🌟 SPOTLIGHT ON ŌTC SPORTING ALUMNI 🌟
We’re excited to launch our new sporting alumni series with former ŌTC student-athlete Hannah Walpole 👏
Now studying and competing at Hamilton College in upstate New York, Hannah is experiencing life as a US College athlete — balancing sport, study and a whole new culture along the way.
Hannah has shared some awesome insights into her journey since leaving ŌTC, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at what life is really like as a student-athlete in America.
Australian Artistic Swimming Nationals and 2026 Oceania Championships – Sydney
We are proud to share that Nika Pankratova Year 11 at ŌTC and from Tauranga Artistic Swimming Club competed at the Australian Artistic Swimming Nationals and Oceania Championships in Sydney over the holidays, representing New Zealand.
Nika, who, as a member of the New Zealand Junior team, achieved an outstanding result, bringing home two Oceania gold medals in both the Junior Technical Team and Junior Free Team routines. This is an incredible achievement and a wonderful reflection of hard work and dedication.
Well Done Nika, we are very proud of you!
⚽️ NATIONALS DREAM ON THE LINE ⚽️
The road to NZSS Football Nationals continues this Monday 25 May as our 1st XI Boys take on Hillcrest High School at 3:30pm on our home turf! 🔥
After 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, this match is HUGE — and the boys need your support more than ever. A win keeps the Nationals dream alive and the journey moving in the right direction. 💪⚽️
Bring the noise, bring the energy, and get behind the lads as they battle it out at home! 🖤❤️
📍 Home Field
🕞 3:30pm Kick Off
📅 Monday 25 May
#RoadToNationals #1stXIBoys #SchoolFootball #GameDay #SupportTheBoys #HomeGame #NZSSFootball
Modern Office
A huge thank you to Modern Office for generously giving their time, expertise, and resources to help create two much-needed changing rooms for our students here at Ōtūmoetai College. 
As our rugby and football programmes continue to grow, having quality spaces for our athletes is incredibly important. These new changing rooms will provide a practical, welcoming environment for our students and help support the continued development of sport at ŌTC.
This project is a fantastic example of community partnership in action, and we are incredibly grateful to the team at Modern Office for helping bring this vision to life.
Thank you for investing in our students and our future.
North Island Cyclocross Champs Registration
Date: 18th July 2025
Individual race = $50 per rider
Team relay = $20 per teamTeam Relay can be teams of 2 or 3 riders.
North Island Road Cycling Champs Registration
Date: 4th and 5th July 2025
Individual Races: U20, U17, U16, U15, U14, U13 boys and girls
Teams Race: Senior (U20), Junior (U16) and Year 7 & 8
The size of team for the Team Time Trial is:
- U20: 5 riders with time taken on the 4th rider (4 to finish)
- U16 and Y7&8: 4 riders with time taken on 3rd rider (3 to finish)
Team time Trial = $120 per team
Criterium = $120 per rider
STRONGER TODAY. PERFORM BETTER TOMORROW. 💪🏽🟢
At Ōtūmoetai College Sport, we believe physical development is not an “extra” — it is an essential part of helping young athletes thrive.
New research reviewing 17 randomised controlled trials across team sports found that structured strength training can:
✅ Reduce injury risk by 30–70%
✅ Improve sprint speed, jump height and power
✅ Enhance movement quality and resilience
✅ Support long-term athletic development and wellbeing
Most importantly, the evidence shows these benefits are especially valuable for youth athletes involved in sports such as football, netball, volleyball, rugby and basketball.
Our ŌTC Strength & Conditioning Programme is designed to do exactly that:
🏋🏽 Build stronger, more resilient athletes
⚡ Improve movement efficiency and athletic performance
🧠 Develop confidence, discipline and physical literacy
🛡 Help reduce preventable injuries and time away from sport
High performance is built over time — not just during a season.
That is why we strongly encourage all ŌTC student-athletes to commit to year-round physical development alongside their sport-specific training. Consistency matters. Quality movement matters. Long-term development matters.
Whether students are aiming for representative honours, premier sport, or simply wanting to enjoy sport for longer and perform at their best, structured S&C training provides the foundation.
- Stronger athletes.
- Healthier athletes.
- Better prepared athletes.
For more information regarding our Strength & Conditioning programme please use the following link – Strength & Conditioning at ŌTC
To read the research paper in full please use the following link – Strength Training : Injury & Performance
ŌTC Sports Uniform – Additional Items Now Available Online
We are pleased to advise that a selection of additional Ōtūmoetai College sport uniform items are now available to purchase online for our students and whānau through the NZ Uniforms / Code Sports website.
Available items include:
- Sport Tee (Ladies & Mens) – $55
- Long Sleeve Sport Tee – $60
- NEW Sport Crew Neck – $99
The Sports Crew Neck is designed to complement our day-to-day school and sport uniform and provide an additional option for students throughout the year.
The Sports Tee and Long Sleeve Sports Tee are designed for sporting use only and can be worn by all sports codes and teams during training, warm ups, and travelling to and from fixtures.
Orders can be placed online via this link
Important Information:
- Orders are open until 31 May 2026
- Delivery is expected from mid-July
- Please select Click & Collect at checkout
- Collection point: Ōtūmoetai College
We look forward to seeing our students proudly representing ŌTC both on and off the sporting field.
Voice of Coach Survey
Win one of three $50 Prezzy Cards! Complete the Voice of Coach survey now:
👉 https://forms.office.com/r/dNSz1GD0NV or use the QR code in the image above.
This is the second round of the Voice of Coach Survey so if you filled it in in September 2025 please do not do it again has been developed to gather insights from Bay of Plenty coaches across all ages, abilities, and experience levels. Your feedback will help us better understand your experience and inform future coach development across the region 🤩
Who should complete this survey? If you coach in the Bay of Plenty in any capacity, we want to hear from you!
This includes:
🔹Parents who volunteer with their child’s school team
🔹Student coaches supporting younger athletes
🔹Paid professional performance coaches
🔹And anything in between
Know a great local coach? Please forward and encourage them to complete our survey. We know its not short but we appreciate you and your voice matters.
📅 Survey closes Sunday 31 May.
Backing Our Teams: Thank You to Our Valued Sports Sponsors
As we head into the winter sports season, we would like to take a moment to sincerely thank the businesses and sponsors who continue to support sport here at Ōtūmoetai College. Their generosity makes a real difference to the opportunities we can provide for our students.
We are incredibly grateful to Barfoot & Thompson for their support of football and volleyball; Ray White – Greg Bopf for basketball; Ray White – Mark Francis and Pak’nSave Cameron Road for rugby; Marshalls Innovation for their support of rugby and hockey; Seeka and Watts & Hughes Construction for football; and Tauranga ITM for hockey.
These partnerships play a vital role in helping our teams thrive, and we greatly appreciate the commitment these businesses show to our students and wider school community.
Strength and Conditioning
Term 2 S&C timetable is locked in. Show up, put in the work, and keep building. Stronger every session.
Bureta Physiotherapy 2026
We’re thrilled to share some fantastic news for our school community — ŌTC has a brand-new partnership with Bureta Physiotherapy! 🙌
This means we’ll now have a qualified physio based onsite at school, providing professional support for both students and staff. Whether it’s a sports niggle, injury recovery, or help with keeping your body feeling its best, having a physio right here makes it easier than ever to get the care you need.
How to book an appointment:
Select ŌTC as your location
Choose a time that suits you
Easy, quick, and right here at school — we can’t wait for everyone to benefit from this awesome new service! 💪
Wrestling at ŌTC
Kids Back to Sport: Your go-to resource for child sports injuries
The website link below unlocks a comprehensive support for parents, health professionals, and teachers & coaches, empowering a safe return to play for injured children.
SPORT Noticeboard and Digi Screen
All your current Sport information is on the Action Centre Sports Noticeboard and Digi Screen. Location is opposite the netball court.
Ōtūmoetai College Alumni
We are looking to start an alumni of any previous students of Ōtūmoetai College – if you would like to be included, please click on the link below.
