McEvedy Shield
The McEvedy Shield is an annual athletics competition held in Wellington, New Zealand, for four of the region's boys' secondary schools. It was first held in 1922 and has become one of the highlights of the sporting calendar for the schools involved. The wooden shield, which is presented to the winning school, was donated in by Dr Pat McEvedy to promote the spirit of athletic competition between the participating colleges. An old boy of St Patrick's College, McEvedy went on to represent England in rugby union.
The 2020 competition was won by Wellington College on Tuesday, 3 March, at Newtown Park, their sixth McEvedy title in a row, equaling the previous record for most consecutive titles held by St Patrick's College, Silverstream. This marked their 54th McEvedy victory, out of 97 meetings.
Patrick McEvedy
The shield was donated by Patrick Francis McEvedy in 1922. McEvedy attended St Patrick's in Wellington from 1895 to 1898, before going to Guy's Hospital in London to train as a doctor. He toured New Zealand in 1904 with Bedell-Sivwright's British team and again in 1908 with the Anglo-Welsh team. He later returned to Wellington and was Wellington Rugby Football Union president from 1931 to 1933 and NZRFU president from 1934 to 1935.Events
The competition features fourteen track and field events across four age groups – under 14 years, under 15 years, under 16 years, under 17 and over 17years. For each event in each age group, four points are awarded for first place, three points for second place, two points for third place and one point for fourth place.
Track
, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, 1500 metres, and 3000 metres, 80 metre hurdles, 100 metre hurdles, 110 metre hurdles and 4 × 100 metres relay.Field
, long jump, triple jump, javelin, discus and shot put.Participating schools
and St. Patrick's College, Wellington are the only schools that remain from the original competition in 1922, with Rongotai College first competing in 1928 and St Patrick's College, Silverstream taking part in the school's first year of existence, 1931.Over the years there have been a number of schools that have taken part in the competition, including Hutt Valley High School, Scots College and Wairarapa High School. In the early 1980s it was decided that only the four traditional boys' schools would be able to compete.
Wellington College won the inaugural competition in 1922, with Scots College coming second and St Patrick's coming third. The 1934 competition was won by St Patrick's College, Silverstream, with the shield presented by the Mayor of Wellington, Thomas Hislop.
In 2009, Scots College's attempt to rejoin the McEvedy Shield was unsuccessful.
Schools | First Competed | Last Competed | Total Competed | Wins |
St Patrick's College, Wellington | 1922 | 2019 | 96 | 20 |
St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 1931 | 2019 | 86 | 14 |
Wellington College | 1922 | 2019 | 96 | 53 |
Rongotai College | 1928 | 2019 | 89 | 7 |
Hutt Valley High School | 1926 | 1980 | 54 | 3 |
Wairarapa College | 1925 | 1951 | 24 | 2 |
Scots College | 1922 | 1980 | 51 | 0 |
Wellington High School | 1922 | 1956 | 28 | 0 |
Hutt Valley Memorial College | 1922 | 1956 | 16 | 0 |
Wellesley College | 1922 | 1951 | 8 | 0 |
St Bernard's College | 1953 | 1975 | 5 | 0 |
Naenae College | 1953 | 1956 | 4 | 0 |
Heretaunga College | 1953 | 1956 | 4 | 0 |
Raumati District High School | 1954 | 1956 | 3 | 0 |
Onslow College | 1956 | 1956 | 1 | 0 |
Venue
The competition is held at Newtown Park, Newtown. Held during school hours, the entire student body of each school assembles to support its team. Because of the large number of spectators, the schools take turns sitting in the main stand. Each year two schools watch from the surrounding grass banks.It has previously been held at the Basin Reserve, Athletic Park and on the St Patrick's College grounds at Silverstream.
Results
Wellington College is the current shield holder. Their 2016 victory was their 50th win of the McEvedy Shield, the most wins out of any school.St Patrick's College, Wellington has won the McEvedy Shield 20 times, second to Wellington College. The College has won the Shield for 3 years out of the last 9 years, including a triple-crown from 2012 to 2014.
St Patrick's College, Silverstream has won the Shield 14 times, and holds the record for the most consecutive Shield victories, winning six years in a row.
Rongotai College has triumphed seven times with their last shield win being in 1989. However, the school still holds the record for the most points ever scored at the event in which they scored 273.5 in 1989 as well as holding the record for the greatest point differential between first and second place where they beat second place St Pats by 90 points which was also set in 1989. Both of these records still stand today.
Scores
2020Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 219.5 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 179.5 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 96 |
4th | Rongotai College | 63 |
2019
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 212 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 179 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 119 |
4th | Rongotai College | 38 |
2018
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 209 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 171 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 141 |
4th | Rongotai College | 29 |
2017
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 238 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 143 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 111 |
4th | Rongotai College | 51 |
2016
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 222 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 160 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 112 |
4th | Rongotai College | 56 |
2015
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 187 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 176 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 116 |
4th | Rongotai College | 70 |
Place | College | Points |
1st | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 228 |
2nd | Wellington College | 179 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 87 |
4th | Rongotai College | 56 |
2013
Place | College | Points |
1st | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 197 |
2nd | Wellington College | 181 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 124 |
4th | Rongotai College | 40 |
2012
Place | College | Points |
1st | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 202 |
2nd | Wellington College | 157 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 121 |
4th | Rongotai College | 56 |
2011
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 184 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 150.5 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 137.5 |
4th | Rongotai College | 68 |
2010
Place | College | Points |
1st | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 185 |
2nd | Wellington College | 172 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 100 |
4th | Rongotai College | 85 |
2009
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 182 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 173 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 100 |
4th | Rongotai College | 83 |
2008
Place | College | Points |
1st | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 174 |
2nd | Wellington College | 160.5 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 125 |
4th | Rongotai College | 76.5 |
2007
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 176 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 137 |
3rd | Rongotai College | 126 |
4th | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 97 |
2006
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 175 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 153 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 117 |
4th | Rongotai College | 94 |
2005
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 175.5 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 135 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 129.5 |
4th | Rongotai College | 95 |
2004
Place | College | Points |
1st | Wellington College | 211 |
2nd | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 130 |
3rd | St Patrick's College, Wellington | 103 |
4th | Rongotai College | 96 |
2003
Place | College | Points |
1st | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | 182 |
2nd | Wellington College | 163 |
3rd | St. Patrick's College, Wellington | 108.5 |
4th | Rongotai College | 81.5 |