Worlds bronze for Masterton paddler

WATER BABES: The Junior Paddle Ferns were Stephanie Dryfhout (left), Sian Fendall, Jordyn Pfeiler, Lara Pritchard, Sarah Ralton, Ella Richardson, Britney Rolston and Sophie Wilton (captain).

Wairarapa College student Lara Pritchard will come home from the world canoe polo championships in France with a bronze medal to show for her efforts.

Pritchard was one of the youngest in the eight-strong New Zealand under-21 Junior Paddle Ferns women's squad which came third behind France and Germany. Their bronze medal match was against Great Britain and after leading a hard-fought encounter 4-2 at halftime they went on to win 7-5.

The Paddle Ferns had earlier met France in the semis with the home nation starting a hot favourite after beating the Kiwis 8-1 in their previous clash. However, it was a much tighter contest second time round with France winning 4-2.

Pritchard is only in her fourth year of canoe polo after being attracted to the sport through the "rough and tumble" nature of it as well as a love of anything to do with water.

"I guess the aggressive side of it really appealed, you have to be prepared to go hard and fight for every ball and that suits me," she told the Times-Age after being chosen in the national junior women's squad,

Pritchard was part of the Wairarapa College team which won a silver medal at the national secondary school championships last year and was selected in the tournament team at the conclusion of that event. She has also been a star act for the Wairarapa and central region sides and, after joining Manawatu club Kiwi. She became a member of their Valkyries squad, which includes seven national representatives.

The Paddle Ferns were the only one of four New Zealand teams in France to earn a medal but the other three performed creditably as well.

Another Wairarapa player, Carl Duncan, was in the senior men's Paddle Blacks line-up which went into this year's world championships with a ranking of 13 and ended up a creditable seventh after beating Poland 5-3 in the play-off for seventh and eighth. The senior women's team, the Paddle Ferns, were fourth as were the Junior Paddle Ferns men's team.

The world championships attracted 600 athletes and were watched by 50,000 spectators.