Wairarapa College out to rule NZ again

Just two teams have won the Federation Cup national secondary schoolgirls hockey tournament in successive years but that could all change when the 2012 edition is played at the Clareville complex next week.

Looking to join Palmerston North Girls High and Whangarei Girls High with that distinction are defending champions Wairarapa College.

And while their coach Willie Schaefer is well aware of the dangers of over-confidence leading into an event in which team strengths can change drastically from season to season, he is "very hopeful" of making another bold bid for the major spoils.

That level of optimism is hardly surprising when you consider Wairarapa College have yet to taste defeat this season, and in Megan Hull, Katherine van Woerkom and Morgan Percy they have three national age-group representatives.

That they have been unable to field a full-strength side this season because of sickness and injury simply makes their record look even better. Schaefer sees that as a big positive leading into a tourney contested by the top 16 secondary schoolgirl teams in the country.

"It's always nice to know you have the depth to cope when health and injury hassles crop up," he said. "Tournaments like this are hard work, you need to have everybody playing well."

That Wairarapa College should not fail on the score of fitness was illustrated last week when they played no fewer than four matches and Schaefer was delighted with the way they responded: "They are ready to go, we won't have any excuses."

Tactically, he sees his side's allround capabilities as their biggest asset, saying that while the three national reps were obviously key figures the main emphasis was on playing as a team.

"They actually enjoy each other's company and I think that shows in the way they play."

Last year's Federation Cup tourney was made even more noteworthy for the Wairarapa area by St Matthew's Collegiate finishing in third place, and even though they have lost the bulk of that line-up - who incidentally went on to beat Wairarapa College in the final of the Wellington secondary schoolgirls' competition - the Kim Henson-coached side could be among the front-runners again.

Interestingly, Wairarapa College and St Matthew's are the only two schools from the greater Wellington area to qualify for the Federation Cup and Palmerston North Girls High are the only other side from the whole of the central region to do so.

Wairarapa College will start in pool A next week alongside Whangarei Girls High, Epsom Girls Grammar and Gisborne Girls High, while St Matthew's Collegiate are in pool C with Rangitoto College, Villa Maria College and Craighead Diocesan.

The pool B teams are Diocesan School, St Margaret's College, Kristin School and Christchurch Girls High, and the pool D teams are St Cuthbert's College, Rangi Ruru Girls, Palmerston North Girls and St Hilda's Collegiate.

The pool draw for the local teams is:

Monday: St Matthew's Collegiate v Villa Maria College at 8.30am, Wairarapa College v Epsom Girls Grammar at 9.45am, Wairarapa College v Gisborne Girls High at 2.30pm, St Matthew's Collegiate v Craighead Diocesan at 3.45pm.

Tuesday: Wairarapa College v Whangarei Girls High at 11am, St Matthew's Collegiate v Rangitoto College at 12.15pm.

Crossover matches begin on the Wednesday and the final is programmed to start at 1.30pm on the Friday.