Water Polo season ends on a high with an eye to the future

By Elaine Kelly | Posted: Tuesday March 31, 2026

This water polo season has seen all three OBHS teams placed in the top three in Otago.

Otago Water Polo made the decision at the start of this year to create a competitive grade (formerly the A grade) and an open grade (formerly B grade) for water polo. Until this year we have always had a senior A team and two B grade teams. This year, due to the new gradings, we decided to give our top B grade team, the OBHS Hoops a challenge and enter them in the competitive grade, thereby effectively becoming our junior A team.

The Senior A team, the OBHS Oaks gained silver in the Otago Secondary Schools Competition with the OBHS Hoops taking bronze in this league. This is a major achievement for the Hoops team who effectively saw off all the other senior teams barring King’s senior team. The OBHS Stripes also did themselves proud in the open grade, taking bronze too.

Last night we took the opportunity to invite the intermediate school players to train with us at Moana pool. Twenty boys from Balmacewan, Tahuna, Fairfield and DNI signed up to be part of this session which gave our coaches the chance to see what the future holds for water polo. Ably supported by some senior players, Oliver Jamieson (Captain of Water Polo), Toby HIll, Sam Hobbs and Ian Ratigan, our junior boys gave the intermediate players a great taste of what awaits the if they join OBHS. We also received some lovely feedback from one of the parents.

“Caspar and his Dad were blown away by how kind and mature the boys in your team were. Please pass on how impressed we were with how they treated the younger kids and their overall standout behaviour - doing themselves and their school proud.”

Well done on a great season, boys and thank you for representing the school so well!

OBHS Oaks - Silver, Competitive Grade OSS Water Polo

Nash Gilmore - Most Improved

Toby Hill - MVP

Sam Hobbs

Henry Hodgson

Oliver Jameson

Luca Mirosa

Ian Ratigan

Dade Tredoux

Liam van Waard

OBHS Hoops, Bronze, Competitive Grade OSS Water Polo

Leo Blair - MVP

Nate Crawford

Todd Darling - Most Improved

James Henderson

Rhys Horan

Ethan Kaina

Tamati Mathews

Fletcher Webster

Noah Wilson

OBHS Stripes, Bronze, Open Grade OSS Water Polo

Jedd Hill - MVP

Felix Jones

Daniel KIng

Logan Mac Askill

Aidan Millier

Fred Mulder - Most Improved

Al Nicholson

Louis Pinel

Declan Roulston