Rules flexibility permits participation by all in football

Plenty of close quarter stuff in great determination and sports(wo)manship.

When some Woodville teenagers wanted to play football this season and could not find a school team, an amazing compromise occurred. Several were home schooled and because Tararua College could not field a full boys team, there were enough players with several from Dannevirke High school to make up a club team.

In its wisdom the Manawatu Secondary Schools Football Association agreed to let the club field its team in the boys A grade in its youth division, all the more creditable because several of Woodville's team were girls.

Emma Teulon takes on Craig Smith in a battle for possession.

So the team has played all season and really improved, much to the coach's delight. It has come up against the Dannevirke High School Second Eleven twice, the latest being on Saturday, August 14, at Dannevirke High School.

After a 2-2 result earlier, the teams were keen to sort out bragging rights, especially for the Forsythe brothers, one of whom was playing for each team.

In a game hugely affected by a strong westerly playing straight down the field, the teams battled it out with real quality football ensuing, the girls not giving any quarter and both sides very equal.

Woodville surprisingly took a 1-0 lead into halftime after playing into the wind and even more surprisingly, it could not add to its total thanks to great DHS defence especially by its goalie Eden Chapman-Peters.

That is the way the game ended with Woodville having its first win for the season.

Football is thriving at all levels in Tararua and with management prepared to be flexible it is not surprising.