The Christchurch Boys’ High team reunited last week to mark the 50th anniversary of their national title. From left: Brent Daniels, Andrew Guillen, Malcolm Prebble, Terry Lomax, Andy O’Brien, Alan Manco, John Deely, Kelvin Duff, Tom Egnot, Hugh Thomson. Absent: Tony Mann. Photo: Sam Coughlan

Fifty years on from their historic triumph at the national secondary school basketball tournament, the winning Christchurch Boys’ High team of 1976 reunited last week to share memories and laughs.

Team captain Alan Manco and Kelvin Duff, who had stayed in touch over the years, were the driving force behind the reunion, hatching the idea over coffee two years ago.

“We sort of joked about it,” Manco said.

“And the upshot was I started reaching out and got hold of everybody by email, and everybody was enthusiastic.”

Every member of the 10-man squad was able to attend, along with Hugh Thomson, son of late coach Ray Thomson.

Hugh later joined the senior team in 1977.

Since leaving school, the players had scattered across the globe, with John Deely travelling from the Gold Coast and Andrew Guillen from as far afield as San Francisco.

They reunited last week for three days of dinners and brunches, as well as a tour of the school on Friday led by assistant principal Dave Bone and former teammate Terry Lomax, who had worked at the school.

Lomax who went on to represent New Zealand in high jump and decathlon at the 1982 and 1990 Commonwealth Games, described the 1976 team as greater than the sum of its parts.

“We were very good as a team, that was the key to it.

“We had an exceptionally good coach who coached us really well through fundamentals of the game, and we were a very well-drilled team. We weren’t flash, but we just did things really well.”

The 1976 team in their glory days. Photo: Supplied

Manco and Duff went on to play for the Canterbury Rams in the 1980s.

Manco said it was special having the group together again.

“It was just like we were when we were at school, everybody’s throwing jibes at each other and giving people a bit of a hard time, it was like we never had been apart.

“They were so enthusiastic about it, I can’t thank them all enough. I think there’ll be at least a yearly meeting on Zoom or something.”

Lomax said a future reunion could coincide with the school’s 150th anniversary in 2031.

“That would be quite a good one, because none of us are getting younger and so we take the opportunity when we can.

“And we’ve got a WhatsApp group now, so I think people will stay in contact that way.”