Nine members of the Ōpōtiki College Cadet Unit are preparing to represent the Eastern Bay at one of the Northern Region’s premier cadet competitions later this month.

The team will travel to the New Zealand Defence Force’s Tamaki Leadership Centre at Whangaparāoa from July 31 to August 2 to compete in the Northern Area Army Cadet Skills in Arms Competition.

Representing Ōpōtiki College are Warrant Officer Class Two Ventrillo Apanui, Staff Sergeant Anjali Saberwal-Singh, Sergeants Te Uruariki (Jack) Clay and Payton Tauiti, Corporals Phenom Apanui and Sammi Darlington, Lance Corporals Iysis Haimona and Alexavier Rangiahua, and Cadet Calais Wood.

While many students were enjoying the final weekend of the school holidays, the nine cadets were hard at work training for the demanding event, which brings together some of the top cadet units from across the Northern Area.

The annual competition is designed to test a broad range of military, leadership and teamwork skills developed through the New Zealand Cadet Forces programme.

Over two days, teams rotate through up to 12 competitive stands covering physical fitness, weapons handling, marksmanship, drill, navigation, radio communications, casualty evacuation, observation, equipment carrying and leadership challenges, before finishing with a tug of war competition.

This year’s event will feature teams from Auckland, Hamilton, Kerikeri, Papakura, Te Awamutu, Waitākere, Western Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Ōpōtiki.

Participation in the competition provides cadets with an opportunity to put months of training into practice while building confidence, discipline and teamwork alongside fellow cadets from across the upper North Island.

The Ōpōtiki College team has spent recent weeks preparing for the challenge and is aiming to perform strongly against some of the region’s most experienced cadet units.

Unit Commander Lorraine Lawson-Barrett is backing the cadets to give it their all.

“We have competed in quite a few SKILL competitions over the years, but this will be the first one since the Covid lockdown year – Go OCCU,” she said.