Twizel Area School Sports Update Welcome back to 2026! We hope you all had a refreshing break. I am certain this year will be filled with exciting opportunities, personal growth, and plenty of sporting success for all our students.

Twizel Area School Sports Update

Welcome back to 2026! We hope you all had a refreshing break. I am certain this year will be filled with exciting opportunities, personal growth, and plenty of sporting success for all our students.

Huge Congratulations to our TAS Swimmers! 🏊‍♂️💨

What an incredible day we had at the pool on February 16th! To every student who stepped onto the starting blocks for the TAS Swimming Sports: you should be immensely proud of yourselves. Whether you were shattering school records, shaving seconds off your personal best, or jumping in to earn those crucial house points, your energy and sportsmanship made the event a massive success.

Highlights of the Day:

• Determination: We saw everyone give their absolute all, from the first whistle to the final touch of the wall.
• Team Spirit: The cheering from the sidelines was deafening! It was fantastic to see such vibrant support across all year levels.
• Courage: A special shout-out to those who competed in their first-ever event. Stepping up can be nerve-wracking, but you handled it like pros!

Country High School Athletics: March 4th

Our sports grounds have been a hive of activity behind the scenes! We are pleased to announce that on March 2nd, a specialist team will be onsite to mark out our athletics track in preparation for the Country High School Athletics on Wednesday, March 4th.

We are thrilled to host students and staff from Opihi College, Waimate High School, Mackenzie College, and Geraldine High School. Events will kick off at 10:00 am and run through until approximately 2:00 pm. To make the day even sweeter, the Mr Whippy van will be onsite selling ice creams to the community, students, and staff!

Upper Waitaki Swimming

On March 2nd, a group of 22 TAS students will head to Kurow to compete in the Upper Waitaki Swimming competition. Our swimmers will be representing the school in a wide variety of strokes. This is a high-stakes event, as students have the chance to be selected for North Otago and Otago swimming championships from this stage. A sausage sizzle will be available for attending students to purchase lunch. Good luck to our squad!

North Otago Primary School Rippa Tournament

The Rippa Rugby action returns on March 13th. We are currently working closely with members of the local Rugby Club to help select our teams due to strict entry restrictions. Each team must consist of exactly 5 boys and 5 girls, with at least 3 girls on the field at all times. We will be entering teams in the following mixed age groups:

• Year 3–4
• Year 5–6
• Year 7–8

Keep an eye out for more information later this week once final selections have been made.

TAS Athletics: New Date (March 18th)

Please note that our TAS Athletics day has been moved to March 18th. We hope all parents and caregivers received the recent correspondence regarding this change.

The event will start sharp at 9:00 am for students in Year 4 and above. Due to time restraints and the busy schedule, we have set up temporary areas to ensure our younger students can still participate in their events. We look forward to seeing a great turnout of supporters on the day!

Rowing: The Road to SISS and Maadi Cup 🚣‍♀️

The rowing season is reaching its peak, and the excitement is building as both the South Island Secondary Schools (SISS) Championships and the prestigious Maadi Cup are just around the corner. We are incredibly proud to have two of our dedicated TAS athletes competing in the highly competitive U17 category this year. These girls have put in countless early mornings on the water and grueling sessions on the ergs to prepare for the national stage. We wish them the absolute best of luck as they represent Twizel Area School against the best young rowers in the country—we’ll be cheering for you from the shore!

Year 1–8 Sports Development Sessions

We are committed to providing our younger students with high-quality coaching and are currently in the process of organising exciting Sports Development Sessions for Years 1–8. I am currently in communication with regional development groups from Netball, Football, and Rugby to arrange specialized skills clinics right here at school. These sessions are a fantastic way for our students to try new sports and refine their techniques under the guidance of expert coaches. 

Current dates:

Football 16th March 

Rugby 30th March (Could change)

Netball 24th April 

Important Upcoming Dates 

• 11th March Aoraki Athletics Yr 9 -13 qualifiers 
• 11th March North Otago Swimming Yr 4-8 qualifiers 
• 29th March Otago Swimming Yr 4-8 qualifiers
• 27th - 29th March SISS Athletics Yr 9 -13 qualifiers
• 31st March Netty Fest Yr 5-6 
• 1st April Netty Fest Yr 7-8 

Chelsea Lousley 

Sports Coordinator