# Saint Kentigern College

Saint Kentigern College is a private co-educational Presbyterian secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand. The school is operated by the Saint Kentigern Trust Board.
Established in 1953, the college is semi-coeducational with a single-gender Middle College for years 7 and 8, years 9 and 10 single-gender in core subjects, and a co-educational Senior College for years 11–13.
In 2003, the college introduced girls into the school for the first time with 140 female students; these were known as the foundation girls. As of 1 July 2024, there were 987 girls and 1,344 boys enrolled, with numbers of both having increased slightly each year since 2020.
Saint Kentigern College is an IB World School offering the IB Diploma Programme for Year 12 and 13 students. The Saint Kentigern Trust Board approved the decision in late 2006 and the course was first offered in 2009.

## History

A group of Presbyterian ministers and laymen founded Saint Kentigern College in 1953, naming it after Saint Kentigern of Glasgow. Its first headmaster was a minister from the University of Glasgow, Reverend Adam MacFarlan. When he retired, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to education and the community, in the 1983 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Saint Kentigern College Executive Head Warren Peat left at the end of 2008 to become headmaster of John Paul College, near Brisbane, Australia. Stephen Cole then took up the role of headmaster. Cole left Saint Kentigern at the end of Term 1, 2017. The position of Head of College was then disestablished and replaced with separate positions for Principal of Middle College (Years 7–10) and Principal of Senior College (Years 11–13). At the same time a new role as Head of Saint Kentigern was created with former headmaster of Rangitoto College, David Hodge taking up the position.
In 2019, the Saint Kentigern Trust Board decided to move away from the separate middle college and senior college model, returning to a single college structure. Russell Brooke, formerly the principal of ACG Parnell College, was appointed as the new principal of Saint Kentigern College. Brooke resigned in October 2021, following a period of unexplained leave which had been in effect from August 2021. Subsequently, Duncan McQueen assumed the role of acting principal until Damon Emtage joined Saint Kentigern College as principal in January 2023. Emtage had previously worked in several independent schools in Australia, including Brisbane Grammar School and Wesley College Melbourne.
In 2019, the college sold its girls school and preschool campus to Auckland Hebrew Congregation. The congregation and Kadimah School, a Jewish day school, now occupy the campus. Saint Kentigern Girls' School resumed operations at a newly constructed facility on Shore Road in Remuera in 2022.
The college received a bomb threat in November 2023, causing an early closure for the day. Bomb threats were made to 15 organizations.

## School structure

Students are allocated into one of six houses and compete throughout the year in house competitions. Each house is named after a Scottish Presbyterian church martyr, as follows:
* Wishart for George Wishart (yellow)
* Hamilton for Patrick Hamilton (red)
* Chalmers for James Chalmers (blue)
* Cargill for Donald Cargill (green)
* Wilson for Margaret Wilson (purple)
* Stark for Helen Stark (teal)

### Rugby

Saint Kentigern College is noted for its rugby presence, producing All Blacks members such as Joe Rokocoko, John Afoa and Jerome Kaino, all of whom were members of the Auckland 1A 1XV championship side in 2001. The 1st XV are previous holders of the Moascar cup. First in 1981, defeating Wesley, and again in 1999 when they defeated the then World champion, Kelston Boys 18–14. Other notable years were in 1996, 1998 and 2000 where they were Runners up in the 1A competition.
2001 saw the 1st XV eclipse the previous year's 1A competition and storm the championship in their defeat of King's College in the final. The 1st XV was relegated from 1A in 2003, but promoted back to the premier grade in 2005 after going undefeated in the 1B competition.
The Saint Kentigern 1st XV won back to back 1A titles in 2011 and 2012, its first Top 4 National Championship in 2012, and back to back Co-educational National Titles in 2010 and 2011. As a result of winning the Top 4 National Final, the 2013 First XV had been invited to the Sanix Youth World Invitational Tournament. The tournament was staged in early May, where the 1st XV defeated Hartpury College to take the world championship title. The team then went on to win their third consecutive Auckland 1A title in 2013 with a last-minute penalty. They became the first-ever side to win a three-peat of 1A rugby titles. Saint Kentigern has also gone on to win the 2015 and 2017 Auckland 1A competition. In 2019 Saint Kentigern won the CO-ED division in the National First XV Championship beating Feilding High School 29–22.
In 2018 Saint Kentigern's was excluded from the competition due to their recruiting practices by rival schools.
Alumni of the Rugby Program who have represented New Zealand (for the All Blacks) include Steve Surridge, John Afoa, Joe Rokocoko, Jerome Kaino, Kieran Read, Matt Duffie, Seta Tamanivalu, Dalton Papali'i, Braydon Ennor, Finlay Christie and Tamaiti Williams.
In more recent times there has been a resurgence in Saint Kentigern old boys playing at Super Rugby level. TJ Faiane, Sione Mafileo, Matt Duffie, Dalton Papalii, Sam Nock, Blake Gibson, Finlay Christie, and Tanielu Tele’a are Saint Kentigern old boys in the current Auckland based Blues (Super Rugby) squad. Other former St. Kentigern old boys who play in the Super Rugby competition include: Etene Nanai-Seturo – Chiefs (rugby union), Tiaan Tauakipulu – New South Wales Waratahs, Ere Enari – Crusaders (rugby union), Braydon Ennor – Crusaders (rugby union), Pari Pari Parkinson – Highlanders (rugby union), Tevita Mafileo – Hurricanes (rugby union) and Scott Scrafton – Hurricanes (rugby union). In addition, there are a few old collegians who play in the Premiership Rugby in England and some in the Top 14 (french rugby competition). There are also a couple of old boys playing in the National Rugby League, including the 2011 Saint Kentigern's college 1XV captain Albert Vete who currently plays for Melbourne Storm and Suliasi Vunivalu who is also in the current Melbourne Storm team. Vunivalu has played 7 tests for the Wallabies and is currently based in France. Vunivalu was dubbed the highest try scorer for the club in 2016.. Another notable mention is the Saint Kentigern old boys who are in the current New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team: Rivez Reihana, Tamaiti Williams, and Etene Nanai-Seturo. By 2019, Reihana and Williams were in the development sides for the Chiefs and Crusaders, respectively. In July 2023, Williams made his debut for the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship, and in September went on to play for them in the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

## Demographics

The 2024 Education Review Office (ERO) report stated that the school had 2,316 students (26 of whom were international). The gender composition was 58% male and 42% female. 68% of students were NZ European, 14% Chinese, 5% Māori and 13% other ethnic groups.

## Notable alumni

* Kirstyn Goodger (born 1991), Olympic rower
* Ross Keenan (born 1943), businessman
* Dontae Russo-Nance (born 2005), basketball player
* Tamaiti Williams (born 2000), All Black, rugby player
* Christopher Luxon (born 1970), 42nd New Zealand Prime Minister, politician