Kane Williamson and Peter Burling head back to school in Tauranga for diamond jubilee celebrations

Kane Williamson is returning to Tauranga Boys' College this weekend for the diamond jubilee celebrations. Photo / Andrew Warner

Black Caps captain and Tauranga Boys' College old boy Kane Williamson is looking forward to catching up tonight with his old classmate, champion sailor Peter Burling.

The pair will jointly receive the Old Boy of the Decade award at a gala dinner in the school gym.

Tauranga Boys' and Tauranga Girls' colleges are both celebrating their diamond jubilees with reunions over Labour Weekend.

Tauranga College was split into single-sex schools in 1958.

"I look back on my time at school and I really enjoyed it for a number of reasons," Williamson told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend yesterday.

"To have the opportunity to go back and catch up with some familiar faces, younger and older, will be good," he said.

"I'm sure there will be a good crowd there and it's great in that respect; that there's still that connection when you finish school there."

Williamson said he and the 2017 America's Cup champion helmsman and Olympic gold medallist Burling were in a lot of similar classes at Tauranga Boys'.

"I think he got every award there is to get under the sun," the cricketer said with a laugh.

"So I was just kind of more sitting back, clapping him."

Tonight the pair will be honoured together.

"They've tried to make me feel good and share it between us," a smiling Williamson said.

"He's a great fella and [we] still keep in touch a little bit. It will be cool to catch up with him."