College sport: European tour for boys' soccer

By DAVE WORSLEY

A visit to Europe including the Czech Republic and England is on the cards for a New Zealand secondary schools soccer team next year.

Secondary schools coach Jacques Vercauteren, back from Scotland this week, said the 20-day tour in May would include at least eight full internationals.

He was in Scotland with Shirley Boys High deputy principal Tony Ambrose and NZ Secondary Schools Football Association chairman Malcolm Cowie for a 20-country schoolboys' football conference.

The English offered to host the New Zealanders at Villa Park, Birmingham, as part of their centenary celebrations next year.

Full internationals would follow against Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile the New Zealand schools side scored two goals in each half to win 4-0 at Murwillumbah, Australia, against Tweed Valley Kings U19 in the second game of their tour of Queensland.

The tourists displayed a high standard of play, especially with runs behind the opposition defence from wing-backs Hone Fowler (Mt Albert Grammar) and Daniel Storrie (Tauranga Boys).

GYMNASTICS

Several secondary school athletes performed well in the artistic international elite section at the national championships at North Harbour at the weekend.

Kate Brocklehurst of Baradene College placed third all-round and second on vault, Melynne Rameka of Pukekohe High was third on vault and first on uneven bars, and Belinda Castles of St Cuthbert's was second on bars and second on beam.

YACHTING

St Cuthbert's were the overall team winners of the national secondary school girls regatta on Lake Pupuke.

Epsom Girls were second and Westlake Girls third. Jo Aleh and Tali Abercromby of Westlake also turned in top individual performances, winning all of their seven races in the Sunbursts.

Justina Sellers of Macleans College dominated the Optimists, winning six of the seven races to finish ahead of Danika Mowlem, St Cuth's.

BOWLS

The junior transtasman clash this weekend at Howick Bowling Club will be a chance for the host nation to get some revenge after a whitewash in last year's inaugural match.

The series, played between teams of four, two boys and two girls, at under-18 level, was won 3-0 last year by Australia at home.

Shannon McIlroy, 16, of Lytton High, Genevieve Baildon, 17, of Cambridge High, retain their spots from last year. They are joined by Jason Lindsay, 17, of Sacred Heart College, Auckland, and Katie Scott, 17, of Nelson Girls.