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Tauranga student wins 2026 National Schools Poetry Award

Year 13 student Xavier Tapsell has won the National Schools Poetry Award for his poem about rural isolation and fractured family relationships.

Skinny McBuntu

Xavier Tapsell from Tauranga Boys' College has been named the winner of the 2026 National Schools Poetry Award for his poem

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The Spinoff

Read the ‘compassionate but unflinching’ National Schools Poetry Award winner

It’s National Poetry Day ! To celebrate, we’re publishing the winner of the National Schools Poetry Award 2026. ‘The Left Spring’s Soft’ by Xavier Tapsell, a year 13 student from Tauranga Boys’ College, is the winner of the 2026 National…

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