College Sport: First XV debutants manage big win

By TERRY MADDAFORD

RUGBY

Mike Wallace walked into the reality of secondary school sport when he fielded defending North Harbour senior A champions Rosmini College against Glenfield College on Saturday.

Wallace, a transplanted Queenslander in his first year at the school, was able to field only 3 of the starting XV from last year's final for this season's opener, which they won 36-8 at Glenfield.

"Of the 22 players who saw action, 15 were making their first XV debut," said Wallace, who teaches PE. "In one sense there is some pressure in being the defending champions. It would be fantastic to retain the title but we have set other goals.

"We are putting in place structures throughout the school to ensure there will always be players coming through," said Wallace, who coached the Colts at the Brothers Rugby Club in Brisbane.

"We have five fifth formers in this year's squad. We had 61 in our initial squad, which we have now reduced to 22."

The Auckland senior A championship kicks off on Saturday with defending champions De La Salle facing a tough battle at home against King's College.

Last season's runners-up, Kelston Boys High, are away to St Peter's.

GOLF

Wentworth College marked their first appearance in the North Harbour intercollegiate championship with a surprise 10-shot win over Rangitoto College at Muriwai on Monday.

Spearheaded by the best round of the day - Samuel Shin's four under par 68 - Wentworth won comfortably. Their other counting scores came from Ryan Woollerton (73) and Shanah Joun who, like the other girls in the field, had a three-shot reduction from her 74 for a counting 71.

The day's second-best round, 69, was shot by Long Bay's Jumbo (Kun) Kim with Bobea Park (Rangitoto No 1) and Mi Kyung Kim (Rangitoto No 2) matching Joun in firing 74s - the third best scores among 68 golfers.

Defending champions Massey High were well off the pace with their 240 despite a 76 from Hyun Soo Chin.

St Peter's won the Auckland championship by two strokes from Auckland Grammar at the Aviation Country Club. St Kentigern were a further stroke back.

The individual strokeplay championship for boys and girls will be played at the Pakuranga Country Club on May 24.

SOCCER

The eight-team premier schools championship starts on Saturday with a tantalising first-up clash with defending champions Auckland Grammar away to Kelston Boys.

Mt Albert Grammar, who have had some torrid battles with Auckland Grammar in recent years, start their season with a home game against St Peter's at noon.

SPORT CLIMBING

Grace Glover and Kitty Xu gave Epsom Girls Grammar the junior/senior double in the 2nd Auckland event of the year at the Birkenhead Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The event attracted entries from 15 schools headed by a 10-strong contingent from Edgewater College.

Rangitoto's Bruce Pohlman won the senior boys' title. Glendowie's Will Scarrold took junior honours.

Further events will be held on June 20, August 1, September 12 and October 17.

WATER POLO

Epsom Girls went through seven games in four days unbeaten to win the national secondary schoolgirls title in Lower Hutt on Sunday but not without a scare. Down 0-4 in the first quarter of their second-round clash with Wellington Girls High, EGGS fought back strongly, scoring seven unanswered goals to win 7-4.

"It could have ended there," said new coach Jess Milich, who helped her team to a win from fifth last year.

Epsom beat defending champions Diocesan 7-0 in the semifinals and went on to beat Lower Hutt's Sacred Heart 4-1 in the final after being locked 1-1 at halftime.

Lisa van Raalte scored a hat-trick, which earned her the most valuable player honour. Van Raalte, captain and goalkeeper Katherine Curnow, Frankie Snell and Kate Rapson were named in the national squad at the end of the championships.

COMING UP

Today: Girls soccer, grading day. Badminton, North Harbour 2nd round (girls).

Tomorrow: Girls lacrosse begins (all 4pm, home team first) A grade, Avondale v St Dominic's, Westlake GHS v Auckland Girls Grammar. B grade, St Dominic's v Avondale, AGGS v Western Springs, Pinehurst v Westlake GHS.

Friday: Basketball, premier league 2nd round. Squash (premier, senior A & B and junior A) 1st round. Table tennis, term two competition begins.

Saturday: Netball, North Harbour 1st round (all Onewa courts), Kaipara v Birkenhead 9.45am, Carmel v Glenfield 9.45am, Takapuna v Northcote 9.45am, Westlake v Long Bay 10.30am, Rangitoto v Kristin 10.30am, Orewa v Mahurangi 10.30am). Auckland 1st rd, West Auckland 2nd rd.

Rugby, Auckland (all grades) premier 1st round (home team first, all 2.30pm), St Paul's v Onehunga, Mt Albert Grammar v Macleans, Auckland Grammar v Sacred Heart, De La Salle v King's, Otahuhu v Tangaroa, St Peter's v Kelston BHS. North Harbour 2nd round. Counties Manukau, 2nd round (home team first, all noon unless stated), Pukekohe v James Cook, Rosehill v Wesley 2, Waiuku v Manurewa, Wesley 1 v Papakura).

Soccer begins premier (home team first, all noon), Kelston BHS v Auckland Grammar, Avondale v Westlake BHS, Rangitoto v King's, Mt Albert Grammar v St Peter's.

Sunday: Orienteering, forest and farm round 7, Maioro 10am-noon.

Monday: Cross-country, central zone, Sacred Heart College Squash, girls/junior B boys start. Hockey, all grades week 2. Rugby, girls 2nd round. Badminton, Auckland (boys/girls) & North Harbour (boys).