Rutherford College proudly sent two Year 9 teams and two Year 10 teams
On Tuesday 5 August Rutherford College proudly sent two Year 9 teams and two Year 10 teams to compete in the final for the Auckland Maths Challenge - a Mathex-style event for Māori and Pasifika students designed and run by the University of Auckland and hosted at De La Salle College. As this was the final event for the year, special guests from different faculties across the University of Auckland as well as filming crews from the TV show "Fresh TV" were present to watch, record and participate as judges.
This was a special event, marking the last time this year that schools from Central, South, and West Auckland would come together for the Challenge. The competition featured 30 Year 9 and 10 teams from around 20 different schools. Each team had 20 minutes to solve 15 Maths questions—an intense test of speed, accuracy, and teamwork. All teams gave it their all and displayed true kairangi (excellence).
After a suspenseful tie-breaker round, one of our Year 9 teams secured third place! Their ability to stay calm under pressure and persevere was truly impressive. One of our Year 10 teams made it to a final four-way tie for first place after a hard-fought round where they held first place for the majority of the time, but were unfortunately pipped right at the end by a split second and were unable to place.
Following the competition, the Maths Challenge organisers generously gifted each participant a University of Auckland tote bag filled with pens and notepads—a thoughtful gesture that capped off a memorable day. These gifts were sponsored by the Business School at the University of Auckland who encouraged us to stay connected to Maths in order to secure a successful future.
We couldn’t be prouder of our teams for their outstanding performance and exemplary conduct throughout the event. Their energy and sportsmanship made the day enjoyable for everyone involved.
Our Year 9 teams included: Kaia Cash (9NI), Khaedon Nootai (9NI), Ben Curtis (9LK), Riley Grace (9HO), Jayden-Lee Hita (9BR), Sharlott Naicker (9BR)
Our Year 10 teams included: Ruby Carter (10KM), Leila Richard-Marsters (10HP), Isha Baynosa (10HS), Miri Hatalafale (10HS), Karina Reddy (10HS), Paul Amerika (10GU), Asha Turoa (10GU), Kiara Gill (10FI)
A huge thank you to the Auckland Maths Challenge organisers for providing us with this amazing opportunity. And thanks to Mr Tagaloa and Mr Talamaivao for supporting us this year and agreeing to provide this opportunity to us.
Written by the auratic students Leila Richard-Marsters and Ruby Carter
