College Sport: Winter season starts with brace of upsets

Onehunga High's Rozal Tyrell charges in her team's 55-5 win over Aorere College. Photo / Dean Purcell.

After a summer of all-too-often winter-like conditions, the real winter season is here with established sports gearing up for term two and three action.

From the outset, upsets again appear set to add spice.

Kings College and MAGS, traditionally two of the major forces in the glamour 1st XV rugby championship, suffered first-up losses with MAGS going down 14-0 at Kelston BHS.

Kings, beaten 33-17 by De La Salle in last season's showpiece final at Eden Park, stubbed their toes at Aorere College - losing 13-11.

While their rugby team had a winning start to their campaign with a 24-0 home win over St Kentigern, the AGS soccer first XI went down 2-1 at Kings.

Defending basketball champions WBHS romped to an emphatic 116-22 win over Papakura.

It was a similar story for Rangitoto who began their defence of the premier girl's basketball crown with a 108-41 win over EGGS.

Cycling, still very much a buzz sport at this level, starts its new season with the first of seven rounds in the AvantiPlus time trials on Sunday with AGS and Diocesan seeking repeats of their record-breaking efforts.

Netballers are going through their grading rounds before hitting the courts in earnest with EGGS, winners over long-time rivals MAGS in the premier and senior A championships last year, set to defend their titles.

North Harbour hockey begins this week and Auckland a week later with schools on both sides of the bridge battling for places, along with teams from Counties Manukau, in the inter-city competition later in the season.

In individual sports, zonal cross country races will be held from next Tuesday culminating in the annual Auckland SS championships at St Kentigern on May 26 with the NZSS championships in Nelson on June 20.

In a farewell to summer sport, WBHS ended their cricket season on a high late last term with a crushing 139-run win over AGS in the Auckland Gillette Cup final at Melville Park.

WBHS will represent Auckland for the third straight year at December's national finals in December.

BASKETBALL
Led by their New Zealand under-21 players Shinai Blair, Brook Blair and Milika Nathan, defending premiers Rangitoto hit the court running to overwhelm EGGS 108-41 in opening round action on Friday night.

Shinai Blair (with 20 points) led the scoring for Rangitoto with good support from Brook Blair (19) and Nathan (18). They were upstaged by EGGS' sole under-21 player Alesha Coulter however, who scored 21.

In other first round matches in the premier girl's championship, AGGS beat Diocesan 84-38, MAGS got home 59-58 over Massey in a cliff-hanger and Avondale edged Northcote 72-60.

MAGS' boys were quick to hit their straps against Kelston BHS and with worthwhile contributions from Jason Goodwin (23), James Ashby (18) and Duane Bailey (17), MAGS ran out 20-point winners 88-68.

WBHS romped to a 116-22 win over brave but inexperienced Papakura. Scott Campbell led all scorers with 20 points followed by Jonathan Legge (15) and Ben Fraser (14). Thomas Scott did best for Papakura with 10 points.

NETBALL
South African-born Carli Botes has her sights set high as she attempts to follow compatriot Irene van Dyk into the Silver Ferns.

Botes, a Year 13 student at Rangitoto College and, like van Dyk, a shooter, is one of five Aucklanders named in the New Zealand SS team to play next month's transtasman challenge in Auckland. Botes is joined in the New Zealand team by other Aucklanders, Kayla Cullen (AGGS), Natasha Hunkin (AGGS), Kirsten Hurley (St Kentigern) and Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick (St Cuthberts).

The players selected to join the Australian Secondary Schools, Aotearoa Maori, Pasifika and Indigenous School Sport Australia at the June 5-7 challenge are:

Shooters: Te Paea Selby-Rickit (TKKM o Te Rito), Carli Botes (Rangitoto), Ashleigh Smith (St Peters, Southland), Kayla Cullen(AGGS). Mid-courters: Sheridan Bignall (TCS Tu Toa), Anderley Gordon (PNGHS), Natasha Hunkin (AGGS), Kirsten Hurley (St Kentigern). Defenders: Greer Patterson (NPGHS), Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick (St Cuthberts), Emma Weeninck (Wellington GC), Amy Christophers (Otumoetai College).

RUGBY
NORTH HARBOUR

Led by a strong game from lock Luke Spratt, Orewa College made life difficult for defending champions Westlake BHS when the first XV championship kicked-off on Saturday. The champions eventually pulled away to win 21-0 with tries from powerhouse centre Fabian Togo (two) and outstanding No 8 Sam Quinn.

Massey High too powered home in the second half against Rangitoto College winning 33-0. Massey, well-led by a solid kicking game from five-eighth Troy Stirling, scored five tries with Ray Niuia dotting down twice.

Openside flanker Matt Lowe was inspirational for TGS in their hard-fought 8-0 win over Mahurangi who had promising moments in the first half but failed to turn them into points.

Rosmini made the most of their home advantage against a very inexperienced Northcote, with 18 players making their 1st XV debuts, running in 12 tries en route to an 82-0 win.

A new local derby between two newcomers turned into a one-sided affair as Kingsway beat Whangaparaoa 46-0 after a tight first half.

Back into the top grade, Glenfield and Hato Petera went head to head, Glenfield eventually getting home 14-0 with two converted tries.

In a match which could have gone either way, Long Bay, with a last-minute Chase Hay penalty, held on to beat Kaipara 13-5.

Birkenhead and Kristin traded penalties in their 6-6 draw in a game in which the forward packs kept it close throughout.

AUCKLAND

Led by the Lam cousins, St Peters stormed to a 22-7 home win over Sacred Heart in the opening round of the 1A championship. The bonus point win - four tries to one - shot St Peters to a share of the early lead with close neighbours AGS who beat St Kentigern 24-0. The win also netted St Peters the Hibernian Shield.

The short trip to KBHS was one to forget for MAGS who ventured west with high hopes after a good build-up to the new season.

The home side went on to attack early and rarely looked under pressure as they scored a converted try in each half to win 14-0. MAGs will be looking for a better result in Saturday's second game, this time at St Kentigern.

AGS could only manage one first half try but added three after the break to pick up the bonus point in their 24-0 home win over St Kentigern.

There were points galore in opening round action of girls' rugby on Monday with Onehunga High running out 55-5 winners in their victory over Aorere.

Led by a strong game from centre Johana Sua who made some crunching tackles on defence and decisive line breaks on attack and capped her efforts with a 60 metre run to score, the home side ran away with it just as Manurewa and Tamaki did in their 72-0 romp.

SOCCER
Pomare Te Anau amassed a hat-trick as defending champions MAGS opened their new season with a 4-1 home win over a brave Sacred Heart side.

WBHS matched MAGS in winning 4-1 first-up getting home on their visit to St Peters.

The points were ultimately shared at Rangitoto College with the favoured home side being held 1-1 by a determined Macleans XI.

VOLLEYBALL
Represented by their Secondary School teams, Auckland beat Tasman in both the men's and women's finals at the Volleyball NZ under-19 invitational championships in Porirua. Both finals went to five sets.

Eseta Mark (McAuley HS), Justine Ng Lam (Mangere College), Vaovai Aioni (Mangere College) and Abigail Whiu (Avondale College) were selected in the tournament team with Mark, who captained the Auckland team, named the most valuable player.

Aucklander Johann Timmer was named men's most valuable player and was joined by teammates Christian Talaimanu, Michael Bernard and Ryan Grubb in the tournament team.

COMING UP

TODAY:

Badminton, N Harbour senior girls A (all Badminton N Harbour, 4pm), WGHS 1 v Pinehurst, WGHS 2 v WGHS 3, Rangitoto v WGHS 4.

Hockey, N Harbour, grade one boys, Massey v WBHS 2, Kristin 5pm, WBHS 1 v Mahurangi, Crown 1 5pm, Rangi v Kingsway, Crown 2 5pm, Kristin v Long Bay, Crown 1 6pm.

League (all 4pm, home team first), University Shield, pool A, Southern Cross v Alfriston, James Cook v Manurewa, Otahuhu v Hillary, Aorere bye. Pool B, MAGS v One Tree Hill, Rutherford v Avondale, St Pauls v Mangere, Papatoetoe bye. College A (under-85kg), Green Bay v St Pauls, Mangere v Massey, MRGS v Henderson, Aorere v Southern Cross, Waitakere v Tamaki. Under-15 (9-a-side), Manurewa v Rutherford, Papatoetoe v One Tree Hill, St Pauls v Hato Petera, Aorere 1 v Aorere 2.

Soccer, girls, Central Premier (East), 4pm, St Marys v Baradene, Cox's Bay 4, EGGS v Glendowie, EGGS, St Kentigern v Diocesan, St Kentigern. Central Premier (West), 4pm, Lynfield v MAGS, Massey v Marist, Onehunga v AGGS, St Cuthberts v Avondale, Seymour Park.

TODAY-MAY 14:

Soccer, Auckland SS Knockout Cup, first round, senior (home team first), Selwyn v Henderson, St Kentigern v Waiheke HS, One Tree Hill v Massey HS, Lynfield v Dilworth, Kristin v Rangitoto, Onehunga HS v Sancta Maria, MAGS v De La Salle, Albany Senior High v Waitakere, Botany Downs v Macleans, Glenfield v Northcote, Glendowie v Sacred Heart, Rosmini v WBHS, Otahuhu v Liston, Whangaparaoa v KBHS, Papatoetoe HS v Elim Christian College, Howick v St Peters, TGS v Avondale, Long Bay v Pakuranga.

TOMORROW:

Hockey, North Harbour, grade one girls, WGHS v Henderson, Crown 1 5pm, Rangitoto v Northcote, Crown 2 5pm, Massey v Carmel, Crown 1 6pm, Kristin v Mahurangi, Rangitoto 6.30pm.

FRIDAY:

Basketball, premier girls (6pm, home team first unless stated), Avondale v EGGS, Rangitoto v Diocesan, MAGS v Northcote, AGGS v Massey, Jordan Centre. Premier boys (7.30pm), Papakura v AGS, Rangitoto v Dilworth, MAGS v WBHS, Onehunga v KBHS, Jordan Centre.

Squash, boy's premier (4pm, home team first unless stated), pool A, AGS v Onehunga, Kings v KBHS, MAGS v Howick. Pool B, AGS 2 v WBHS, North Shore SC, St Kentigern v Orewa, TGS v Botany Downs, Remuera RC. Girls premier (4pm), St Cuthberts v EGGS 1, Kings v EGGS 2, Eden Epsom SC, WGHS v Diocesan, Unitec, Baradene, bye.

SATURDAY:

Rugby, Auckland 1st XV 1A (all 2.30pm, home team first), KBHS v St Peters, Kings v De La Salle postponed, Sacred Heart v AGS, St Kentigern v MAGS, Tamaki v St Pauls, Tangaroa v Aorere. 1B (noon), pool 1, MRGS v Southern Cross, One Tree Hill v Edgewater, Onehunga HS v Otahuhu, Pakuranga v Hillary. Pool 2, Dilworth v Avondale, Howick v Papatoetoe, Liston v Mangere, Marcellin v Macleans. North Harbour 1st XV 1A (all noon, home team first), Orewa v Mahurangi, Rangitoto v Northcote, Rosmini v WBHS, TGS v Massey. 1B, Birkenhead v Long Bay, Glenfield v Kaipara, Kristin v Kingsway, Whangaparaoa v Hato Petera. Counties Manukau 1st XV (noon), pool A, Pukekohe v Manurewa 1st, Rosehill v Wesley 2nd. Pool B, Wesley 1st v James Cook, Manurewa 2nd v Waiuku.

Soccer, senior A1 (noon, home team first), AGS v St Peters, WBHS v Rangitoto, Macleans v MAGS, Sacred Heart v Kings. Senior A2 (noon), St Kentigern v Pakuranga, Northcote v Avondale, Massey v KBHS, Kristin v Glendowie. Senior A3 (10am), Howick v Rosmini, Long Bay v Liston, Onehunga v MRGS, Glenfield v TGS. Senior A4 (10am), Green Bay v Lynfield, Selwyn v Whangaparaoa, One Tree Hill v Kingsway, Pinehurst v Rutherford, Botany Downs v Papatoetoe.

SUNDAY:

Cycling, AvantiPlus Auckland SS time trials, race one, Teal Park 6.45am.

MONDAY:

Badminton, North Harbour senior boys A (4pm), WBHS 1 v Long Bay, Rangitoto v WBHS 4, Pinehurst v TGS, WBHS 3 v Rosmini, Glenfield v WBHS 2.

Rugby, Auckland girls 15-a-side (4.15pm, home team first), section 1, Aorere v Manurewa, Avondale v McAuley, Otahuhu v Onehunga, Tangaroa v Hillary. Section 2, AGGS v Tamaki, Grammar/Carlton v KGHS, Papakura v Rutherford. North Harbour girls (4.30pm, home team first), Glenfield v Massey, Long Bay v Northcote, Mahurangi v Orewa.

TUESDAY:

Basketball, Counties Manukau, open boys (all Manurewa Rec), Howick v Rosehill 4.30pm, Macleans v Manurewa 5.30pm, Pakuranga v James Cook, St Kentigern v Botany Downs, Auckland 7th Day Adventist bye. Open girls, Macleans v St Kentigern, Moana nui 4.30pm, McAuley v Otahuhu, Moana nui 5.45pm, Tangaroa v James Cook, Rosehill 4.30pm, Rosehill v Manurewa, Rosehill 5.45pm, Auckland 7th Day Adventist bye.

Underwater hockey, all Manurewa Aquatic Centre, senior girls, Glendowie v Dio 2 8pm, MAGS v EGGS 2 8.24pm, Dio 1 v Macleans 9.13pm. Senior open, EGGS 1 v Northcote 1 8pm, Avondale v Glendowie 1 8.24pm, Western Springs v EGGS 1 8.49, Northcote 1 v Howick 8.49, Northcote 2 v Glendowie 2 9.13pm, MAGS v Macleans 9.38pm.