Whakatāne High School students are gearing up for an action-packed sporting adventure on Australia's Gold Coast these school holiday as the school prepares for its second Sports Performance Tour.

A total of 59 students, accompanied by seven staff members, will represent the school across four codes, with boys' rugby, football and basketball teams, alongside a girls' netball team, taking part in the tour.

The group will be based at the Gold Coast Performance Centre, where they will spend the first three days immersed in a high-performance sporting environment. Students will take part in specialist workshops and training sessions including High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Speed for Sport, Zumba, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and fitness testing.

Whakatāne High School sports director Ben Sexton said the experience would provide students with valuable insight into the daily routines of elite athletes.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience what it is like to live and train in a high-performance environment,” he said.

“They’ll be exposed to a range of workshops and activities that mirror the daily lives of professional athletes, giving them experiences they simply can't get in a classroom.”

After completing the performance programme, the focus shifts to competition, with each team playing at least two matches against local schools or clubs across five days.

A major feature of the tour is a full school sports exchange with St John’s Anglican College in South Brisbane. ‘Whakatāne High first visited the school in 2024 and will return to renew the sporting rivalry while enjoying the college’s impressive sporting facilities.

The girls’ netball team will also reconnect with Robina State High School after hosting the Australian school earlier this year. This time, the Whakatāne side will travel to Robina for the return fixture.

Sexton said the opportunity to compete against unfamiliar opponents was one of the most valuable aspects of the tour.

Playing against different teams and experiencing new styles of play is something our students really enjoy.

These matches often attract great crowds of local supporters, family members and Kiwi expats, making for a memorable atmosphere and memorable experience.

Away from the sporting field, students will enjoy some of the Gold Coast’s major attractions, including beaches, shopping centres, theme parks and the Australian Outback Spectacular.

Some students will also attend the AFL clash between the Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood, while the entire touring party will cap off the trip with one of Australia's biggest sporting events – Game Three of the State of Origin series between Queensland and New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium.

Sexton said attending the decider would be an incredible experience for the students to witness one of the biggest events on the rugby league calendar with plenty of banter expected.

Sexton said making the tour affordable remained a key priority for the school.

“We’ve designed this trip to be as accessible as possible so that as many students as we can are able to take part.”