SBHS First XV’s win dominates awards

The Southland Boys’ First XV celebrate winning the national first XV title in Palmerston North after defeating Westlake Boys’ 32-29 in the final. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Southland Boys’ High School’s historic national first XV title was celebrated at last night’s ILT Southland Sports Awards.

The Southland Boys’ side rewrote the history books with a maiden Top Four national title in Palmerston North last September.

The Jason Dermody-coached side beat home team Palmerston North Boys’ High School 20-19 in their semifinal and then overcame favourites Westlake Boys’ by three points, 32-29, in the final, despite missing several key players due to injury.

Southland Boys’ High were just the third South Island team to win the tournament since its inception in 1982.

The side also won the Moascar Cup, the Ranfurly Shield of secondary schools rugby, for the first time.

The history-making feat contributed to four of the awards presented at the Ascot Park Hotel.

Corbin Strong

The team won the team of the year award, Dermody was named coach of the year, and the team also picked up the Sporting Moment, which was decided by public vote.

Coach Peter Skelt, who has been part of the Boys’ High First XV coaching group since 1989, was honoured with a Services to Sport award for his contribution to badminton, cricket and rugby.

Skelt was a national title holder and New Zealand representative in badminton and also a member of the dominant Southland Hawke Cup cricket team during the 1980s and later coached the side.

He has overseen generations of young rugby players.

The night’s other Services to Sport recipient was Fiona Ward, who is celebrating 30 years as Southland’s secondary school sport director. During that time Ward has supported thousands of young people to take part in hundreds of regional events.

Adventure racer Fynn Mitchell took out the junior sportsperson category after a year which included leading the youth team to seventh at Godzone and ninth at the Adventure Racing World Champs in South Africa, where they were the youngest team to ever take part.

World Tour professional cyclist Corbin Strong claimed the senior sportsperson title as he continued to build a reputation as one of fastest developing riders in global cycling.

Strong produced top 10 finishes in UCI events around the globe, including an impressive Tour de France debut where he banked two top 10 and five top 20 finishes over the 21 stages of the world’s most famous bike race.

Southern Queens Boxing, which has created a free and inclusive environment for children to thrive both inside and outside the ring over the past two years, was honoured with the Community Trust South Community Impact award.

Highly regarded cycling commissaire Erin Criglington won the Creation Signs Official of the Year.

The Masters Achievement award went to track cyclist Ruth Whelan, who not only continues to dominate her age group at national level, but returned home from October’s UCI Masters World Championship with a full set of medals including bronze in the team sprint, silver in the individual sprint and a gold medal in the 500m time trial.

Fynn Mitchell

The evening was also an opportunity to celebrate the sporting career of blind athlete Hannah Pascoe.

Pascoe’s journey included running from the Surf to City to the New Year Marathon, triathlon, the Westpac Chopper ride, para-cycling on the international stage and becoming the first blind woman to ride the length of New Zealand with cousin Kara Roderick-Wandless.

The pair completed the trip in 19 days, raising nearly $30,000 to support other blind athletes.