College sport: Sevens win boosts Kelston's trophy cabinet

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

It was second time lucky for Auckland's Kelston Boys High School when they won their first New Zealand secondary schools rugby sevens title in Palmerston North on Monday.

The West Auckland college have only entered the competition once before, in 1999, when their touch team took part, as the tournament clashes with the Auckland secondary school rugby trials.

This year Kelston sent a full strength team of first XV players because those in contention for a representative berth had secured their positions in two trials.

Kelston beat New Plymouth Boys High School 40-19 in the final and Napier Boys High School defeated their Rotorua rivals to win the Bragg-Wahlstrom Cup 24-19.

Rotorua Boys High School's Liam Messam and Viliame Waqa were among the 10 players picked for the tournament team. Napier's Colin Bourke was named captain.

CROSS COUNTRY

Strong senior fields are expected at the Waikato and Bay of Plenty championships at Taupo's Spa Park today.

It will be the final race for the region's top runners to prepare for the national secondary school championships in Blenheim on June 15.

Bradley Barron of Tauranga Boys College, Ben McHale of Rotorua Boys High School, Clive Cooper from St Peter's School, Cambridge, and Kevin Fly of Hamilton's Fraser High School are tipped to be the top four finishers in the senior boys' 6km race.

Senior girls favourite Rebecca Forlong from Matamata College will run up a grade in a bid to ready herself for the New Zealand championships.

RUGBY

* The Takapuna Grammar first XV achieved on Saturday what the past 15 of the school's past teams could not when they downed Rosmini College in the North Harbour competition for the first time since 1987. The 6-3 scoreline provided more to celebrate on a weekend that the school marked its 75th jubilee.

* Hamilton's St Paul's Collegiate emerged the winners of the annual quadrangular tournament against the defending champions, North Harbour's Westlake Boys High School, Palmerston North High School and Tauranga Boys College held during the Queen's Birthday weekend.

St Pauls survived a titanic struggle in the final against Palmerston North to win 13-0.

DUATHLON

Diocesan School's Anna Elvery has emerged as one of the favourites to win the highly competitive intermediate grade of the Auckland secondary school championships at Ardmore tomorrow after her selection for November's world junior triathlon championships in Mexico.

The intermediate boys race will also be hotly contested, with Rangitoto College pair Dino Bozzone and Ben Kindred expected to fight for supremacy.

Epsom Girls Grammar's Jade Gilbertson and Terenzo Bozzone from Rangitoto College are tipped to win the senior grades. In the juniors Rachael Nordmeyer of Rangitoto and newcomer Rebecca Spence from Takapuna Grammar will battle it out in the girls' race.

Athletes from Rangitoto and Auckland Grammar are expected to contest the junior boys.

AREA TOURNAMENT

Northland's Abundant Life School capped off a successful three days to finish as the top dogs at the area schools' tournament.

The Kaitaia college were strongest in the volleyball, winning the girls and boys sections with Richard Broadbank judged Most Valuable Player.

This week:

* Today: Waikato: Waikato/Bay of Plenty secondary school cross country championships.

Northland: soccer, south zone volleyball, rugby league.

Bay of Plenty: gymnastics/aerobics championships, Tauranga.

Auckland: premier boys hockey, rugby league.

Counties Manukau: netball.

North Harbour: girls badminton.

* Tomorrow:

Auckland: Auckland secondary school duathlon championships, premier girls hockey.

* Friday: Northland: basketball.

Auckland: basketball, squash.

* Saturday: Northland: Northland secondary schools road race championships, rugby.

Auckland: rugby, soccer, netball.

Counties Manukau: rugby.

North Harbour: rugby, netball.

Waikato: rugby, soccer.

* Sunday: Auckland: cycling.

* Monday: Waikato: netball.

Auckland: squash.

North Harbour: boys badminton