With an ounce of luck, the Mid Canterbury Combined 1st XV rugby team could have found themselves driving back from Nelson with a win under their belts on Saturday.

They headed north for their round two match in the Crusaders region’s secondary school competition, the UC Championship, and gave Waimea Combined a real run for their money, but fell just short, 17-15.

Mid Canterbury Combined coach Brent Middleton said it was a tough battle which his side could easily have come out on top in.

The visitors struck first, with Tom Middleton crossing for the day’s opening try to give his side a 5-0 lead, and another looked set to follow, but instead it went the other way.

A 90-metre intercept try put Waimea on the board, and they added another soon after to go ahead 14-5.

But Mid Canterbury struck back with a try late in the half – a well-worked team try finished off by Thomas Henderson – which gave the Ashburton College and Mt Hutt College combined side a narrow 15-14 buffer at the break.

The second half was to-and-fro from start to finish, with neither side able to break through the other’s defence.

With around 10 minutes to go Waimea were awarded a penalty, which they slotted to go ahead 17-15.

Then with about five minutes to go Mid Canterbury were awarded a kickable penalty, but the attempt it hit the post.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the right result that we would’ve liked, but the boys did play well and they have improved again,” Middleton said.

And, really, that was all you could ask for.

“I was a bit gutted for the boys because, really, they played some good rugby at times, and unfortunately it didn’t happen.

“But they can hold their heads up high,” Middleton said.

Waimea Combined was a side made up of players from four schools, and Middleton said hopes had been high that it might have been one that Mid Canterbury could win.

Mid Canterbury Combined didn’t win a game in 2017 and while they were disappointed not to notch up a victory over Waimea, the performance gave both the players and the coaching staff confidence, and a great platform to continue building on.

Mid Canterbury’s forward pack dominated the Waimea scrum, with Henderson and Ben Donald – who tackled himself to a standstill – standing out along with Tom Middleton and Mark Gabriel in the backs.

In their week one loss to Marlborough Boys’ College, Middleton said Mid Canterbury’s defence let them down, but the performance against Waimea was much improved.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 13 May 2019

Ross Preece The delivery of education is changing and Ashburton College principal Ross Preece is committed to ensuring his school is at the forefront of that change.

He’s an advocate of the move towards project based learning that is designed to equip students for a working world of the future, and last year outlined to college parents the way that would change the delivery of education.

Project based learning was a significant change from the traditional silo style of learning where a curriculum is divided into subjects.

Instead it sees inquiry based learning where subjects were integrated.

Next year Preece will have an opportunity to learn from international leaders about that change when he undertakes a study programme at Harvard University, funded by the Advance Ashburton community foundation through its $10,000 leaders’ scholarship programme.

“This is about the future of education at Ashburton College and accepting that change in education is coming,” he said.

There would always be a focus on skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, but you would be more likely in the future to see problem solving and communication take the place of rote learning and repetition, he said.

“As technology transforms access to information, the traditional role of teaching to impart knowledge had become far less relevant.

“With computers and artificial intelligence increasingly replacing jobs, it is even more important to emphasise the need to develop a school system that teaches and enhances the soft skills, dispositions such as communication, collaboration, resilience and creative problem solving,” Preece said.

With the college to undergo a $50 million rebuild, he said it was important to understand the shape that change would take and the impact it would have on the style of buildings required for future learning needs.

“We’ll be designing our new school for the next three generations.”

His scholarship will see him attend a one-week education leadership course at Harvard University that will look at the direction education is moving into the future.

In addition, he plans to visit schools already committed to project based learning to see first-hand how this is working.

“This will give me first-hand knowledge and it’s perfect timing with the new school coming.”

In announcing the scholarship, Advance Ashburton chairman Trevor Croy said that with Preece’s proven track record for positive school and community transformations, the college was in safe hands.

Two additional scholarships were also awarded thanks to the generosity of Sir Graeme Harrison, Croy said.

These were to Lisa Anderson, a Leaders’ enhancement scholarship, and Katrina Palmer a Leaders’ development scholarship.

Preece will take up his scholarship in term three next year.

The Advance Ashburton Leaders’ scholarship will open again in February 2020 for applications.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 13 May 2019

The Ashburton College senior boys’ basketball side managed to turn a negative one night into a positive the following this week in local basketball action.

Playing in the Division One Thomson Trophy in Christchurch on Tuesday night, the College boys were beaten by a strong Shirley Boys’ High School side as they continue their step up from division two into the big league.

While beaten, the side was far from disgraced with a final scoreline of 78-55.

Quinn Ritchie led the charge for the Ashburton side with 27 points and formed strong combinations with both Sam Pearce and Thomas Patterson.

While disappointed to lose the match, it did serve as a good reminder of the level of competition they are now facing and there was a real positive in the way they fought back after a slow start.

After that disappointment though, they managed to turn things around on Wednesday night in the local men’s competition with a good win over Star Farmers Corner.

Again Ritchie shone, with 33 points, while Pearce was strong with 18 points for the match.

For Star, Xavier Bartlett was the leading scorer with a solid 20 points.

In Wednesday night’s other match, Gannets grabbed a strong victory over a depleted Nomads side who were without three of their regular starters.

After a slow first quarter things picked up in the second, third and fourth with the Gannets proving too slick winning the match 84-53.

The presence of the seven-foot Jason Greig was a big assist to the Gannets. He grabbed a number of rebounds, blocked shots and scored 24 points for his effort. Nick Fechney had a good night too with 20 points, including four from three point range.

For the Nomads, Mikal Johnson, Jamie Smitheram, Sam Moore and Matthew Tait all reached double figures.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 10 May 2019