Grace Hancox making a save for the Wairarapa College First XI girls’ hockey team. PHOTO/JAMES CRAWLEY
COLLEGE SPORT
JAKE BELESKI
[email protected]
HOCKEY
Two local derby hockey matches kicked off an exciting weekend of secondary school sport for Wairarapa teams playing in Wellington premier competitions.
First up were Wairarapa College and St Matthew’s Collegiate going head to head in the premier 1 girls’ hockey competition, and the 1-1 draw was an indication of how evenly matched the two teams are.
The result means both teams are in the top four with one round of matches left to play before the play-offs, but only Waicol are guaranteed to stay in the top four at this stage.
They are sitting in second on 14 points, and will play Wellington East Girls’ College in Wellington on Friday.
A win would have them stay in second spot, but they could drop as low as fourth if they lose and other results work against them.
St Matthew’s are in third place with 12 points and are in prime position to secure a top four position when they take on Queen Margaret College on Friday in Wellington, but need to win to guarantee that will happen.
A draw or loss leaves them vulnerable to other results, but they still have the opportunity to secure a spot in the top two if they win and Waicol lose.
The teams who finish in the top two get two lives once the play-offs begin, and that is something both Waicol and St Matthew’s will be striving for.
The boys’ premier 1 competition is equally tight, and Waicol got the upper hand on Rathkeale College when they beat them 3-1 on Friday night.
Waicol are sitting in fifth place on nine points – two points outside the top four.
Rathkeale are one spot behind in sixth, with seven points.
For Waicol the equation is simple – a win over third-placed Wellington College on Friday in Wellington will guarantee them a place in the top four.
For Rathkeale, the situation is more complicated.
They need to beat Tawa College and secure a bonus point for winning by five or more goals, and even then, their fate is still out of their hands.
They will also need fourth-placed Hutt International Boys’ School to lose to the top team in the competition, Paraparaumu College, and they need Waicol to lose to Wellington College.
RUGBY
The Waicol First XV scored an emphatic 41-5 win over Hutt International Boys’ School on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to give them a chance of making the semifinals.
They are sitting in fifth position, five points behind fourth-placed Wellington College.
Even if Waicol secure five points from this weekend’s match against Scots College, and Wellington College lose, Wellington College will advance to the semifinals courtesy of beating Waicol 15-7 earlier
this season.
FOOTBALL
The Waicol First XI football team finished their round robin with a 1-2 loss to Hutt International Boys’ School on Saturday.
The result means they finish in seventh spot with two wins from their seven matches, and miss out on a spot in the top four.
