College sport: Rotorua aim to be top XV

Rotorua Boys High will be aiming to at least equal last year's effort of making the final of the national schools first XV championships.

But before they can think of winning the tournament, they host Auckland Grammar this Saturday.

The winner will go through to the final to play either Napier or Otago Boys High at Eden Park as the curtainraiser to the Auckland-Canterbury game on September 21.

Rotorua principal and rugby coach Chris Grinter says it is a real thrill for the team to make the top four for the fourth time in five years.

He cites captain Liam Messam as someone to watch. The No 8 is in his second year in the New Zealand Secondary Schools side.

The match kicks off at midday at Rotorua Boys.

MULTISPORT

This weekend's NZ multisport championships at Wairoa River Bridge north of Tauranga look set to showcase some emerging talent.

Top competitor from the Bay of Plenty will be Tauranga Girls' Alice Towgood, 13, who is the favourite in the junior category and was a winner at the New Zealand secondary schools duathlon championships in Napier.

Towgood could be challenged by Kate Mitchell, of Mahurangi College.

James Kilpatrick, from Tauranga Boys, will be a strong contender in the senior boys, although the 17-year-old is now concentrating on the administration side of multisport events.

Terenzo and Dino Bozzone from Rangitoto College will be two of the favourites in the senior and intermediate section.

About half the 160 entrants are from schools in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato region.

The senior course is over a 4km kayak, 20km cycle, 5km run.

CYCLING

The Epsom Girls Grammar cycling club has come to the fore again by marking its 20th anniversary with another win in the Auckland schools road competition.

They beat fierce rivals Diocesan by 0.5s in the weekend's time trials along the Auckland waterfront.

The EGGS time trial team was led by Catherine Benefield and comprised Rebekah Foote, Jade Gilbertson, Maria Cleary, Jenna Makgill and Megan Levers.

The mountain bike team also won their competition with Makgill as captain and Sonia Bracegirdle and Hannah Cullen in the team.

The EGGS club was the first secondary schools club in New Zealand and was founded by Angela Drake in 1982 after she asked the principal if she could establish a cycling club. She was told that she could - if she did all the work - and with the help of the boys team from Auckland Grammar the EGGS club was formed.

EGGS significantly aided in the formation of cycling at Dio. Current Auckland individual time trial champion Penny Warring from Diocesan was initially coached by EGGS but then formed her own club in 1987.

A number of notable EGGS students have gone on to represent New Zealand in overseas competitions, including Susy Pryde a silver medallist at the recent Manchester games (road, track and mount bike), Fiona Ramage (track), Cathy Martin (track), Alison MacKay (track), Vivienne Jeschke (mountain bike) and Ruth Connor (mountain bike).

Auckland Grammar finished first, second and third in the senior boys and were second and third in the juniors behind St Kentigern's. Both EGGS and Dio now turn their attention towards the road nationals in Levin in just over a week.

SKIING

The Bay of Plenty/Waikato slalom championships at Whakapapa should see tough competition for the top places on Saturday.

Last year's junior champion, Larissa Simmen, from Taupo College, will be challenging the 2001 third-place getter, Caroline Talbot, of Tauranga Girls.

Another to watch out for is Tauranga Girls' Abbey Van Loghem. Of the boys, Hamish Were and Jeremy Vercoe, of Bethlehem College, and Joel Steens are skiers to watch.