Tasman Makos: News

Rugby big winner in college awards
09-Nov-2006

The Marlborough Express
By DAVID DAWKINS

The Marlborough Boys' College First 15 rugby team were rewarded for an impressive season, scooping the three major awards at the college's annual Sportsman of the Year dinner hosted by the Blenheim Workingmen's Club last night.

The First 15 took home the Stretch Cup for Sports Team of the Year, while captain Quentin MacDonald secured the top individual accolade, winning the Buckley Cup for Sportsman of the Year.

Nuggetty hooker MacDonald led from the front, working hard in the tight, but was especially devastating with ball in hand in the open field. His impressive play helped carry the First 15 to top of the round robin in the Press Cup, along the way handing Christchurch Boys' High School only their second loss in the competition's history. On a personal level MacDonald earned selection to the South Island and New Zealand Secondary Schools' teams and the Tasman Makos Under 20 team.

"It was awesome for the team and personally I'm really stoked too," he said. "I thought it would be pretty hard to win when you look at all the people nominated. I didn't really think I was in the running. It's pretty hard in a team sport to excel."

The award capped off a great season for MacDonald, which would have been perfect if MBC could have repeated their round robin feat and beaten CBHS in the Press Cup final.

"We were all mates and everybody supported each other in the team. Everything would have been all right if we won the final, but this is still pretty good anyway," he said.

MacDonald's team mate Tyler Hammond scooped the night's newest award, the James d'Auvergne Memorial Trophy for best all round sportsman. Hammond was a loose forward for the First 15 as well as representing the MBC First 11 cricket team and excelling at basketball, athletics and cross country.

See today's The Marlborough Express for a full list of awards winners.