Night of Netball, Connection and Community

The Saint Kentigern Alumni vs College Premier Netball game once again brought a favourite rivalry to the College courts, combining a competitive edge with the camaraderie. 

The College Premier team, with players from Year 10 through to Year 13 and captained by Year 12 student Abby Pinder, faced an Alumni side bringing plenty of professional and national-level experience to the court. The team featured names such as Silver Fern Amorangi Malesala (Class of 2015), Jessica Glengarry (Class of 2011), Kelly Alexander (Class of 2010) and Tegan Fox (Class of 2011). Kayne Ngatokowha Peters (Class of 2002) also pulled on the pink bib for the team, proving his commitment to the Alumni community extends well beyond his role on the Alumni Association Committee. 

The Premier side held the advantage for much of the game, before the experience of the Alumni team began to show in the closing stages. In the final minutes, the gap disappeared and the final whistle came with the scores locked at 25–25. 

A draw, of course, left one important question: who would take home the trophy? In the end, a "coin toss" fell the Alumni team’s way, allowing them to regain the trophy.

For the Premier players, the evening offered a valued opportunity to share the court with alumni who bring considerable experience to the game, including players they have watched and looked up to, while enjoying a friendly but hard-fought match ahead of Nationals.   

A big thank-you to Christina Oscar (Class of 2015), College alumna and Head of Netball, for her efforts in bringing the teams together. Christina also brings experience from the Northern Stars, Tonga Tala and her work developing high-performance pathways through Huskies Sports Club. 

With the support of the Saint Kentigern Alumni Association, the fixture continues to create a meaningful connection between current students and those who have gone before them. Both captains reflected on that at the end of the evening, with Christina Oscar speaking about the full-circle nature of remaining connected to a programme that gave so much to her as a student, and Abby Pinder, captain of the Premier Team, sharing what that ongoing involvement means to the players coming through today. 

Long-standing member of the Alumni Association Committee, Ben Forrest (Class of 1994), also reflected on Fides Servanda Est, and what it means to honour what has been entrusted to us. His challenge to the College Premier Team was simple: believe in yourselves, give your best and make the most of the opportunities before you.