St Matthew’s Abby Crawley on the ball against Wairarapa College. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
SCHOOLS ROUND-UP
CHRIS COGDALE
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RUGBY: Kallum Pike starred for Wairarapa College First XV as they secured their place in the Wellington Premier One championship.
The speedy winger crossed for five tries as Wairarapa College ran riot over Kapiti College winning their grading match 57-7.
The result means that Waicol qualify for the top division, giving the boys this weekend off before the competition starts.
Rathkeale College have had a mixed build-up for the Central North Island Championship.
Coach Stacey Grant said the loss of nearly 20 Year 13s from last season had a big impact and this year’s side would be relatively young.
Halfback Josh Matthews, centre John McKenzie, winger and captain Elijah Mapasua, No 8 Leon Tuiloma and 16-year old lock Joe Quinn, silver medal winner in the national secondary schools’ hammer throw are players that Grant expects will excel.
Rathkeale kick off their championship with a tough away trip to 2018 Co-ed Cup champions, St Peter’s Cambridge.
A highlight for Rathkeale will be their away match against Wesley College, South Auckland on June 8, which will be televised live on Sky Sport.
FOOTBALL: Wairarapa College is on track to qualify for the Wellington Premier One boys’ football championship.
After two matches, they sit in second place and with the top three teams automatically qualifying for Premier One they are well-placed to make the top division for the second consecutive year.
A 2-2 draw with St Patrick’s, Wellington, kicked off their campaign, followed by an 8-0 thumping of Hutt Valley High School.
Star for Waicol was striker Jackson Burling, who has scored six goals in the first two games, two against St Pat’s and four against HVHS. Brodie Dick also bagged a hat-trick in the win over HVHS. Remarkably, Dick scored his three goals after replacing Burling for the final 30 minutes.
The team face their toughest challenge of the qualifying round on Saturday when they are away to group leaders Hutt International Boys School, who have scored 18 goals without conceding any.
HOCKEY: Wairarapa College and Rathkeale College share the lead in the qualifying round for the Wellington secondary schoolboys’ Premier One division.
Rathkeale thrashed Onslow College 6-0 and Waicol had a comprehensive 6-1 win over Onslow last Friday to retain their unbeaten records.
Waicol are best placed in the girls Division One qualifying, unbeaten and in second place after a 4-1 win over Paraparaumu College. They meet third-placed Samuel Marsden Collegiate tonight.
Defending champions St Matthew’s Collegiate had a slow start to the season with a loss to Waicol and a 2-2 draw with Samuel Marsden last Friday.
Forgot rathkeale football existed and they drew with hibs who smashed wai col 5-1