College sport: All-conquering Wesley short of opposition

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Wesley College's record-equalling victory in the New Zealand secondary schools first XV championships may not have been the best thing for the school's rugby future, says manager Mike Tod.

The small Paerata college thrashed Rotorua Boys High School 53-32 at North Harbour Stadium, joining Kelston Boys High School as one of only two colleges to win the title four times.

Wesley are struggling to find competition because opposition teams have been defaulting.

Tod fears the lack of competition will have implications on Counties Manukau representative grades.

He said a solution would be to enter the team in the Auckland 1A championships, a proposal that has previously been turned down for reasons including travel and protection of the competition in Auckland. "I don't know what this [the championships win] is going to do for our bid," Tod said. "It probably doesn't do much for us."

The Auckland Secondary School Heads Association and the Auckland secondary schools rugby union have yet to reply to Wesley's latest request.

The victory clinched the double for Wesley. They had already won the sevens.

They are the only school to have captured the double twice. The last time was in 1993.

"The catch-cry all week had been remember '97 [when Wesley last won the first XV competition]," Tod said. "We considered it our trophy and we were taking it home.

"It has been many years of hard work. It rounded off our season."

The triumph avenged Wesley's shock defeat by Westlake Boys High School in round two of the top four last year.

"That loss took the school a long time to get over," Tod said.

MULTISPORT

The national secondary schools championships in Tauranga on Saturday will be the last competition of the season for world junior duathlon champion Terenzo Bozzone.

The Rangitoto College workhorse, who puts in hours of training a week, will have an enforced rest for an ear operation.

Rangitoto, which is fast becoming a breeding ground for multisport athletes, will field a strong team of nine, five of them members of the triathlon New Zealand youth squad.

Other promising competitors from the Auckland region are Diocesan's Paddy Walker and Epsom Girls Grammar's Julia Scopes and Gemma Hayes.

Forty-two have entered, with schools from the South Island represented.

NETBALL

Competitive play for Avondale College's Rachel Rasmussen is not over when the Smokefree-sponsored national championships in Invercargill finish at the end of the week.

On her way home she will stop off at Blenheim to join her college team-mates in defending their New Zealand secondary schools title.

Twelve sides will compete, including Auckland Girls Grammar.

BADMINTON

Epsom Girls Grammar downed Whangarei Girls High School in a closely fought final.

Palmerston North Boys High School retained their title on home turf, overpowering top seeds Rangitoto College.

Rosehill College finished fourth in the boys grade and St Kentigern College were eighth.

GOLF

Seven teams will battle at Wellington's Shandon course for the national schoolboys title. Two-time New Zealand and world defending champions Rotorua Boys High School will again be the team to beat.

THIS WEEK

* Today:

New Zealand secondary school table tennis championships, North Harbour, Sept 26-27.

* Saturday:

New Zealand secondary school multisport championships, Tauranga.

* Tuesday:

New Zealand secondary school golf championships, Shandon Golf Club.

New Zealand secondary school netball championships, Blenheim, Oct 2-5.