09/06/2026
Another great Last Word speech ...
Sometimes it takes a Grandad to gently remind our young fellas what's important - and who they have to thank for it all.
The Last Word
Toby McClean
If I could sum up my Otago Boys' experience in one word, I would use the word "opportunity" - and that's what I'm going to talk to you about today.
Coming to the hostel as a Year 9 in 2022, I was pretty confident I knew what I was getting myself into, as I had spent the previous two years boarding at Waihi School in South Canterbury. I've always liked being out and playing sports, and being at OBHS has been the absolute best for that.
During Year 9, I started the year off by playing cricket and touch rugby, but quickly found out that mixing those two sports doesn't really work when you have training sessions at the exact same time. By the end of Year 9, I had swapped touch for rowing. That did nothing but increase the crossover in my training schedule, but it was an opportunity that came up and something I really enjoyed.
By the end of Year 10, within a 12-month span, I had been to Hamilton five times on sports trips with OBHS, playing rugby, hockey, cricket, and rowing.
Now that I'm in Year 13 and looking back at these trips, I realise how incredible those opportunities were. We were learning from the best - coached by former international rugby players, NPC players, recent Otago Volts cricketers, New Zealand-level rowing coaches, and internationally known hockey players. We got the opportunity to play against the best schools in New Zealand, testing ourselves against players who are now representing their regions or even the country.
As the years have moved on and I've reached my final year, I've really started to appreciate these opportunities, and I've realised they come from everywhere, not just sport. From doing rock climbing and tramps in Outdoor Education, to learning from business owners about how to create a successful enterprise in Business Studies, to the everyday lessons in Maths and English.
Not only do these chances pop up at school, but the hostel has allowed me to meet people and share my hobbies with them, like having mates over for duck shooting, or going to one of the boys' farms to hunt deer. The hostel has created friendships and connections with people I otherwise would have never met, connections that will last a lifetime.
You're probably wondering why I chose to talk about this. I actually came up with the idea when we had our prefect presentation at assembly. My dad sent a photo of myself, Mum, and Dad to our family group chat. My family congratulated me, but it was my grandad's message that really stuck out.
He said, “Well done Toby, just remember you wouldn't have these opportunities without Mum and Dad.”
We get given all these opportunities, handed to us, and it is entirely up to us whether we take them or not. Where I come from, there are no sports teams like this. There are nowhere near as many trips, or the opportunity to have high-quality coaches throughout sports, cultural, or social groups. There aren't as many chances to meet new people. This is why the word opportunity stands out to me so much at Otago Boys'.
In true Otago Boys' fashion, I will end with a quote. Jackson Brown said “Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity."
