th October - Monday night Volleyball starts