Four Wairarapa players have been named in the New Zealand Junior Academy under-18 women's hockey team to play the Australian Futures Group in Canberra, Australia, in December.
In what is the biggest-ever representation for Wairarapa in a national hockey side in any one season they are Megan Hull, Felicity Reidy, Jenna Anderson and Morgan Percy while Katherine Van Woerkom is included in the reserves. A reserve for the Junior Academy boys team is an ex-Wairarapa player, Nick Finlayson, these days playing his hockey in Wellington.
Meanwhile, controversy raged as Wairarapa were beaten 1-0 by North Harbour in their quarterfinal match at the Hatch Cup national under-13 boys hockey tournament played at Clareville yesterday. North Harbour were awarded the only goal of the match in the first half after it appeared their striker had kicked the ball. Wairarapa had a goal disallowed in the second half when the umpire signalled a penalty corner just as the ball seemingly crossed the line.
Yesterday's results: Taranaki 3, Thames Valley 1; Southland 2, Buller 1; Mid-Canterbury 2, West Coast 1; Nelson 2, Marlborough 0; Bay of Plenty 6, Central Otago 0; Counties Manukau 4, Manawatu 1; South Canterbury 1, Otago 0; Tauranga 3, Hawke's Bay 1, Wellington 2, Northland 1; Canterbury 3, Horowhenua 0; Auckland 1, Waikato 1 (Auckland won 4-1 on strokes); North Harbour 1, Wairarapa 0.
Wairarapa are contesting places nine to 16 at the Collier Trophy national under-13 girls tourney in Palmerston North, yesterday beating Counties Manukau 2-0. Arianna Reiri and Paige Blundull were the goal scorers. Wairarapa missed out on the quarter-finals on countback.
