HIGHLAND GAMES - Two Craigs give games a heave-ho

DON'T be surprised if you hear the name Craig Reid often on the loudspeaker at the 136th Waipu Highland Games on Tuesday.
Australian heavyweight Craig Reid will be back again to challenge 11-times-winner and former Northlander Patrick Hellier for the national title, but there will also be his young namesake Craig Read testing out his caber-tossing skills with the big boys for the first time.
Highland Games organiser Wayne Laurence said the two Craigs have met and consider their shared names a bit of fun.
"They're keen to feed off one another and get a bit of friendly rivalry going."
Laurence said Read, a Whangarei electrician, is a "huge, giant of a guy" who is making great strides in the world of Highland heavyweight sports.
"He's a young one with lots of potential."
That's no surprise as Read is coached by Hellier, who has won the championship at Waipu for more than a decade. Read competed last year in several senior Games events, placing in the sheaf toss and winning the caber toss. This year Read is entering the overall competition, taking on his namesake from Australia and also his coach.
Despite the intense training regimes and hours of physical conditioning necessary to compete in Highland heavyweight events, Laurence said the sport is not officially recognised by SPARC.
"To be recognised by SPARC a sports needs a national body, and it doesn't have that. I don't think anyone's got around to starting one yet."
Last year the Games were held over two days, and included a transtasman teams heavyweight event.
The three winning Kiwis - including Hellier - competed on January 2 against the three winning Australians - including Reid.
The Kiwi team took out the Anzac duel.
This year the Games returns to its usual one-day format, and will include North Island and some New Zealand competitive Highland dancing and piping - as well as the tossing of large objects.
Gates to the event at Caledonian Park at Waipu open at 8.30am on Tuesday, New Year's Day.