College Sport: Dream tour by soccer team

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

The New Zealand secondary schoolboys soccer team are about embark on a historic Northern Hemisphere footballing adventure.

A 29-strong squad will travel to Britain and Europe, the first time a New Zealand secondary school side has toured there, to take on some of the best schoolboy teams from the continent.

Assistant coach Malcolm Cowie expects every one of the 10 games to be tough.

"For many of the players over there, it is a great chance to be seen by senior clubs," Cowie said. "Although these are friendly games, they will be very competitive."

The tour will be an eye-opener for the New Zealand players because the level of competition will be several notches above any they will have experienced before.

The New Zealanders will be hoping scouts will be at their games, ready to recruit some young talent from among their number.

The reputation of former Kelston Boys' High and now Leeds United defender Danny Hay may also draw the curious while the team are in Britain.

The squad gather at Wellington's Ole Soccer Academy on Saturday for a training camp, before flying to London on Tuesday.

They play a Northern Schools selection in Aberdeen, Caledonian-Ross County under-18, Scottish Schoolboys, who hold the national cup, Welsh Colleges, Welsh Schools, Boys' Clubs of Wales and England schoolboys before departing for Hungary.

Cowie used his Scottish contacts to gain matches against Scottish, Welsh and English sides and coach Jacques Vercauteren used his connections for the Hungarian leg of the three-week tour.

After arriving in Budapest, the New Zealanders will play youth club sides Vasas under-18 and Ferencvaros, and the Hungarian under-18 side.

They return home on Christmas Eve.

VOLLEYBALL

Auckland schools have blocked a lengthy Bay of Plenty college dominance, winning the boys' and girls' North Island junior titles in Napier.

Schools from the BoP region have won at least one of the titles 13 times in the 20 years.

Westlake Boys' High have had an incredible season, remaining unbeaten and dropping only two of the 76 sets they played.

The Avondale High girls' team won their first North Island junior title, beating Matamata College in the final.

Westlake's only dropped sets of the season were at the championships.

The team succumbed to early nerves in their first game against Auckland Grammar and once in the final against Kelston Boys' High.

Hillary College made up the Auckland top three, finishing equal with Western Heights in the boys competiton.

CRICKET

Rain drenched any hope Westlake Girls' High had of causing a slip-up by defending Auckland and New Zealand champions Epsom Girls' Grammar for a share of the Auckland girls premier senior title.

While Epsom were slightly ahead on the points table, Westlake could have drawn level if they had beaten Epsom to secure two points.

In the end it was the weather that defeated Westlake.

Though both teams earned a point, Epsom retained their title, with Westlake runners-up.

Meanwhile, in the North Harbour premier tournament, Kristin School's senior first XI turned on a reasonable batting performance in the final match to take out the championship against Glenfield College.

Kristin's modest first-innings total of 138 was nevertheless sufficient to stump Glenfield College, who were dismissed on the first day for 71.

Glenfield were then left with an imposing target of 241, after Kristin reached 174 in their second innings.

Glenfield struggled to 107 for seven before stumps were drawn to give Kristin the win on the first innings.

THIS WEEK. -

* Today: North Harbour junior boys golf championship.

Auckland junior softball championships.

* Tomorrow: Auckland junior touch rugby championships.

* Friday: junior boys' and girls' A-grade waterpolo playoffs.

* Sunday: Auckland equestrian ribbon day, Long Bay College.