The victorious Waikato Senior Women's Lacrosse champs after winning the 2023 New Zealand Senior National Championships for the first time. Photo / Supplied
The victorious Waikato Senior Women's Lacrosse champs after winning the 2023 New Zealand Senior National Championships for the first time. Photo / Supplied
The Waikato Lacrosse senior women’s team made history at Howick’s Paparoa Park on March 19, winning the 2023 New Zealand Senior National Championships for the first time.
The Auckland-based championships were a showcase of the best lacrosse teams from across the country, but it was the Waikato team that emerged as the champions, beating Auckland 14-7.
Former Te Awamutu representatives Ashley Raukawa and Gemma Rose were involved in the title-winning team.
“We’ve been trying to win this thing for 14 years; it’s a pretty big feat that we’ve achieved. We finally had a majority of the best players available all at once, which really helped,” says Waikato Lacrosse senior women’s coach Mike Rush.
“Auckland have been the reigning champs for the last 10 years in a row and to be able to take the title off them is quite a major. No Waikato senior team has ever won nationals.”
The Waikato women scored 81 goals across the season and only conceded 15. Seven of those were to Auckland.
“We scored a lot of goals and defended really well. Two teams didn’t score any goals against us,” says Rush.
“The team was led well by captains Georgia Clarkin-Rush and Gemma Rose. The team played disciplined and really attractive lacrosse. Everything went to plan - it was just perfect.”
Rush would like to thank the Under-18 girls’ side and the two mixed sides they faced in preparation for the tournament. He says that the match experience was invaluable.
His partner Maree Clarkin was also a big contributor to the side as team manager.
Te Awamutu Marist Braves' Waikato senior men's lacrosse representatives Sam Denize (left), Ashton Perret, Elijah Lee, Kaleb Lee Roberts, Jason Jones, Michael "Gandalf" Smith, William "Moose" Chisholm (head coach), Wayne "Rhino" Burrows and Leon Green. Photo / Supplied
The Waikato men’s side placed second in the New Zealand Senior National Championship Senior Men’s and head coach Will Chisholm (Te Awamutu Marist) was very happy with their performance.
“I’m really excited to see what’s in store for the future of the sport with such a talented performance by the Waikato Senior Men’s,” says Chisholm.
“Particularly with a number of the squad comprising of Te Awamutu College Lacrosse alumni that I have coached over the years, ie Kaleb Lee Roberts, Xavier Cox, Elijah Lee, Sam Denize, Ashton Perret, along with other members of Te Awamutu Marist - Jason Jones, Michael “Gandalf” Smith, Wayne Burrows and Leon Green.
“Our biggest achievement was how well our team performed the basics and holding to our structures and having fun playing the game, as result in our first match against the reigning champion Auckland team, consisting of a majority of the NZ team competing at the upcoming World Championships in June, we held them scoreless till the last 30 seconds of the first half.
“It was the game we left everything out on the field in both offensive and defensive play! Though we lost the game 5-1, we walked away with our heads high as we had made the statement we wanted that lacrosse is strong in the Waikato.”
Te Awamutu Marist expressed their appreciation for their representatives on Facebook.
“We are so proud of the performance, heart and dedication that our Te Awamutu Marist Braves Lacrosse players contributed to the Waikato Lacrosse Senior Men’s representative team!”
