Rotorua Boys High school principal Chris Grinter is retiring after over 30 years at the school.
A 50-year career in education and 33 years leading Rotorua Boys’ High School. Chris Grinter’s time as principal of his beloved school is up but he leaves behind a legacy of change, success – and discovering Jonah Lomu.
When Chris Grinter arrived at Rotorua Boys’ High School in 1991 as principal, one of his first jobs was cutting six teaching roles.
The school’s roll had dropped dramatically amid reputation woes and negativity about single-sex boys’ schools.
“It was a hard entry to this new position. But that gave a starting point and we’ve never had to disestablish a position since.”
Grinter sits in his office at a round table in an interview with the Rotorua Daily Post just days after he announced his retirement as principal at the end of term two, after 33 years in the job. In true Grinter fashion, he speaks slowly and purposely when asked, why now?
“People have always said to me you will know when the time is right and I think that’s really the case. I have been here a long time and it’s been a great time.”
Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter is retiring after 33 years at Raukura. Photo / Andrew Warner
He leaves behind a legacy of turning around the school’s reputation, growing the roll, and academic success – particularly for Māori students – while collecting countless trophies in sports and cultural pursuits.
Comments from former students and colleagues on the school’s Facebook page following his retirement announcement speak of the regard he is held in.
“In my hours of struggle, you were the bright light that guided me back on the right path. You made me realise what being a man was all about,” said one.
Others commended Grinter’s insistence the school build better wheelchair access or spoke of his legacy and amazing passion for his students and sport.
Becoming Mr Grinter
He was born in Auckland and grew up in Taupiri, moving there when he was 5 after his father switched careers from building to owning a dairy farm.
Educated at Ngaruawahia High School, he completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Canterbury in sociology and geography, then studied criminology at Victoria University of Wellington.
Grinter loved learning and his school years so a teaching career seemed a comfortable fit.
Rotorua Boys' High principal Chris Grinter, pictured in 2011. Photo / Andrew Warner
A keen cricket, tennis and rugby player throughout high school, he naturally gravitated towards coaching.
His first job was in London on his OE and after two years, he returned home. He took a role at Ngaruawahia High School before moving to Wesley College in Auckland as deputy principal.
Grinter and Jonah Lomu
Grinter first laid eyes on rugby great Jonah Lomu when Lomu started at Wesley College in Year 9.
Lomu was already showing signs of growing into a “big strapping lad” but had a “reputation and an attitude” and troubled young associates.
“He asked me if I was interested in playing lock for the First XV and to be down at field three. I went down and had a crack at it and made it in,” Lomu said.
“There definitely would have been a totally different story if it wasn’t for rugby and Chris Grinter – there wouldn’t have been a Jonah.”
Rugby great Jonah Lomu (second row, fifth from left) and his mentor and First XV coach Chris Grinter (second row on the right) during their years at Auckland's Wesley College.
Grinter said he coached Lomu playing lock and No 8 for the school.
“It was in the days before lineout jumpers used to be lifted and Jonah, of course, was really good in terms of going high for the ball but his speed developed... and pretty much straight out of school, he was moved to the backs.”
Grinter said the way Lomu spoke about him reflected the influence many teachers had on their students.
“Every teacher has the opportunity and ability to capture... and nurture and inspire a young person and... probably that happens in some way for most teachers and I guess, for me.
“I have had that opportunity a number of times over my career but with Jonah – because it was Jonah and because he wrote about it in his different biographies – people remember that relationship. Yeah, very special.”
Grinter said Lomu’s widow, Nadene, and their two boys, Dhyreille and Brayley, attended the Rotorua Boys’ High School prizegiving last year and presented the Jonah Lomu Memorial Boarding Scholarship, set up the year before to mark his relationship with Grinter.
Grinter said when he started, the Rotorua school’s role had dropped to 650 – half of what it is now.
“The school was struggling... the board of the day was anxious that single-sex boys’ schools were not popular.”
He said there was concern about losing potential students to co-ed schools.
The school needed to strengthen and promote the message that boys’ schools were best for boys.
Grinter got to work. The school’s boarding school was set up three years later, in 1994, and today has a roll of 140 with a waiting list.
“Fortunately, we slowly grew and the school became a place where teachers wanted to teach. Societal changes helped us. In the ′70s and ′80s there was a stronger support for co-educational schools and boys’ schools were seen as old-fashioned. Building this school, we had to put a modern twist.”
Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter. Photo / Andrew Warner
He said the school’s advantages included a curriculum tailored to the needs and interests of young men, while co-educational schools often had “a mixed gender or perhaps even a more female-bias agenda”.
Having positive male role models as teachers was also beneficial.
His greatest achievement was the academic turnaround for Māori students.
“I take a lot of satisfaction in the way we have focused on ensuring our young Māori men achieve the equal of the boys of New Zealand, regardless of ethnic background. Within this school there used to be a pretty significant gap between Māori achievement and non-Māori achievement. We as a staff and a school have worked hard to review teaching practice so we can get good fit for young Māori learners.”
He said for a school with the highest ratio of Māori boys in the country, the results were “impressive”.
Last year’s Year 11 students had an NCEA pass rate of 89 per cent, Year 12 was 92 per cent and Year 13 was 96 per cent.
The “fantastic” results reflected years of work to “make academic success attractive to young Māori men”.
He said families seeking to ensure a quality education for their Māori boys sent them from all over New Zealand and Australia to board at the hostel.
Grinter’s top people
Grinter would not single out his most admired staff member or best student but held in high regard his strong core ofthe school’s “old boys”.
He paid special tribute to those who joined the staff.
“They come here because they love the school and understand the young men of our community. As a group, they are very powerful and positive and good for our school.”
Rotorua Boys' High School director of Māori performing arts Jamus Webster (left), principal Chris Grinter (centre) and deputy principal Rie Morris at the school's new terraces in 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner
He said he had taken great pride in the school’s head boys from his first, Dr Clarke Raymond in 1991, to current head boy Jared Lasike – who made his mark nationally with a powerful Anzac Day speech.
Grinter said each, in their own way, left a special imprint on the story of the school.
“Then you have your group of Olympians or All Blacks who have since been inducted into our Hall of Fame.”
He said there could be about 40 or 50 of them. All lifted the benchmark and showed what was possible if you worked hard and followed your passions.
Grinter’s great coaching run
For 12 years, Grinter was the school’s First XV rugby coach, achieving some of its best results.
His face lights up talking about these years and the national secondary schools championships wins in 1998, 2002 and 2003, then again in 2015 after his coaching tenure ended.
Among the trophies, plaques and photographs of former student greats adorning the school’s office walls and cabinets, he proudly pointed out the 2003 side that “won everything”, including the sought-after Moascar Cup (like the Ranfurly Shield of high school rugby), the national title and the Sanix World Youth Tournament – a world secondary schools’ championship in Japan. The school went on to claim that title twice.
The 2003 Rotorua Boys' High School First XV team. Photo / Andrew Warner
Where to now?
Grinter looked forward to spending more time with his wife, Rotorua Boys’ High teacher Thuy Grinter, and three children and six grandchildren.
He aimed to ensure a smooth transition to the next principal then enjoy a less busy life at their Rotorua and Mount Maunganui properties.
“I’ve got nothing planned but I hope I will find a new work challenge going forward of some kind. After 33 busy years, it would be good to pause for a moment before finding the next possibility.”
An acting principal will be appointed in term three while the new principal appointment process takes place.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
