Years 9 & 10 Newington College students have just returned the annual Under 15 Rugby trip to our brother school in Tonga.  Year 11 students also went on the tour in a Service Learning capacity. This annual trip cements the decades long connection between Newington, the ONU and Tupou College.   Representing the ONU, were Robert Hill (ON 1955) and Troy Stanley (ON 1995) who accompanied the students on one of the highlights of the tour – a trip to Steve Finau’s (ON 1966) house. Steve spoke to the boys about his time at Newington College and also about his trip to Australia via a month long voyage on a cargo ship. Check the 2015 Tupou College Tour blog here.

The ONU  donated 28 laptops to  Tupou College to continue to support their fledgling IT program. The boys on the tour each individually carried over laptops and presented them. 

Next year, Tupou College are celebrating their Sesquicentenary year and celebratory preparations are well under way. The ONU has plans to send a substantial gift in 2016 to mark the occasion and a number of Old Boys will be joining the tour group at their own expense to help celebrate.

Three Tupou College students will commence at Newington in Year 10 2016 supported largely by the ONU Tongan Bursary scheme. Funds raised from the Newington Golf Day contribute, in part to this Bursary scheme.  Congratulations to 2016 Tongan Bursary boys Nasili-O-Viliami OFAHENGAUE  (Nas), Anthony Michael KAMA and Tua Ki Api MAHE (Tua).