College Sport: Bowls champs demonstrate the sport's appeal to young and old

Rachael Siohane-Royle (left) from Epsom Girls Grammar sprints away from Rhiannon Leddna during a game of Lacrosse against Auckland Girls Grammar. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Rugby, soccer, league, netball, basketball and hockey rightly dominate the winter sports scene but so called minor sports including lawn bowls, curling and lacrosse continue to thrive, giving plenty of popular options.

This month's Auckland SS bowls championships again showed the sport is no longer the domain of the older brigade.

With winners from schools across the region - AGS, Howick College, St Cuthbert's, St Peter's, MRGS, KBHS, Dilworth and Diocesan among those figuring in the latter rounds - the sport's universal appeal is obvious.

As expected, the experienced Finn MacElvanna (AGS) took the boy's singles crown from Jaden Tindle (Dilworth). MacElvanna justified his favouritism in emerging unbeaten including one 21-1 win in the one-hour time limit game.

All grades, singles and pairs, were keenly contested with St Cuthbert's claiming the honours with a one-two finish in the girls' singles. Year 12 students Kimberley Lee and Isobel Freeman dominated with Lee outstanding in recording 21-0, 21-3 and 21-1 wins to take the honours.

The pair, Lee, who lives in Epsom, and Freeman, who makes the daily journey from Titirangi, are among the region's best young hopes who have been invited to a training camp at the Pakuranga Bowling Club on June 5.

An Auckland team will then be selected to play Northland later in the year.

Lacrosse offers a little more action and, like curling and other sports, continues to attract growing numbers.

As one such example, AGGS last year had 14 players turn up for trials. A year on, the coach and team manager were stunned when 96 hopefuls pitched up.

The school now has 20 students who had not played the game before this season in action in the weekly two-division competition.

The sport has often been handicapped by a lack of quality equipment but that too has been addressed with AGGS coach David Zussman and fellow lacrosse enthusiasts setting up a company aimed at making quality sticks and goalkeeper's helmets readily available.

The 7-5 win over EGGS last week was their best result in marking their return to the top division and nicely set up tomorrow's top of the table clash with Avondale College.

Basketball

Undefeated WBHS continued their strong start to the season with another convincing win as they repelled a brave KBHS 83-68.

Mike Becker led Westlake with a double-double (10 points/11 rebounds) while Kendal Davey was the standout for Kelston with a number of fast breaks and a handy 22-point haul in an action-packed, if not particularly high-scoring, affair in which the championship leaders were rarely under threat.

The Dilworth-Avondale clash was a typical arm wrestle between two evenly matched teams going blow for blow, turnover for turnover, basket for basket.

For a time it seemed destined to be a ding-dong affair going to the wire but when Dilworth dropped their guard Avondale quickly capitalised and pulled away to a 10 and then 15-point lead before going on to win by 20 points.

As Dilworth heads went down, Avondale took control and went on to win 84-63.

Hockey

Perennial pacesetters AGS continue to dominate the boy's open A championship race. Their 5-1 win over neighbours St Peter's continued their unbeaten start to the season.

Goals to Seb Buddle (2) and Neeraj Dutt had AGS 3-0 ahead at halftime. A strong start by St Peter's in the second half was rewarded with a neat reverse stick goal by Jamie Newlands.

Stung, AGS hit back with captain Ashwin Ramji scoring two well-angled goals to complete a second straight win at the start of the season.

Diocesan and EGGS both scored 5-0 wins in the girls' open A grade although Diocesan were made to work harder than expected, especially in the first half, before getting home against MAGS who were well served by goalkeeper Zoe Martin who pulled off a number of spectacular saves.

Orienteering

Making the most of a mistake by favourite Cosette Saville (Pukekohe High), St Dominic's Renee Beverage sprang an upset in the senior girls division at the Auckland SS championships in the Waiuku Forest.

The three minutes Saville lost at control five in the end proved the difference as Beverage took the title by just over 2 minutes.

Dan Safta, an exchange student at Rangitoto College, also ended Pukekohe hopes in the senior boys as he too benefited from mistakes at the ninth and 14th controls to beat Dominic Melchers by over 5min.

Rebecca Gray (St Cuthbert's) showed her class by dominating the field through every control to claim the intermediate girls title while Keiran Woods (MAGS) was similarly dominant throughout to win the boys.

The junior races were very tight.

Alex Agnew (WGHS) had to overcome a strong challenge from Jemma Simmonds (Pukekohe) in the middle stages before taking the honours in the girls' championship while Miles Broderick (Rosmini) dominated from control seven to win the boys' title.

There was some compensation for the Pukekohe High boys who placed in every event but without taking gold when they won the team title. St Cuthbert's claimed the girls' title.

Rugby

AUCKLAND

A bonus point 39-13 home win over St Kentigern continued MAGS' winning start to the 1A championship and showed it will take a huge effort to derail their unbeaten run.

But it was far from a cakewalk especially in the first half as the visitors held MAGS to 12-6.

Fired up after the break, the home side - with tries from Gafatasi Sue (his second of the match), Dillion Halaholo and Matt McGahan - ran away to lead 39-6 before St Kentigern grabbed a late consolation try.

It was a different story at De La Salle as King's raced to a 19-5 halftime lead with Will McKay, Colwyn Tipene and Kevin Fuavao crossing for tries.

The second half was a different story as De La Salle charged back to 22-18 before the visitors added another Simon Hickey penalty for a 25-18 win. Hickey kicked two penalties and two conversions.

Otahuhu made the most of home advantage in fighting back from 0-7 to upset Tamaki 24-15.

Mercy Lufe gave Tamaki early hope when he scored a try but Otahuhu hit back with a try and two penalties to lead 11-10 at the break.

Another penalty and a try extended the lead to 19-10 before Tamaki gave their supporters some hope with a runaway try seven minutes from time.

A try at fulltime gave Otahuhu a slightly more comfortable 24-15 winning margin.

The points flowed at the "Cage" as KBHS raced away to beat St Peter's 45-24 after leading 24-17 at halftime.

KBHS made certain of the bonus point with seven tries as Junior Tofa Va'a (2), Nathan Hughes (2), Tone Nanai, Tai Valeni and Steven Te'o dotted down.

Tayler Adams added five conversions.

THAMES VALLEY

A win by default over Te Aroha College handed Mercury Bay Area School the Graham Watton Trophy - the prize at stake for the opening round in secondary schools competition.

Waihi College scored their first win of the competition with a narrow 17-15 win over Thames High - a fair reward for the effort put in so far this season by coach Reuben Wells.

WAIKATO

National champions Hamilton Boys High School got their local season under way with a successful defence of the Moascar Cup against St Paul's Collegiate. Hamilton led 36-0 at halftime before eventually coasting to a 36-12 winning margin.

In the Waikato 1st XV competition, St Peter's School thrashed Forest View High School 45-0 to make it five wins from five outings.

Soccer

A five-goal haul from Ethan Galbraith sparked St Peter's to a 7-2 win over Kristin. After falling behind early, St Peter's scored four before the break to lead 4-1. Sam Pease and Craig Barretto added the other goals.

MAGS made hard work of their home game against WBHS before getting home 2-0. The home side wasted three early chances before Jordan Vale beat Dan Greeney with a well-struck 38th minute freekick. It was not until the 82nd minute MAGS sealed the win when defender Sam Redwood got the final touch to a another set play.

"It has been a disappointing start to the season with not a point on the board," said Westlake coach Cliff Jones. "But, starting next week, I expect this team to pick up points."

MAGS coach Kevin Fallon paid tribute to the visitors.

"Westlake will take points off teams above them on the table," said Fallon. "It was a battle out there. We got little change out of Matt du Toit and his fellow team members."