The Green Striped Blazer, 3rd September 2026

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The Green Striped Blazer -
Thursday, 3rd September 2026

Dear parents and caregivers,

Since our last edition of the Green Striped Blazer, our boys have achieved some
outstanding results.

Last Saturday, our 1st XV played Kelston Boys' High School at home in the Blues Rugby
Final. In challenging conditions, we had an excellent crowd turn out to support the team in
its bid to win the Blues title for the fourth time in the past five years. The game was
incredibly physical, as expected, with both teams displaying exceptional skill and
determination. At full-time, the scores were locked at 40-40, resulting in a win for Westlake
as we had scored the first try of the match.

It was a significant achievement in one of the country's toughest secondary school sporting
competitions. The team is now in Palmerston North preparing for the National Top 4
competition, where it will face Tauranga Boys' College in tomorrow's semi-final at 1.15pm.
Look out for a link to the livestream on our social media channels.

Later that evening, our premier choirs, Voicemale and Choralation, performed in the NZCF
Big Sing Finale Gala Concert in Christchurch. The gala concert marked the conclusion of a
three-day event in which the country's top 24 secondary school choirs performed with the
aim of achieving honours and special awards.

Our choirs performed exceptionally well and, across Westlake Boys and Westlake Girls, our
three choirs received three Gold awards, along with two special awards for Best
Performance of an Open Choice Repertoire and Best Performance of a Pre-20th Century
Piece. These were exceptional achievements from an incredibly talented group of students.

This week, hundreds of our students have been competing across the country as part of
Winter Tournament Week. We have already recorded some excellent results, including
national podium finishes in multiple sporting codes. We will update the community at the
end of the week with our headline results.

All the best to those still competing. Winter Tournament Week is a time when lifelong
memories are made. Winning is always pleasing, but the camaraderie, connections and
values that come from competition are just as important and play a significant role in
character development.

Regards,

Paul Fordham

Headmaster

IN THIS ISSUE:

Important Dates
Choirs pick up two golds
'Amazing vibe at the Big Sing Finale'
1st XV in the Top 4, our fourth in five years
Father Son Breakfast next Wednesday
James Hurman on Brand Power: Future Demand
IT Tips with Mr Diprose
Badminton 2nd in NZ
Basketball Junior Prems win Final
World champs medals for Xavier
U15A Rugby team second in Auckland
Cyclists reach peak performance
2nds vs 3rds in North Harbour final
Westlake pair help NZ to test win
Sign up to our 3-day Holiday Camp
Second-hand uniform shop pop-up sale
Inspire the Future. Start Here.
Swan Song
Follow WBHS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
Contact us
Our Sponsors and Supporters

Important dates

Important Dates

Our Major Diary Dates are shown above. Please note, these are subject to change if
necessary, throughout the year.

Choirs pick up two golds

Our Choirs had a successful week in Christchurch with Voicemale and Choralation picking
up gold at the Big Sing Finale.

Voicemale, our premier boys' choir, also won the Award for Best Performance of an Open
Choice Repertoire for Songs of the Wizard by Stephen Schwartz. Congratulations to Acting
Head of Drama Carla Owen for her choreography on the piece.

Westlake choir director David Squire spoke to John Campbell at RNZ about the event and
how great it was "seeing the singers supporting one another".

Asked why students join choirs, he said: "They love to sing, they love building something
that takes time and commitment, and they love finding artistry.

"They may not be stars on the sports field or in the classroom, but they find their tribe, and
they love working with other people and making strong bonds."

Congratulations to all of our singers, conductors and staff on these excellent results.

Photos: Louis Park and Craig Forster from Lightchasers

'Amazing vibe at the Big Sing Finale'

The Big Sing Finale has definitely been the highlight of my year by a long way!! From the
moment I arrived at school to the last moment when we got our bags from the Airport, I
have enjoyed every moment.

I was a bit weary coming on this trip as I
had never been away that far without my
parents before, but after we got into the
rhythm, my whole mindset changed. This
was my first ever time in the South
Island and I think Christchurch was the
place to get to experience it. As part of
Finale I got to talk to more of the
Voicemale boys and build a stronger
bond.

Getting to watch all of the other talented
choirs was incredible! I really enjoyed
getting to know so many people from
other schools around the country and got
to experience the amazing vibe of the Big
Sing Finale.

All of the staff with us and working with the town hall were incredible as always. This trip
opened me up to a whole new level of choirs in New Zealand and I got to be exposed to
NZ's finest. I loved every minute of this trip, especially when the sun came out! As a Year 8
watching the videos of Voicemale on YouTube, I never expected I would be given the
privilege to be part of this amazing group!

By Hayden Fish, member of Voicemale.

1st XV in the Top 4, our fourth in five years

Our 1st XV has qualified for the National Top 4 after a hard-fought Blues Final against
Kelston Boys' High School.

In challenging conditions, Westlake showed tremendous character against the Auckland 1A
champions. At full-time, the scores were locked at 40-40, with both teams scoring six tries.
Westlake progressed after scoring the first try of the match.

The team travelled to Palmerston North on Wednesday and will face Tauranga Boys'
College at 1.15pm on Friday for a place in the final and the opportunity to challenge for
the Moascar Cup, schoolboy rugby's equivalent of the Ranfurly Shield.

This is Westlake's fourth National Top 4 appearance in five years and a significant
achievement.

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Head Coach Rob Mildenhall reflected on the qualities
that make the team so good, year after year.

“I think every school has its own way of playing, or brand of rugby,” Mildenhall said. “And
we’ve got our own unique style of playing. One of the words I would use to describe our
team is ‘relentless’.

“Our boys are often smaller. In fact, typically we’re smaller than the opposition we play. But
the boys are really brave. The word I like to use is relentless. They just don’t stop. And with
that, they’re very, very coachable, which helps.

“So we try to play this high-tempo, high-skill game with all 15 boys involved, and the boys
buy into that.”

Mildenhall said his team’s enduring success was revered by everyone at Westlake, from the
boys through to school staff and fans.

“For me it is so special, just the aura and the mana that our rugby programme has
developed over the years. I just love that if you take the number of people that were
prepared to come and sit in some pretty terrible weather to watch our boys play, that is
really special to me and the team.

“To have that belief, to know that your school believes in you, and that there are people
that believe in you, that’s a wonderful place to be.”

Father Son Breakfast next Wednesday

Last chance to get your tickets for our Father Son Breakfast on Wednesday, 9 September.
We are looking forward to welcoming broadcaster and former elite triathlete Mark Watson
as our guest speaker. Ticket sales close at 4pm this Friday unless sold out prior.

2026 Father Son Breakfast

Proudly presented by Barfoot & Thompson Milford

Date: Wednesday 9 September

Time: Doors open 6.30am | Event 7.00am-8.20am

Tickets here

James Hurman on Brand Power:
Future Demand

Our next Westlake Business Network event will feature entrepreneur, investor and business
strategist James Hurm