LOIS MUIR CHALLENGE A WINNER
28 April 2008

The final weekend of the Lois Muir Challenge in Rotorua saw games go right to the wire with Otago running out the winner following closely contested games against Bay of Plenty and Auckland Waitakere. Defeating Bay of Plenty by two goals on the Saturday 47 to 45 Otago went on, on the Sunday to win against Auckland Waitakere 51 to 47.

This event has provided opportunities for those participating to give their players the chance to play teams from other Regions in a competition that will help them prepare more effectively for the season.

You can see the younger players doing some great stuff and then the concentration goes and they discover the harsh reality of the brain not staying connected for the full 60 minutes,� said Lois, but in saying that there is some good work going on out there. Not only is this good for the players but it is giving coaches things to learn and think about and then there are the umpires who are also being given help.�

Winning coach Janine Southby was delighted with the way her young players had grown with the event and while Judy Weston of Auckland Waitakere saw her team benefiting from the differences that they encountered against each team they came up against.

The feeling was unanimous that they event should continue for all sorts of reasons.

Final Placings
1st Otago
2nd Bay of Plenty
3rd Auckland Waitakere
4th Cook Strait or Wellington Tasman
5th Waikato
6th Canterbury
7th Southland