Tanner Cup Hockey - July Holidays

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The preparation the boys have put into this challenge has been quite exceptional. Not only did they commit to their usual late Sunday night training, but they also made themselves available for 7am training on Wednesday mornings and at school on Wednesday evenings. Their commitment to this task has been incredible.

As tournaments can go - this was a tough one. We were in the only pool (of three teams) where everyone won a game. In the first game, we lost to Palmerston North Boys (the eventual winners), who then lost to Hamilton Boys, who then lost to us. This really represents just how strong the competition is. For McGlashan Hockey to consistently be at the high level it is, against schools of 2300 (Hamilton Boys) and 1750 (Palmerston North), is quite outstanding.

v Palmerston North: 1-3

v Hamilton Boys: 3-1

Our initial pool results took us to a 'repechage' round - which we thought only happened in rowing. The top 6 teams advanced directly (Palmerston North Boys in our pool). The next six teams played two games, each consisting of 15-minute halves. Speed hockey at its best. We faced Westlake Boys (who won Rankin in 2022) and St Paul's (hosts of the tournament).

v Westlake: 2-3

v St Paul's: 2-0

Unfortunately, with St Paul's going down to Westlake, this put us out of the Top 8, which had been one of the goals for the tournament.

Many challenges came our way in this tournament, including a player change the day before we left due to illness, another player being pulled from the tournament in Hamilton due to illness, and other challenges that arose with the lineup of the draw and the decisions of the officials. However, what really stood out through all of this is the way our team kept their heads, looked out for each other, and kept stepping up to the next challenge.

This puts us in great stead for the future of hockey at McGlashan, as when these young men finally step out for the 1st XI in their own Rankin battles, they will have a wealth of experience to bring with them.

Our final game of the tournament was against Christ's College - another hockey powerhouse. The boys really stood up to this final challenge as they wanted to show their friends, family, and supporters their thanks for all that had been done to get them to this point.

v Christ's College: 2-0

The team would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts and those who closely followed the tournament, sending messages of support during the week.

The boys are now preparing for the final challenge of the hockey season, hoping to secure themselves a place in the Division 2 final. There are a few things that need to fall our way, but the boys have certainly not stopped working hard and chasing their goals.

A massive thank you to Thomas Meder and Nicholas Friedlander, who give so many hours to coach this team. As old boys of the school and former JMC 1st XI players, your expertise and guidance have made a significant difference to both their abilities and their experience in hockey this year. We couldn't be more grateful.

We want to wish Tom the best of luck with his recent selection to the New Zealand U21 Squad, who will attend the 2025 FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in India later this year. We're all on #tomsteam.