Collingwood Area School has come within a whisker of tournament glory at the Top of the South Island Area Schools Tournament, finishing just three points behind hosts Tapawera Area School after an intense week of competition.
The tournament was hosted by Tapawera Area School and based in Tapawera, with events held across the wider region.
Schools competing were Tapawera, Karamea, Collingwood, Reefton, Rai Valley, Murchison and South Westland.
Collingwood finished on 212 points, only three behind eventual winners Tapawera on 215, in a competition that went right down to the final events.
Led by team captains Aonghus Garbutt and Syriah Haare, Collingwood recorded wins across several disciplines, particularly in ball sports, showing depth and consistency across the week.
Sporting events included football, touch, basketball, volleyball, badminton, bowls, netball, ultimate, pickleball, Ki O Rahi and adventure racing.
Collingwood claimed victories in netball, volleyball, ultimate, adventure racing and basketball.
In total, more than 35 events were contested across 26 different sports and challenges, with 140 senior students competing. Each of the seven schools fielded teams of 10 boys and 10 girls.
The narrow margin meant the tournament outcome was not decided until the final two challenges, Wearable Arts and the whole-team skit, where Tapawera edged ahead to secure the title. Tapawera won nine of the 26 activities and sports.
The tournament operates under the mission statement of Top of the South Island Area Schools, which aims ‘to work as a cluster to enhance the learning opportunities for students’, with fairness and positivity at its core. Building friendships remains the central goal of the week.
Tapawera principal Andy Ashworth says hosting the tournament is about more than results.
“We are proud to provide this platform—a vital step on the pathway to National Trials and the New Zealand Area Schools Competition in Whangarei (Monday, 29 June – Thursday, 2 July 2026). In the spirit of our region, we know that while we may be rural, isolation is no distance to achieving.”
