Sport Hakinakina
Sport 2022
Sport at Rangi Ruru is as much about participation and fun as it is about competition, challenge and success at the top level.
If there is one word that encapsulates sport here, it would be “opportunity”. The essence of sport in our school is found in the opportunities which are provided for our students to find their sporting north—the activity or sport which inspires them— and for them to be the very best they can be.
We have a very proud tradition of sporting excellence with our teams consistently performing highly on the local and national stage, and numerous students representing Canterbury or New Zealand. Aside from these individual and team successes, we consistently achieve participation rates that sit above 85%, indicating a tradition of not just achievement, but also involvement at all levels.
Our focus is on offering opportunities that support our students to flourish as athletes but equally, if not more importantly, as people. Our extensive network of coaches, managers and convenors, are committed and passionate about supporting all our students in their sporting journey—whatever they might be, and wherever they might go.
Whether sport is about fellowship, excellence, enjoyment or passion, sport at Rangi Ruru is about sport for life.
Mandy Anderson Director of Sport
Sport at Rangi Ruru
Coaches
Our coaches continue to be the foundation of the quality sporting programme that we offer. This is true across our Year 7-13 programme, with experienced coaches appointed to teams at all year levels. We believe investing in our coaches allows our students to be exposed to invaluable experience which assists them with the skills, mentoring and development that they need to achieve their sporting aspirations. Our coaches include a mix of current and former New Zealand representatives, with over 20 of our coaches being either current or previous Regional, National or International representatives.
Our Wrap Around Support
Mental Skills coaching has established itself as a key component of the sports programme, with students able to have one-on-one or team sessions focused on improving their growth, development and performance through understanding themselves and their environment by creating the mindset to be their best selves.
On-campus facilities including the water-based hockey turf, hard courts, heated pool and gymnasium complete the resources on offer at Rangi Ruru, providing opportunities for teams and individuals to train individually or together at school
Strength and Conditioning
Our programme caters for over 100 students on a weekly basis, assisting them to be stronger and fitter to take on the demands of their sport. However, while students might view their S&C sessions to be about being fitter, the true value of strength & conditioning is reflected in the reduced injury rate, particularly significant knee injuries.
Regular Wellness Monitoring
Our coaching staff and managment monitor how our athletes are doing, aided by technology. This provides opportunities for our sports staff to initiate conversations with students who are negotiating the study/school/ sport/life balance on a weekly and sometimes daily occurrence.
Kaiyah Ratu Rangi Ruru Student Athlete
What sports are you involved in?
I was in the Rangi 1st XI hockey team for 2021 (yet to be named for 2022), and for softball I am in the Canterbury U15s, Canterbury U17s, Canterbury Women's Team, New Zealand U15s, New Zealand U18s and the New Zealand Women’s Catching Team.
What do you enjoy about sport and what have been some of your proudest achievement in your chosen codes?
“I really enjoy sports because of the opportunities you are given and the friendships made along the way. I have made a lot of friends and they're all-over New Zealand, so it's pretty cool. The biggest highlight of my career so far would be winning a national title for Canterbury and getting the opportunity to go to Indonesia to play and represent my country in softball. It made me feel absolutely amazing, there's no words to explain it. It was just amazing.”
How are you enabled to be your best in your sports at Rangi Ruru?
“Rangi has helped me a lot. The culture here is incredible, all the teachers and coaches are very supportive and nice and making sure I am okay with everything.
“I thought one of the biggest challenges for me was going to be fitting in schoolwork and sport at the same time but with the help I'm getting, it's actually a lot easier than I had expected it to be. The teachers and coaches are always pushing for their girls to always be their best and be better than before and it’s very empowering. I feel like I am getting the opportunity to be my best and it's building me as a girl.”
Georgia Sheat
Old Girl, Head of Sport 2020
Tell us about your sporting journey in your time at Rangi Ruru - where you have come from to where you are now; what has your pathway in sport been during your time at Rangi?
When I arrived at Rangi Ruru in Year 9 I was a keen Touch player who lacked confidence on the field but had a small idea about playing structure and competitive Touch from an U13 Canterbury rep team I had played in. Fast forward 4 years down the track, I was named female MVP of the New Zealand U18 Mixed team. During my first term at Rangi, I was whisked into the Supertouch team and was warmly welcomed by the senior girls who would very quickly become my teammates and older sisters for years to come. After some rapid skill development and technical understanding over just one year here, I was selected into the Touch NZ U16 Talent ID Academy. Since then, I have played for the Canterbury U16 Girls, U18 girls and Open Mixed teams.
What was or who were significant in helping you in your sporting journey at Rangi?
I think that in my last year at Rangi Ruru Ms Rule (mental performance skills) made a significant difference in my sporting journey, as she has encouraged me to understand that “better people, make better athletes”. Though physical training is vital, it’s about exercising those interpersonal skills and building relationship with the teammates and coaches around you. Because when push comes to shove, the athletes and teams who come out on top of being under pressure, are those who have built and cemented trust in their processes and within each other.
What do you think is special about sport at Rangi?
I think the most special part about sport at Rangi is the sports staff and coaches who go out of their way to care about your personal sports journey and wellbeing. It always felt as though there is someone to go the extra mile to help you reach your potential. There was always someone there for you.
S.O.A.R
Supporting Outstanding Athletes at Rangi Ruru
Built on the philosophy that better people make better athletes, the SOAR programme prides itself on guiding and supporting our wahine toa to empowerment and self actualisation.
Our unique programme strives to create a community of like-minded young women and creates the space and opportunity for our Rang Ruru athletes to flourish.
The person is at the centre of all we do in SOAR. We recognise that participants are not just athletes, but also daughters, sisters, granddaughters, friends, students and athletes.
As part of the programme, the participants are offered opportunities such as mental skills coaching, strenght and conditioning, body
balance profiles, AthleteDISC profiles, hearing stories of current and past sportswomen and nutrition support. All within an environment that listens, supports, challenges and empowers its participants to realise and act upon their true potential.
Students will be eligible to apply for selection in the S.O.A.R programme if they meet one of the following criteria: competing at a minimum at a regional level within a sport(s), a member of a school Senior A team , a NZ representative.
Priority is given to senior students. At the heart of S.O.A.R is the philosophy that better people make better athletes.
Ko te pae tawhiti whaia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina, Seek out distant horizons and cherish those you attain.
Sports On Offer
Each year up to 25 different sporting options are on offer to Rangi students. In all options, girls can participate either on a social or a highly competitive level.
The current offerings include:
• Athletics
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Cross Country
• Cycling
• Dragon Boating
• Equestrian (Polo, Show Jumping, Mounted Games, Dressage)
• Fencing
• Football
• Futsal
• Hockey
• Indoor Football and Netball
• Lifesaving
• Mountain Biking
• Multisport (Duathlon & Triathlon)
• Netball
• Rowing
• Rugby
• Snow Sports
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Touch
• Trampolining
• Volleyball
• Waterpolo
Additionally, students can represent the school at Canterbury, South Island and New Zealand
Secondary School events in sports which are not directly offered and will also have access to resources such as Mental Performance and Strength and Conditioning to support their sporting aspirations.
Year 7 and 8 students have the ability to take part in many of the above weekly sport opportunities alongside students in Years 9-13. As members of the CAIMS network (Canterbury Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools), Year 7 and 8 students also have the opportunity to compete against other larger Intermediate schools on a weekly basis throughout Terms 2-4.
Key Contacts
Mandy Anderson Director of Sport m.anderson@rangiruru.school.nz
Melissa Brooks Assistant Director of Sport m.brooks@rangiruru.school.nz
Nicole Sinclair
Sports Coordinator and Head of Yr7&8 Sport n.sinclair@rangiruru.school.nz
Trisha Hopcroft
Sports Administrator and Netball Development Manager t.hopcroft@rangiruru.school.nz
Paula Rule
Mental Skills Coach p.rule@rangiruru.school.nz
Ross Kennedy Strength & Conditioning Coach r.kennedy@rangiruru.school.nz
Sally Goldsmith Equestrian Manager s.goldsmith@rangiruru.school.nz
Olivia Ling Rowing Manager o.ling@rangiruru.school.nz
