Shirley Boys' High School Alumni

23/09/2026

23/09/2026

Congratulations to the 2027 Shirley Boys' High School Board of Trustees Student Representative, Takshil Pillay! 💙💛

27/08/2026

💙💛 One to watch - Nico Cook

We are incredibly proud to share this fantastic story about Nico Cook, one of our talented young Shirley men who is already accomplishing some pretty remarkable things.

Nico's passion for programming started with Minecraft when he was just seven. Fast-forward to 17, and he's established his own web design and software development business, NebulaDev, completed first-year university Computer Science papers while still at school - earning A and A+ grades - and received the Webb-Holmes Scholarship for academic achievement. He's also our student representative on the Board of Trustees and a talented guitarist in the SBHS Jazz Big Band.

What impresses us most, though, is Nico's drive to use his skills to create things that genuinely help others - including developing software right here at Shirley Boys' to improve the way our Athletics Day results are managed.

We're extremely proud of you, Nico. Keep doing what you're doing - we have a feeling this is only the beginning! 👏

Have a read of Nico's brilliant story, A World of His Own Design, featured in Te Karaka.

👉 Read Nico's story here:

Nico Cook (Kāti Māhaki) first fell in love with programming when he was about seven and logged into Minecraft for the first time. In a world of blocks, creatures, quests and challenges, he realised programming could be a tool for creation, expression and for forging a world completely of his own d...

20/08/2026

It was awesome to welcome back Shirley Boys' High School Old Boy Tomas Tappin this morning to speak at our annual Father Son Breakfast!

Tomas shared his journey since leaving SBHS, a path with plenty of ups and downs, emphasising that you don't need it all figured out by the time you leave high school. He spoke about the importance of trying different things until you find the thing that gives you energy, the thing that makes you excited to wake up in the morning.

That search led him to co-founding skincare brand Two Dudes with his friend Michael in November 2020, starting out of their garage. By 2023, it was stocked in over 100 stores nationwide. Now, in 2026, Two Dudes is in more than 2,500 stores across New Zealand and 2,000 stores in Australia.

Thank you for your time, Tomas. It was inspiring to hear you speak, and to see how you continue to live our value of Better than Before (BtB). A true reflection of what it means to be a Shirley Man.

18/08/2026

11/08/2026

It was great to have a visit from old boy Hugh McCutcheon (1983-87) today.

Hugh is the Secretary General of the International Volleyball Federation, currently taking a key role in the Volleyball preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Previously he represented New Zealand in Volleyball and went on to become a highly successful coach for the University of Minnesota, and coached the United States men’s team to an Olympic Gold Medal in 2008, and the women to a Silver Medal in 2012.

23/07/2026

The SBHS First XI Hockey Team are raising funds to help get them to their tournament in Invercargill, and we'd love our Old Boys to get behind them.

Whether you can rally a team of six for a fun night out, or your business is in a position to sponsor the event, every bit of support makes a real difference.

🧠 Quiz Night
📅 Sunday 26 July 2026
📍 Bailies Bar, Edgeware
Doors open 5.30pm | Quiz starts 6.00pm
💰 $60 per table (maximum 6 people)

To book your team or enquire about sponsorship opportunities, email [email protected].💙💛

23/07/2026

Another amazing Shirley Old Boy, congrats Brodie!