Waiheke High School’s Beach Sports at Oneroa may have been delayed for two days by Cyclone Gabrielle but when it was held on Friday 17 February the weather could not have been better. New head of physical education Tony Wood says the term-one fixture was greatly missed in 2022 after it was cancelled due to Covid restrictions.
“We all appreciated the opportunity to spend the day back on the beach. Students competed in great spirits throughout the day. It was awesome to have our new principal Mikaere October there running touch rugby in the rotations and then being a great sport in the knee-high races where there were a few spare tackles,” he says.
The knee-high races are a tradition that allows students to welcome the new faculty. The teachers stand knee high in the water, forming a square 200m course. Mikaere and Chanette Büttner were the two lucky electees on this occasion. The students set off from the beach in groups, depending on their year. First they ran 50m along the shore, turning seaward at a marker flag. Next they headed straight to Chanette where much splashing ensued as they went outside her and turned towards their new headmaster. He was ready for them. As the ages of the students went up, so did the enthusiasm for tackling. Mikaere held his own against the senior boys. When later asked how he enjoyed the knee-high race he said he’d start a new rugby team at the school that would allow the seniors to practise their tackling. • Sarah Glover
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