A week to remember for St Pat's

MAARTEN HOLL/Dominion Post

SUCCESS: Brett MacDonald, head of sports at St Pat's.

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It is said all good things come to those that wait, and for St Pat's Silverstream the wait was worth it, with its premier winter sports teams taking the honours last week.

The first XV beat St Pat's Town 21-13 last Monday to end a 10-year wait for the premier rugby trophy, and then two days later the first XI football team scored two second-half goals to beat Wellington College in the final of the premier youth grade and end a nine-year wait.

"It certainly has been a big week," Warwick Bowden, Director of Sport at St Pat's Silverstream said. "The boys were very passionate this year about wanting to achieve. There is a lot of school spirit there.

"If we are talking about the rugby, I think they learnt how to win. and that was a big difference We have taken some losses and know what it is like to lose.

"They just had the desire to win and it was certainly there for the final."

The good news for the rugby team continued on Saturday with the side beating its hosts Napier Boys' High 17-15. The game was in the Hurricanes zone knockout competition and Silverstream will now play Gisborne Boys' High in the regional final in Palmerston North on Saturday.

The winner qualifies for the national schools first XV finalsto be played in Rotorua from September 4 till September 6.

St Pat's football team dominated the college competition and finished the season with a perfect 12 wins from as many games.

Although those two trophies take pride and place in the school's trophy cabinet, there is every chance more will be added this week with eight rugby, three football and both the senior and junior water polo teams all involved in finals.

The water polo finals are tonight at the Naenae Pool, while the rugby teams will have home advantage on Saturday with all the lower grade finals at Silverstream, while the football finals are at Rongotai College.

"It has been a big year for rugby and football."

For Bowden the rugby success is perhaps one that will take some topping. The college has 12 rugby teams of which nine made their respective finals, with one, the first XV, already crowned champions.

"We were ecstatic to have nine teams in the semifinals and to elated to get eight wins," Bowden said. "Our focus now is to maintain this and not have a 10-year gap. We have to make sure we keep the structure in place."

However, it is not just in the winter codes that Silverstream is making a name for itself. Last year it won the Wellington zone of the Gillette Cup cricket competition and, the school is in contention to repeat that success this year, with the side to play Wellington College in a semifinal in late October.

- © Fairfax NZ News