(Attended 2009-2013)

​​​​​​​Andrew Knewstubb has been playing rugby since his school days,  including two years in Paraparaumu College’s 1st XV.  After college he moved to Nelson and played for Tasman in the under 19s and 21s, becoming captain of the Tasman B team. Andrew is an All Black’s 7s player and has played more than 100 games since his international debut in 2017.  Andrew has represented New Zealand at many international tournaments including the 2018 Rugby 7s World Cup, 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2021 Olympic Games.  He has won a number of awards during his career including the 2021 All Black 7s Player of the Year and Players' Choice Player of the Year.

(Attended 1984-1987)

Glenn Woodman is a builder and designer of world class motorcycle engines who has achieved success on the motorcycle racing world stage. He epitomises how you can have a successful international career by finding your passion, learning a trade and working hard. It all started with his apprenticeship at Ace Motorcycles in Paraparaumu.  Since then, he’s spent over 25 years in Europe building his career and his Netherlands based company, Action Motorsports.   In 2022 the International Motorcycle Federation recognised Glenn’s expertise in engine building, and he was granted a licence (MNR-311) as a recognised manufacturer in the manufacturers’ championship.  Glenn has worked with both Kiwi and world champions including Team Hendrckx, Team Adriaenssen, Stefan Everts, Daryl King and Miska Altonen.  He continues to work with and encourage people from world champions to young riders who are just starting out.  

(Attended 2000-2003)

Warwick Lahmert is a rugby and rugby 7s player who has played at the local, regional and national level.  Warwick made his All Blacks Sevens debut in the first round of the 2012/13 HSBC Sevens World Series in Australia.  He later played a couple of seasons for England in HSBC World Series tournaments. In May 2016, Lahmert was included in a 25-strong Great Britain training squad for the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Later that month he captained the England team on the first day of the  Paris Sevens event before being injured. He has also played for his home club of Waikanae, as well as the Birmingham Bees, Spotswood United, the Taranaki and Horowhenua-Kāpiti 7s and under 15s.  In 2021 he was appointed coach of the Cook Islands 7s team.​​​​​​​

(Attended 2003-2004)

Akina has performed in professional musical theatre in Australia for 15 years since graduating  from Paraparaumu College and NASDA (National Academy of Singing, Dancing and Acting). Her performances have included full Australian travelling seasons of Buddy Holly, Avenue Q, An Officer and a Gentleman, Hairspray and Lion King. She was with Lion King for two years where she was understudy for the top female role of Nala.  She has also played a Shirelle and Janelle Woods in Beautiful, the story of Carole King, which opened in 2017.   Since 2021 she has been playing Angelica Schuyler in an Australian production of Hamilton.  When she is back in New Zealand she gives back to the industry by mentoring students, building their confidence, teaching them singing, and helping them with goal-setting.

(Attended late 1980s)

From 1989 to 1994 Michelle Beale (nee Seymour) represented New Zealand as a sprinter at a number of international sporting events including multiple Commonwealth Games, World Cups and World Athletic Championships.  In Melbourne in 1993 she set a new New Zealand womens’ 100m record of 11.32 seconds, she held this record for an impressive 28 years until 2021.  In 1993 she was awarded the New Zealand Māori Sportswoman of the Year. She has also held a number of other New Zealand national titles in the 100m, 200m and 400m events.  ​​​​​​​

(Attended 2002 - 2005)

Brock West is a Royal New Zealand Naval Warfare Officer.  Brock joined the navy straight out of school to train as a chef.  In 2011 he was named Sailor of the Year.  He was awarded this for his commitment to developing skills in all areas of seamanship, and for his work during the evacuation of the MV Rena that ran aground in the Bay of Plenty. In 2012 he began officer training, graduating in 2013. In 2017 he was appointed commanding officer of the HMNZS Taupo and later appointed as the Commanding Officer of the Royal HMNZS Hawea.  The Hawea is an inshore vessel which helps patrols Fiji’s territorial water and exclusive economic zone.​​​​​​​

(Attended 2004 – 2006)

Harrison James is a principal dancer with the Canadian Royal Ballet.  After leaving Paraparaumu College he continued training in New Zealand and overseas.  He then took up a corps position with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Manitoba, Canada. He spent a year with the Béjart Ballet in Lausanne,  Switzerland touring with the company. James joined the National Ballet of Canada in mid-2013 as a fourth year corps de ballet member. His  repertoire grew to include lead roles in Manon, Romeo and Juliet, Carousel (A Dance), The Sleeping Beauty,  The Winter’s Tale, Le Petit Prince and Giselle.  In 2015 he was promoted to first soloist and 2016 to principal dancer.  Throughout his career he’s won a number of awards including the Patron Award of Merit (2015) by the Patrons’ Council Committee of The National Ballet of Canada.   In 2019 he won the Rolex Dancers First Award for his performance as Alexei Vronsky in Anna Karenina, Oberon in The Dream and the title role in Apollo. In 2023, he was the recipient of the David Tory Award.

(Attended 1985 – 1989)

Stephen Kearney (ONZM) is a professional rugby league coach and a former player.  He was part of the sides that won both a National Rugby League (NRL) premiership in Australia and a Challenge Cup title in Great Britain, and he’s also captained the Kiwis. He has held a number of key coaching roles including the head coach for the New Zealand national rugby league team, the New Zealand Warriors from 1917 to 2020, the Parramatta Eels and he’s the assistant coach of the Brisbane Broncos. Highlights of his coaching career have included coaching the Kiwis to win the World Cup for the first time in 2008 and victories in the Four Nations championships in both 2010 and 2014. The Kiwis’ victory over Australia, under his direction, in the 2015 ANZAC Test was the Kiwi’s third successive victory over Australia.

Photo of Stephen and Rangi Kearney accepting the award from student leaders, Katrina Thompson and Madeleine Adams.

Stephen Kearney Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech - YouTube