College sport: Girls' rugby season begins

By DAVE WORSLEY

The Auckland girls rugby competition was launched yesterday with coaches and team captains instructed on rulings and the format for this year's games.

There are three zones with the central zone containing nine teams.

The southern zone division one has five teams, including James Cook and Wesley College, while southern zone division two has six sides with Hillary College one of the top sides.

Auckland Grammar are the defending champions after beating Onehunga High School in extra time in the 2002 final.

A new initiative is the U65kg weight division which will give the smaller players somewhere to compete. The grade has five teams taking part. The first round will be played on Monday afternoon. Auckland Grammar play Waitakere at Waitakere at 4.15.

Badminton

Secondary school badminton starts this week but it has become so popular organisers are turning teams away.

There are about 200 registered teams at Gillies Ave and Lloyd Elsmore in Pakuranga in the Auckland schools grades with a number of teams having to be turned away.

At Badminton North Harbour general manager Julie Carrel says they have gone from 94 teams to 120 in the past year and the fourth term of the year has had to be used to fit in matches.

Carrel believes there are several reasons for the increase in participation in badminton.

"I think it's because we're well organised and they know they'll get a decent competition. We've done a lot of work in the schools. We didn't want to turn anyone away that's why we're using the fourth term. It's great news for the sport."

Equestrian

Twenty-eight teams took part in the north island secondary school horse trials at the Waikato Equestrian Centre. Rosehill College won the dressage from Diocesan who took the overall honours ahead of Mahurangi College and Whangarei No 1 third. St Cuthberts and St Peters of Cambridge finished 4th and 5th respectively. Caroline Edwards from the Dio No 1 team finished with a dressage score of 16 to be the top individual rider of the event.

Soccer


The premier boys 1st X1 soccer gets underway this Saturday.

Not only do some schools recruit players, others train five days a week during the summer and some schools even take tours to South America or elsewhere to keep going in the off season.

Auckland Grammar are the defending Auckland and national champions.

Onehunga High was the promoted side from 1B last year while Kings College beat St Kentigern's to retain their place.

Onehunga host Auckland Grammar while St Peters host Kings at Unitec.

St Peters toured Argentina last year playing youth teams and developing their players.

St Peters 1st X1 coach Brett McMurdoch said: "The team has been training four days a week.

"Some of the kids want to be professionals. We have a central midfielder Adam Duda who the South Americans rated highly."

Rugby


Schools rugby starts this Saturday with De la Salle looking a good side in the senior A division.

De la Salle has most of last year's squad returning and have shown some good pre-season form by winning the Auckland Sevens and the pre-season tournament beating Otahuhu and St Pauls in the process.

Kelston host De La Salle in the first round.

This week:

Today: North Harbour badminton competition starts.

Saturday: Premier rugby (North Harbour, Auckland and Counties).

Saturday: Premier soccer.

Monday: Premier netball (Waikato).

Monday: Waikato inter-collegiate championships at Putaruru.