Dilworth School

The numbers around Dilworth School's rugby programme tell a great story: 183 students on the field and 4 flagship teams competing in Auckland’s elite premier divisions!

And some historic wins this season!

But the real success has been the complete cultural rewrite of the Rugby Programme over the last few years, combining an intensive strength and conditioning programme with an uncompromising focus on character.

Director of Rugby and former All Black Ant Strachan says the programme is shaping our leaders both on and off the field

"When you exit this programme, you will be a better player, a better person, and it will give you some tools that will help you in life."

And he says a key ingredient is Dilworth Old Boys, like Etu Whyte (Class of 2020), who have returned as coaches; they understand Dilworth students and are making a massive difference.

Read the full interviews here with Ant Strachan and about a coach’s perspective from First XV Forwards Coach Etu Whyte - https://www.dilworth.school.nz/news/

There are four home games on site this weekend – come along and support!

The medals have really been coming home for Dilworth students recently, with some great results across many sports!

On Monday, our weightlifting team and wrestler, Keanu Oliver, were recognised at our senior campus assembly for their strong recent performances. For our weightlifters at the College Sport Auckland Champs and for Keanu, at the North Island Champs, Bay of Plenty Champs and Auckland Club Champs.

Meanwhile, in the pool, swimmer Austin Li was awarded two medals at the College Sport Individual Swimming Champs - 100m Butterfly – 2nd place (silver medal) and 200m Butterfly – 3rd place (bronze medal)

And over in the gym, Quinn Carpenter competed at the College Sport Auckland Gym Sports Champs (Competitive B Grade) and took silver home!

Competing at this level is a big deal, and it is great to see Dilworth students competing against the country’s best across so many disciplines.

Huge congratulations to all of our award-winning sportsmen!

On Friday night, we held our annual Choral Showcase, highlighting the amazing talent of our choirs at Dilworth.

We wish them all the best this week for the Big Sing Auckland Regional Festival!

Last weekend, we celebrated our Old Boys’ Milestone Reunion (those from the Classes of 2021, 2016, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981, 1976), alongside our Gold Boys Reunion on the Sunday.

With more than 200 attendees across the weekend, it was a reminder of the lifelong connections formed while at Dilworth. The atmosphere throughout the weekend was filled with laughter, shared memories, and a deep sense of belonging. A highlight of the weekend was our Old Boys watching the 1st XV secure a historic win against King’s College - an unforgettable moment that brought generations together in celebration.

If you are an Old Boy who would like to stay connected but is not currently receiving communication from Dilworth, please email [email protected].

Last week, a new group of Year 10s headed to the Mangatāwhiri Campus for the start of their 4-week adventure!

The week kicked off with a challenging Tough Guy session, followed by an exciting day of mountain biking at Totara Park. From there, they moved straight into indoor rock climbing to build their skills and confidence before travelling to Waitomo for a couple of days of outdoor climbing at Pakeho Crag and bouldering at Stubbs Farm.

What an epic start to their adventure!

At this morning's assembly, we celebrated our Year 13 Drama students, who won the SGCNZ Award donated by Sheilah Winn at the recent SGCNZ National Shakespeare Festival.

The group performed their take on Shakespeare's King Lear, reimagined through their eyes as a Pasifika king, alongside his three sons, delivered as a multidisciplinary work integrating Pasifika song and movement. The performance explored themes of family and global conflict, plus a call for peace.

Micah Uhila won the Extraordinary Performance Award, and Jesse Tima received the Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role Award.

Huge congratulations to our drama students whose hard work has paid off!

Recently, our Year 7s headed down to the Mangatāwhiri Campus for the first time in their Learning in the Outdoors (LiTO) journey.

Students were formally welcomed by local kaumātua and Head of Campus, Jamie Pennell.

Over the 2 days, the group took part in activities that included planting, releasing and clearing plants from previous programmes, and weeding our berry bushes on site. They also learned some basic bushcraft skills.

This programme is an important part of building the foundational skills that our students will use across their LiTO journey.

Recently, our Year 10 Learning in the Outdoors (LiTO) students split into two groups and headed out on two trips, one to the Central North Island and the other to Lake Tarawera.

The Tongariro Haerenga group had an amazing five days of fresh mornings and sunny days exploring Tongariro National Park. Over the week, the group hiked into Lower Tama Lake, swam at the Tūrangi Pools and went caving at Okupata Caves.

The Tarawera Haerenga group paddled around Lake Tarawera, taking in views of the Tarawera Maunga, 60m waterfalls, glassy lakes, native ngāhere and hot pools. They also headed to the Redwood Mountain Bike Park.

What a week of adventure for our Year 10s!

Our school community came together to honour the Samoan language, culture, and identity with a jam-packed lineup of events for Samoan Language Week.

The week started with the annual Ava Ceremony. During the rest of the week, students crafted beautiful Pale in the Library workshop, showcased creativity in the Tatau Design Competition, and brought energy to the gym for the annual Lape Competition. We were also privileged to host a captivating Siva Afi performance by the talented Tuitupou brothers.

The week wrapped up with a beautiful rendition of Vi'i o Kiliuati by Fortissimo (composed by Year 13 student Posala Tusa's father, Maoiautele P**e Tusa), and a traditional Siva in collaboration with Diocesan School for Girls.

What an incredible time we've had celebrating Samoan Language Week!

It takes some people a bit to figure out what they want to do with their lives after school!

Not Dilworth Old Boy Tom McCondach-Burke (Class of 2021). From his days in the sandpit to becoming a Staples Education Scholarship awardee, he has had an interest in how things work and a particular fascination with diggers!

Tom’s long-held ambition to become an engineer came to fruition when he recently graduated from the University of Auckland with a degree in Engineering (honours). He credits the Staples Education Foundation with transforming his university journey.

It’s a massive achievement for Tom, now also a Graduate Engineer at Fulton Hogan, currently helping to project-manage the construction of the new airport pick-up and drop-off areas.

His story is testimony to taking every opportunity and a relentless work ethic, you can read it here - https://www.dilworth.school.nz/news/engineering-his-future/

Engineering His Future While it takes some people a bit to figure out what they want to do with their lives, that definitely hasn’t been the case for Tom McCondach-Burke, from his days in the sandpit, to becoming a Staples Education Scholarship awardee and Dilworth Old Boy, he has had an interest in how things work and ...