The Shand Shield
The 1918 Palmerstonian records that “the old order changeth” and that the old club names, Oriental, Athletic, Poneke and Pirates were no longer; indeed, even earlier than that the Skyrockets and Hittites were old club names.
And so it was that in May 1919 the club system was further trialled and subsequently implemented. The four clubs were Albion, named after a Dunedin sports club for whom Mr Anderson, a staff member at the time, had played; Gordon was named after one of its first officers, Gordon Tovey, no relation; Phoenix was named after a local sporting club, and for the Phoenix in the school’s crest, while the origin of Kia Ora, as the school’s centenary publication says “is lost in the mist of antiquity. Not even John Murray could remember where it came from”.
The Prudential Shield was presented by Mr E A Shand for the club competition in all sports, and was to become known simply as the Shand Shield. It records the results of the club competition from 1921.
In 1962, when the school roll had risen to an unprecedented 844, two new clubs were added, both named after previous Rectors of the school. Vernon, named after the school’s first Rector, and Murray – and so for the first time the College House boys were in their own club. Mr Murray was the school’s second Rector, taking over after his return from World War I following the death of Mr Vernon. Mr Murray had been Deputy Rector and was to be the school’s longest serving Rector, from 1919 until 1946.
And so, in 2019, 100 years since the club competition began in its current state, Mr Bovey announced the club leaders during assembly on Wednesday 20 February and brought them across the stage to present them with the club banners:
Albion – Tamati Ruawai
Gordon – Josh Ellingham
Kia Ora – Bryn Gordon
Murray – Jack Gibbs
Phoenix – Jack Wenham
Vernon – Kopere Tanoa
Congratulations also to the young men named as deputies:
Albion – Samuel Phillips, Ethan Johanson, Luke Scott and Chance Malu
Gordon – Jayden Burgess, Max Zander
Kia Ora – Carson Hepi, Jack Pinder
Murray – Angus Grant, Angus Moody
Phoenix – Jacob Ogilivie, Matthew Oldridge, Jackson Woodcock
Vernon – Andrew Karatea, Aaron Ioane
