Secondary students from the lower and mid-central areas of the North Island interested in careers in food and fibre descended on Palmerston North on Friday, March 10th, for the Clash of the Colleges | Te Tukinga Kura Tuarua.
Managed by the New Zealand Rural Games Trust, the event sees secondary schools compete in a fast-paced, amazing race-style competition that gives students hands-on experience of the rural sector. Competing in teams of four, students had an hour and a half to complete 18 hands-on modules covering everything from fencing and drenching to wool classing and body condition scoring, as well as paper-based modules that cover native fish and tree identification.
Emceed by Tangaroa Walker from Farm 4 Life and The Hub – an agri-edutainment creator with over 340,000 followers – the event proved popular, with 240 students competing from 10 schools across the lower North Island.
New Zealand Rural Games Trust Chair Margaret Kouvelis MNZM said the event was an outstanding success, with many students sharing their excitement to return again in 2024.
“It was fantastic to see our future workforce get hands-on, experience a taste of rural life, and have so much fun!”
“Through the Clash of the Colleges, we showcase what the rural sector has to offer – which is especially important for students who live in town and aren’t exposed to rural environments. With an increasing demand for staff in the rural sector across the country, events like these play a crucial role in ensuring a career in the rural sector is a consideration for our young people.”
The results:
- Senior first place (grand prize winners) – Napier Boys’ High School
- Senior second place – Rathkeale College
- Senior third place – Feilding High School
- Junior first place – Feilding High School
- Junior second place – Rathkeale College
- Junior third place – Woodford House
- Gumboot toss winners – Francis Douglas Memorial College
- Spot prize winners – Queen Elizabeth College and Paraparaumu College
Awards were presented by Mayor of Palmerston North Grant Smith, New Zealand Rural Games Trust Chair Margaret Kouvelis MNZM, MPI Director Investment Skills & Performance Cheyne Gillooly and Ford New Zealand Managing Director Simon Rutherford.
The Clash of the Colleges will feature in the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games TV3 1-hour highlight programme hosted by Greg O’Connor and Olivia Caldwell:
- TV 3: Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 5.00pm
- TV3: (Easter weekend replay), Saturday, April 8th, 2023, at 9.30am.
