The club system has been an integral component of school life for over 100 years.

The Shand Shield was introduced to Palmerston North Boys’ High School to foster team spirit and broaden responsibility for school sport.

All students and teachers are allocated to one of the six clubs and have the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of sporting and cultural competitions throughout the year.

The Shand Shield, for overall club supremacy, is awarded at the annual Palmerston North Boys’ High School Prizegiving.

The activities involved in the Shand Shield competition include:

• Cricket
• Athletics (Track, Field, Relays, Marching)
• Senior Touch
• Junior Touch
• Tennis
• Table Tennis
• Road Race (Junior, Minor Intermediate, Major Intermediate, Senior)
• Cross Country
• Debating
• Swimming
• Squash
• Choral
• Kapa Haka Challenge
• Winter Tournament (Chess, Rugby Senior, Rugby Junior, Football Senior, Football Junior, Hockey Senior, Hockey Junior, Basketball Senior, Basketball Junior, Volleyball Senior, Volleyball Junior, Quiz, Shooting, Golf)
• Senior Monrad Cup (Tug O’ War Year 11, Tug O’ War Years 12 & 13, Aranga Ball, Long Ball)
• Junior Monrad Cup (Tug O’ War Year 9, Tug O’ War Year 10, Run & Pass Year 9, Corner Ball Year 10).

The six Shand Shield clubs are:

ALBION

Colour: Navy Blue

Origin: Albion was the name of a Dunedin cricket club with which W P Anderson had been associated.

GORDON

Colour: Azure (Sky) Blue

Origin: Gordon was named for one of its first officers, Gordon Tovey.

KIA ORA

Colour: Purple and Gold

Origin: Kia Ora is lost in the mist of antiquity. Not even John Murray (Rector 1919-1946) could remember where it came from.

MURRAY

Colour: Yellow and Black

Origin: Murray was an addition to the original four clubs, named after former Rector and College House Master, Mr John Murray (1919-1946). The club colours, yellow and black, are a reflection of where Mr and Mrs Colquhoun were from in Wellington.

PHOENIX

Colour: Red and Black

Origin: Phoenix was chosen by Maurice Hodder. It was also the name of a Palmerston North sporting club at that time (1919) and, of course, is part of the School crest.

VERNON

Colour: Dark Green

Origin: Vernon was an addition to the original four clubs, named after former Rector, Mr J E Vernon (1902-1918).