Football

Football has continued to be an outstanding sport on the Rangitoto College sport scene in 2021. Girls football has continued to go from strength to strength and we have seen an ongoing increase in numbers from 2020 to this year, with growth to four teams which were all very competitive in the Auckland competitions. Boys football has continued to excel, with eight teams across different ages and abilities.

It was a great developmental year from our junior space with 12 strong teams across Boys and Girls which shared tremendous culture.

With the ongoing challenges all other sport codes are facing in 2021, we are very proud of all our football teams in 2021 and their various achievements both as individual players and a team.

A special thank you must go to all the coaches, players, managers, parents, and supporters who have been with our teams every step of the way this year. Without your help, the sport would not be able to function as it does and we look forward to continuing to work together in 2022 and beyond.

Build-up of the season showed that our 1st XI Boys team has an amazing capacity to play fantastic games, with great entertainment and fun-towatch football. As expected, results did not resemble the style of play and the quality that the team was looking to produce a consistent level.

Though, the level of trust was at the highest peak between our young players, Craig and myself. The start of the season was really positive; win and a draw, with the win in the knockout cup. Then, we had one big loss, which proved that our biggest enemy was—and is—ourselves.

We already showed that we play great, attacking football, where we created lots of chances and scored lots of goals.

However, our players and the team as a whole showed great resilience, grit, and willingness to do our best, so the team won eight out of 13 games, which is an awesome accomplishment. So, the First XI Boys team finished the season third in the Senior A1 league.

Which itself is a great accomplishment from every player involved throughout the season. And as a coach, I cannot be prouder of the achievement, attitude, and great behaviour from every single one of them.

The 1st X1 Girls achieved third place in the Auckland championship, a great result they can all be proud of.

Extremely well led by inspirational captain Suzy Jung, the girls had great team spirit and were a pleasure to coach.

With a great start to the season the wins kept coming as the girls led the competition with eight wins from eight!

Who could forget the fantastic win at home 4-0 against Westlake, with great parent and school support the girls showed the calibre and quality of the Rangitoto team. Also, the come-from-behind last-minute winner against Mount Albert.

Unfortunately, the last three games proved tough with injuries and illness contributing, and we succumbed to Epsom and Baradene who finished one and two.

Our Rangitoto girls showed we were probably the most technical in the league and our passing game was second to no other team. The National Premier tournament was cancelled unfortunately, as we know the girls would be in with a chance.

The 2nd XI Boys enjoyed a successful season captained by Adam Chichester The team trained alongside the first XI which allowed development for some players to receive the call up to play for the 1st XI. Congratulations to Adam, Jaden, Alex and Kees who all received a call up over the season. Comfortably winning our grading with wins over Albany Senior 5-1, Orewa 2-0, and Kingsway 4-1, the team qualified for Senior B championship where results were mixed, coming out with a two win, two loss, two draw season. Congratulations to all players and thanks to the parents for their support. Craig Fickling (Coach)

Our 2021 was born of frustration and confusion but ended up being one of my favourites in my many years of coaching. We were plagued by pullouts and team changes at the start of the season, but I was very happy with the outcome, as we were able to mould a successful team out of this disparate group. We lost our opening four matches of the season but ended up narrowly missing out on the title. This says a lot about the character and growth mentality of my players this year. I hope they maintain this attitude and continue to develop and play in 2022. Mr Matthew Reid (Coach)

After a tough few results against strong opposition at the start of the season, the boys fought back to secure some good results. With a focus on movement and solid passing we were able to show our strengths and put teams under pressure. All the boys put in 100% effort and showed a really bright footballing future. Drew Spark (Coach)

The season started of brightly with lots of familiar faces from last year and a few new ones which was great to see. In the first few games results didn’t go our way but with the core of the team committed to training and playing with a smile that soon changed with a strong end to the season guiding us to a mid-table finish. Overall, it was a pleasure to work with such a great group of lads and we look forward to seeing everyone again next year. Jack Durose, Brad Freeman, and Jono Horgan (Coaches)

The Year 13A boys have played some quality football this season and shown incredible character. A highlight was a well-fought 0-0 draw against one of the top teams, Saint Kentigern, which saw us overtake Kings on the table. I am honoured to have coached these talented players and wish them all the best for future years at Rangitoto. Mark Richards (Coach)

The season started off on a real high scoring 25 goals in our first two matches. From there, the team had some tough matches where our skills were tested, finishing sixth in the league. The focus this season was to improve our possession game and play consistently throughout a whole match. The team achieved our goals as huge improvements were made over the season. A contributing factor to the team’s success was our culture. The boys remained positive throughout the season, and all became friends which united us as a team. Highlight of the season was in our final game beating Westlake. Ryan Williams (Coach)

We began our season as the Year 13C team with very little experience, leading to some unfortunate results. However, through the strength of character shown by the boys, they were able to develop as a team unit and as individuals, becoming promising young footballers for the future of Rangitoto College. Sam Miller and Diego Wilson-Carbajal (Coaches)

This season has been short but exciting. Despite the spread of different experiences, the girls played well, giving it their best and working hard as a team every game. There was a lot of development during games and trainings, along with lots of laughter and fun. It was a great season!

Miss Bea Regalado (Coach), Miss Kate Sanderson and Miss Esther Martinez (Managers)

The 2021 season was full of twists and turns for the Junior Premier Girls team. We experienced the highs with crushing victories over Saint Cuthbert’s, and lows in a frustrating penalty shootout loss to St Kentigern; resilience was tested to the limit, but the team rose to the challenge.

Every player demonstrated a willingness to learn and develop their skills at every training session, with determination and grit evident in every competitive game. As coaches, we are incredibly proud of every member of the team and their passion for the sport. We are looking forward to seeing players continue to represent the college next year and look forward to another successful season.

Mr Mark Freeman and Mr George May (Coaches)

The first few games and training sessions were mainly learning points to gather information about our players and for the team to get comfortable amongst their peers. Overall, the team fought strong throughout the season getting some great victories. By the end of the season, the team was at its strongest and our most proud achievement was seeing the improvements in each game over time. We enjoyed coaching the girls this year and look forward to witnessing them develop their skills further in the future.