OBHS 1st XI – NZSS Football Tournament

By Ruie Hyslop-Captain | Posted: Wednesday September 3, 2025

The Otago Boys’ High School 1st XI travelled north to Palmerston North last week to compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Football Tournament, where they faced off against some of the strongest school teams in the country over five days of competition.

The tournament began with two tough fixtures on Monday. In their opener against Wellington College, the team fought hard after conceding an early goal. Fraser Anderson equalised with a superbly struck free kick, but a scrappy late effort from Wellington saw Otago edged out 2–1. Later in the day, the side played Howick College. Despite dominating large parts of the first half, a late goal against the run of play swung the momentum. Howick went on to score twice more in the second half, handing Otago a 3–0 loss.

Tuesday brought renewed determination. Against St Paul’s Collegiate, the team needed a two-goal win to progress from their pool. Lochie Ing-Aram put them ahead early, but a penalty to St Paul’s levelled the score. Despite pushing hard, the game ended 1–1. The boys bounced back later in the day with a crucial 1–0 victory over New Plymouth Boys’ High School, secured by another Anderson strike just before halftime. The result ensured they advanced into the top half of the bottom 16.

Wednesday’s fixture against Macleans College proved tight, with few chances created. Unfortunately, a single defensive mistake was enough for Macleans to take the match 1–0. However, the team responded superbly on Thursday, producing their most convincing performance of the week. Two early goals from Toby Orchiston set the tone in a 2–0 win over Christ’s College, where the side controlled the match from start to finish.

The final game of the tournament came on Friday against Lindisfarne College in the playoff for 21st and 22nd place. Anderson once again opened the scoring, but Lindisfarne replied with three goals before halftime. A late strike from Ryan Walker sparked hope, but the comeback fell just short as the boys finished the tournament with a 3–2 loss, placing 22nd.

The week highlighted the challenges of competing at the national level, but the boys can be proud of the effort and teamwork they showed across the tournament. A big thank you goes to Mike McGarry and Kate Hope for their support of the boys throughout the tournament.

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