The Douglas Cup recipient: the Senior A Cycling team

The Douglas Cup is for the best sporting performance of the year – for the best individual performance in any sport whilst representing the School, and the 2023 recipient is the Senior A Cycling team, consisting of J. A. J. Barclay, B. C. Pawson, R Y. Turnbull, C. P. Wagener, Z. F. Wyllie and 2023 captain F. A. Malpass.

At the National Secondary Schools Championships held in October in Rongotea over a 17km course, the Senior A team raced in the Under 20 Team Time Trial in wet and windy conditions. As the last team on the course, they were chasing the fastest team’s time of 22:14.

The finishing straight was 1km and on the day had poor visibility. This close-knit team performed to their potential to convincingly beat the fastest time of the day, completing the course in 21:46 to retain the Sir Bernard Fergusson trophy for the second year in succession and for the 24th time in its history (since 1968). The Senior A team also defended their Auckland and North Island titles.

This performance makes the Senior A Cycling team worthy winners of the Douglas Cup, received by captain F. A. Malpass (pictured above with guest presenter, Old Boy Aaron Gate ’04).