Takemeto your leaders
New National party leader Todd Muller is from the school that has remarkably produced the current Black Caps, All Black and Team NZ skippers; Tauranga Boys’ College.
Muller has broken the mould to a degree, as a political leader. The other old boys all excel in sport – Black Caps captain Kane Williamson, Team NZ skipper Peter Burling and All Blacks captain Sam Cane.
It was remarkable enough when Cane – who did most of his schooling at Reporoa College – was named All Blacks captain this month, but now Muller has joined the leadership group. Muller was more enthusiastic than high achieving on the sports field, headmaster Robertmangan told Stuff yesterday.
He was a college prefect, head librarian and second speaker on the debating team. He played junior basketball, was a rugby fan, but not in the Williamson-burling-cane class as an athlete.
‘‘It was really in the oratory, speaking and debating area that he shone,’’ Mangan said.
For all that in 1986, Muller won the premier all-round trophy at the college – the Frank Lawsonmemorial Cup, for the student who had contributed most to the school. It takes in academic, cultural and sporting endeavour, and school spirit.
‘‘That’s the top all-round trophy in the school,’’ Mangan said.
Muller attended Tauranga Boys before earning his Master’s Degree from the University of Waikato. His intent was to train as a schoolteacher, but that never happened.
World-class cricketer Williamson wasn’t even sports captain at Tauranga Boys’, where Mangan said he was also talented at basketball.
The sports captain was Burling, future world and Olympic yachting champion and America’s Cupwinning helmsman, who also happened to be Williamson’s friend and classmate.
All Black captain Cane joined the school a few weeks after Williamson and Burling left, trekking up from Reporoa for the added rugby opportunity.