Zophia Roberts in action for the St Matthew’s Collegiate First XI hockey team. PHOTO/JAMES CRAWLEY
COLLEGE SPORT
JAKE BELESKI
[email protected]
The St Matthew’s Collegiate First XI hockey team will have the chance to improve on last year’s 10th-place finish at the national Federation Cup hockey tournament.
The team are playing at this year’s tournament in Whangarei as part of the national winter sports tournament week, and qualified for the Federation Cup play-offs after finishing second in their pool.
The top two in each pool play for the Federation Cup, with the bottom two going into the Marie Fry Trophy play-offs. That guaranteed St Matthew’s would at least finish in the top 16, and they were set to play Rangi Ruru Girls’ School on Wednesday afternoon for a place in today’s quarterfinals.
The news was not so positive for the Wairarapa College girls’ and boys’ First XI hockey teams, or the Rathkeale College First XI.
All three finished third in their pools at their respective national tournaments, meaning the best they can hope for is 17th place.
Solway College are playing at the Rosemary O’Brien Cup in Gisborne, and had won one, drawn one and lost two of their pool matches, with one still left to play.
Also in action this week are football teams from Wairarapa schools, and the Wairarapa College First XI girls’ team got off to a quick start at the Grant Jarvis tournament in Wanganui on Monday as they beat Karamu High School 6-1, and St Peter’s College Palmerston North by the same score.
On Tuesday they lost 4-2 to Tawa, before thrashing Chilton Saint James School 9-0.
On Wednesday, they were set to take on Wanganui Collegiate.
Kuranui College and Solway College are playing at the same tournament, and Kuranui registered three wins, a draw and a loss across the first two days.
Solway were competitive but were yet to register a win through their first four matches.
The St Matthew’s Collegiate First XI football team had advanced to the semifinals of the Gary Sowden tournament in Blenheim, and were scheduled to play Waimea College yesterday afternoon.
In boys’ football, Rathkeale College and Wairarapa College were going well at their respective tournaments in Napier and Palmerston North, while Kuranui beat the Wellington College Second XI 3-0 at their tournament in New Plymouth on Wednesday.
In netball, Wairarapa College are contesting the A-grade at the Lower North Island tournament in Palmerston North, with St Matthew’s playing in the B-grade.
