The top prize in New Zealand secondary school hockey is once again coming home to Timaru.
The Timaru Boys’ High School First XI are the national secondary school hockey champions for the second time in three years after a hardfought 3-1 victory over New Plymouth Boys High School in the final of the Rankin Cup in Auckland at the weekend.
In a game that could have gone either way for much of the contest, TBHS took the lead just before the halftime whistle after a penalty corner from Charlie Cooper found the back of the net.
NPBHS struck back in the 41st minute with a field goal by Caylen Blake, leading to the score being tied 1-1 heading into the final quarter.
With 15 minutes to go and national glory on the line, TBHS got to work and began applying the pressure.
Ajay Caldwell broke the deadlock in the 51st minute via a penalty corner and Hamish Peck secured the victory in the 55th minute with a field goal.
It was a third successive Rankin Cup final for TBHS who have now very much solidified themselves as one of the powerhouse secondary schools in New Zealand hockey.
Although the team won all seven of their matches and scored a total of 25 goals it was not always smooth sailing.
In their first pool match against Nelson College, the side went down 2-1 in the first quarter but fought back to win 4-2 with two goals in the fourth quarter.
They then dispatched a tricky Cambridge High School side 3-1 and breezed past Wellington College 5-1 to make it to the Rankin Cup round of 16.
A tough Hamilton Boys’ High School were defeated 3-0. But the team’s biggest challenge came against St Andrews College in the quarterfinal.
Going into the final quarter TBHS were down 3-1, but goals in the 55th and 58th minute saw the game go to a shootout which they won 3-1.
The team met a strong Westlake Boys’ High School side in the semifinal where another impressive fourth quarter performance secured TBHS a 2-1 victory.
Head coach Simon Cooper said he was proud of his team’s efforts.
‘‘We just concentrated on each game as it came up. We didn’t look too far ahead, and then just got that job done and then moved on to the next one.
‘‘It’s one of those ones that they’ve [the players] done all the work for and they just believed in themselves. Once you get that belief and that momentum going, you can achieve the goals that you know you can achieve.
‘‘It’s pretty special, and I’m real proud of the group, because you’ve got a real mixture of ages, and every player made an impact.’’
He said going into the final he knew his side was prepped for battle.
‘‘I think from coming second in 2024, they had unfinished business, and they just wanted to get the job done. It came down to which team wanted it more.
‘‘With it coming down to the last quarter I knew that’s where we’d be able to turn it up a notch. A bit of fitness, keeping a calm head and the maturity from the senior players all stepped in.’’
It was a second gold medal for players Austin Gabites-Greenall and Flynn Brookland who were apart of the 2023 side that won the cup for the first ever time and Boston Mason, Mitchell Johnson, and Ajay Caldwell all followed in their older brother’s footsteps to pick up a gold medal of their own.
Cooper said the team and coaching staff were very appreciative of all the support they had received ahead of and during the tournament.
