Roger Moses, ONZM, enjoyed an illustrious career as Headmaster of Wellington College from 1995 to 2018. This article on the career of Roger is written by Evan Gray (10 tests and 10 ODIs for NZ and 162 first-class matches) and is reprinted with the courtesy of the Wellington Wanderers Cricket Club from their 72nd 2017/18 Annual Report.
Roger Moses’ road to Wellington College was a long and winding one and prepared him for what lay ahead when he arrived in August 1995. His apprenticeship saw him have varying roles both in New Zealand and overseas. At Auckland Grammar he was mentored by the then Headmaster DJ Graham, from there to Mahurangi College (Warkworth) where as Head of English he taught the Marshall twins Hamish and James, both Parlanes Neil and Michael, Matthew Bell and Joseph Yoevich. McLeans College followed where he was Assistant Head and Acting Head for four years and finally Waihi College where he was Headmaster, before finally transferring to Wellington College to take over from Harvey Rees Thomas.
During his OE in the mid 1970’s he taught at St Bede’s College in Sussex and played for the Dicker Cricket Club, situated at the historic cricket ground of Upper Dicker where cricket has been played since 1677 making it one of the oldest cricket grounds in history. In those days the shepherds played Stool Ball a game which is still played today in the Sussex villages. It was from the Stool Ball that cricket evolved. As is still the case today the village cricket club was the melting pot of society within the town, the lawyer, doctor, vicar, blacksmith and publican all make up the local XI. Roger’s closest friend in those days in Sussex was Nigel Hawkins, a former Deputy Head of Tonbridge School and also at one time winning the All England Racquets Championships where he beat Chris Cowdrey in the final.
It is clear that the main motivation of Moses at Wellington College was to turn out good all round students, people of good character who have gone on to achieve often under demanding circumstances. He is very proud that Wellington College is now recognised as one of the Premier Educational Academic Colleges in New Zealand. As the social climate changed the College took on more Polynesian youngsters and they brought their own culture to the school, this backed up with incredible loyalty.
There have been outstanding scholars and sportsmen, two Rhodes Scholars, Edward Stace and Max Harris, Olympic Medallists in George Bridgewater and Peter Taylor, Blackcaps James Franklin and Tom Blundell, Olympian Gareth Kean, All White Leo Bertos and All Blacks Lima Sopoaga, Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Highlander and Wellington Lion Buxton Popoali’i, Charlie Gubb NZ Warriors, Jacob Smith a Black Stick and Nelson Asofa-Solomona a star with the Melbourne Storm.
Of all the students who have come under his tutorship, one who he is very proud of is Terefi Ejigu, an Ethiopian Refugee who came to New Zealand with his family after they fled the violence in their homeland. Arriving in New Zealand with nothing and speaking no English, he enrolled at Wellington College where he worked hard and started to train as a runner. He ended up as a Prefect and Captain of the McEvedy Shield Athletics Team and in the process set NZ Junior records for the 5000m and in 2004 also won the Ocean Track Championships for the 1500m and 3000m. He attended Victoria University to earn a degree in developmental studies and in 2009 was awarded a $100,000 scholarship to Eastern Michigan University in the USA. While completing his Honours Degree he still found time to win the Mid-Western Conference Indoor 5000m and finished 2nd in the 3000m.
There is no doubting the pride in his voice when Moses speaks of these outstanding young men.
He also made mention of the friendly rivalries between St Pat’s Town, St Pat’s Silverstream, Rongotai College and Wellington College, and also the people associated with those schools – people like Paul Martin SM (now Bishop of Christchurch), Gerard Tulley, Neal Swindells and Kevin Carter.
In 2015 Roger Moses was the winner of the Educational Section of the Wellingtonian of the year. He has given a lifetime to Wellington College and tens of thousands of students. He is first and foremost a family man, husband to Ros and father to Debbie, Becky and Greg and devoted grandfather to many grandchildren. He now has time to spend with them and indulge in his other passions of cricket and rugby while he works out where the next stage of his remarkable life will take him.