OUR TEAM

Our coach team comes with a wide range of Local, National and International experience and all of them are dedicated and committed to getting the best out of all their students by applying their fencing knowledge and experience.

Whether its just social or competitive fencing, the team at Hawke’s Bay Blades have you covered.

Check out our classes page and see what works for you, and if you are looking for 1-1 lessons with us or one of the team, click the relevant contact links below.

COACH CLARK

Specializations

  • Advanced Foil, Epee, & Sabre

  • Certified in Foil & Epee Coaching

  • High Performance Fencing

Coach Baz has been involved in Fencing nationally for over 20 years, and been the #1 men’s Sabre Fencer for no fewer than 6 years as well as winning the 2017/2018 Oceania Sabre Championship. He has held almost every National Title over the last 10 years and is now is primarily focused on coaching here in the Hawke’s Bay having moved here in 2017.

Baz has represented NZ in the 2014 & 2018 Open Commonwealth Championships for both Open Foil & Sabre also severed as NZ Sabre Coach for the Commonwealth Championships in 2018.

In 2013-2017 he was Head Coach at the Highly decorated UHC Fencing Club as well as being a High-Performance Coach for Fencing Central. During his tenure as coach across multiple clubs he has developed athletes that have represented NZ at Junior, Open and Vet Commonwealth Championships, Developed National Champions and provided a positive learning experience for anyone who is interested in Fencing.

In 2019 Coach Clark was appointed as the Head of the Fencing NZ Officiating Commission.

COACH CONGALTON

Specializations

  • Foundation Foil & Epee

Coach Congalton has been fencing since 1985 and in his youth was both the NZ Secondary School Champion for Foil & Epee. Initially he Fenced in Wellington before moving to Auckland to Fence with Salle Jean Louis. After taking a few years break from the sport Jules has come back to the sport in a Coaching capacity.

COACH STYLES

Specializations

  • Foundation Foil & Sabre

Olly has been fencing on and off for 20 years. This began in 1998 when he picked up a foil on a whim during his orientation week at university. Probably chosen more for his banter on the minibus than overall skill with the foil, he was selected to be on the fencing squad for Royal Holloway (University of London) in his final year.

On moving to London for work, he fenced recreationally and competitively in the capital and even began to branch out from his beloved foil after being persuaded to attend an intensive weekend Sabre session with UK fencing master John 'Jes' Smith and eventually moved to New Zealand in 2012.

Having almost given up hope of being able to fence in Hawke's Bay unless it involved a piledriver and some number 8 wire, he was heartened to read of a regional club in the local newspaper and joined Hawke's Bay Blades in 2018.

COACH HORSFALL

Specializations

  • Foundational Fencing 

Wyatt is 17 and joined Hawke’s Bay Blades in 2018 after attending a “Come and try fencing session” and has been hooked ever since.

He enjoys fencing foil and epee, but his main interest is sabre. Wyatt has been awarded club captain for 2 years running and is the student representative on the HBB Board. He is looking forward to coaching in 2023 before he heads off to university.

In recent sabre tournaments, Wyatt has ranked 1st in the Central Secondary School Champs in 2021, and in 2022 he was 1st in the Central Cadet Champs, 3rd in the NZ Secondary Schools Champs and 8th in the North Island Open Championship.

As yet Wyatt has no great claim to fame…….but is working on it.

OPEN SESSIONS WEEKLY

Tuesdays - 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm @ Mitre 10 Sports Park

Thursdays - 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm @ Mitre 10 Sports Park

Saturdays - 8:00 am – 12:00 noon @ Mitre 10 Sports Park