The eighth annual awards for Netball bay of Plenty saw the largest gathering ever at a with 330 people sharing in what was a fantastic celebration of the achievements in the game.
Allan Rudkin of Mount New World picked up on the vsions, values, and key directions of the Region, "these are what every good business needs and here they all are written so clearly for us all to see tonight and take away with us. What tonight is about is commitment, the commitment that people make to this sport which is quite outstanding and we at New World would like to congratulate all of the finalists and winners."
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The Perry Foundation National Netball Champs are over for another year and as the 12 Regions reflect on the merits of the new format for First Grade they also need to consider this in light of the Netball New Zealand Draft Strategic Plan. For some the benefits have been having games at home while for others the cost of having a team travel has been financial strain. However, no matter what comes out of the much needed debate it is clear that the Finals week at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre was a tremendous success.
While the building itself helps with the running of events there is little doubt that the people who run this venue are a class act. The customer focus is a lesson to many and it is they who should take a bow around the success of this event.
Southland's win was a history maker and Colin Meads speech at the presentations was a bold one in a predominantly female setting. The most moving moment for many was the handover of the Turuturu Tapu by Bay of Plenty Gold captains, Tanya Lund & Ursula (Billy) Pritchard to Wendy Telfer the captain of Southland which was supported by the most beautiful waiata sung by both Bay of Plenty Teams. The silence and respect accorded the waiata was spine tingling.
The Teams' Dinner was a great way to end the week and brought everyone together even if briefly before the teams moved onto party. It is the special moments that make an event and this one had many from start to finish.Well done to Netball New Zealand staff; the Mayor of Rotorua Kevin Winters and the team at the REEC; the volunteers from around the Bay of Plenty and in particular Rotorua; and the Netball Bay of Plenty Staff. Together you created a wonderful event.
The Bay of Plenty Gold side were so disappointed with their performance against a fired up Wellington that they apolgised to their supporters. "We were gutted that we did not play at the level that we are capable of and so we are going home to sort this out before tomorrow," said Coach Andrew Jarvie.
The 55 to 46 loss has now stopped the Bay side having a second crack at Canterbury and so play the promotion relegation game. The Bay of Plenty Blue Team while not winning gave the Waikato Premier Team a solid work out in the first half o their game. "This is great for these youngsters who will take a huge amount of learning from this, the 58 to 41 loss is not ideal."
The Bay of Plenty Blue Team played well against Auckland Waitakere 2 and the score 66 to 47 was not a true reflection of the team performance. Faced with an injury during the match to defender Shayla Reihana coach Kimiora Insley found herself without two of her key defenders. "We started the campaign without Amy Christophers to a stress fracture and now we have lost Jaylene and Shayla - all of our GK's but it is good to see these young players get the chance to step up."
Netball Bay of Plenty Board members who reside in Rotorua have taken time to come and support the Blue Team in their early week matches. "It is such a shame that they have lost one of their senior players to injury but they played some good stuff," said David Cutfield.He and Sue Winters enjoyed the match with the Netball Bay of Plenty supporters behind them.
For all information about results go to the Perry Foundation entrance on the home page.
Bay of Plenty Gold rose to the occasion against Canterbury which has a number of Tactix players. The goal for goal game saw the Bay not loose touch with the red and blacks until the dying moments when they pushed on to win by four.
Co captains, Tanya Lund and Ursula Pritchard both echoed the same words "we could have won that!" Shooters Arahi Wall and Tanya Lund stood up well to the well recognised Canterbury defenders.
This is an exciting time for the team who played well and could have done with this kind of competition each week to see if they had closed the gap on 2008. "Each year we have narrowed the margins against the sides with National Bank/ANZ Champ players and this is a great measure for us. We c an see how far we have come with the programmes we run and the structure that we operate," said CEO Sheryl Dawson.
The Bay of Plenty Gold team had a superb first half against Counties Manukau once the team settled into its work. Within the first five minutes the team started trying different approaches on attack and on defence. Like the Silver Ferns defenders Ursula Pritchard and Emma Mc George went hunting outside their normal domain and came up with some good ball but then also saw some reach their oposition shooters with ease. The midcourt settled into a varied approach that saw Elias Shadrock driving effectively through the centre third as Wing Defence or Tanya Lund as GA and Angela Williams as WA driving towards the defence. It was good to see the strong movement even if at times neither team took their feet all the way to the ball.
In the shooting circle Tanya Lund sunk 30 out of 45 shots willingly shooting from anywhere even if under close defensive scrutiny while Lee Bartlett kept close to the goal, shooting 26 out of 31.
The second quarter saw the Gold side put on a clever display of strong passing and movement and so won that quarter 21 to 9. The changes came in the second half with the bench all getting their chance to stake a claim. Erena Mikaere showed some clever work on defense while Laurelle Borck WD and Ezra Tocker Centre took time to settle.
"It was good to see Andrew Jarvie Trotter testing the different combinations out on court and even more impressive to think that Melissa Ruru, a policewoman in Rotorua finished her shift and came directly to Papakura to play for her team without any sleep,"said CEO Sheryl Dawson. "We are impressed with the way that the team has handled the loss of Sharmaine Bunting to an achilles injury; Elias Shadrock to the NZ Under 21 Team in Round Two; and Arahi Wall away on professional development this weekend."
The Bay of Plenty Gold team wore black armbands for team mate Erena Mikaere who had lost her Koro during the week.
The Bay of Plenty Gold Team were back on the road again this weekend, flying off to Blenheim the team were without their nippy WA Sharmaine Bunting who had done her achilles at practice earlier in the week. "I am just so disappointed because I was really enjoying being part of this team," said Sharmaine at the Tauranga Airport. There on her crutches to see the team off to the Round Two match against Tasman it was apparent that she was not the only player who was disappointed.(The photo captures the team off for their round match against Eastern.A)
The match against Tasman saw a high scoring game that ended in a 64 to 48 to the Bay. Coach Andrew Jarvie continued with the philosophy of giving all team members the chance for valuable court time. Lee Bartlett got her first opportunity to play two quarters one as GA & the other as GS. Scoring 15 out of her 16 shots she secured a 94% shooting average. Arahi Wall continues to shoot consistently with 31 out of 34 (91%) and Tanya Lund (18 out of 24 - 75%) who played three quarters continues to put up the long shots and work the circle.
Defensively the team work hard and there are a number of options in the midcourt. Elias Shadrock was on NZ Under 21 duty and so this gave Laurelle Borck the chance to move back into the Centre role for some of the game from WD.
"We are still making those unnecessary errors and we need to work on this if we are going to reach the heights we are capable of," said Andrew Jarvie.
Who would have picked a school with 20 students to select from to be playing in the NZ AIMS Final against the Cambridge Middle School? Taneatua had been the quiet achievers all week. Playing strongly as a team with lots of urging from the sideline even they were surprised to find themselves playing off for the number one spot. One youngster was overheard saying when they won their semi - "what does this mean?" The reply from an overjoyed team mate was "we are going to be playing for first!" The reply was "that means we can come second - yahoo!"
After a nervous start Taneatua found themselves down three nil but their never give up approach and absolute commitiment to the team saw the final quarter end at 7 all. By half time they had a two goal advantage at 13 - 11 and then pushed this out to 19 - 15 by the third quarter. Cambridge thre everything at the last quarter and came within two goals but undaunted the Taneatua team playing in shorts and tops kept on with treasuring the ball and so won 30 to 25 in a Herculean effort.
Their Eastern Bay sisters Kawerau Intermediate provided the impromptu haka in response to the win. This silenced the cheering crowd who stood in awe of the amazing response to the win.
The Bay of Plenty Gold Team began their campaign for the Perry Foundation National Netball Championships with a two goal win against Eastern (a combination of Poverty Bay and Hawkes Bay 58 to 56. Coach Andrew Jarvie was delighted that he was able to give 11 of his 12 players a chance to test themselves on court. "The number of unforced errors is of concern but it is certainly something we can fix,"said Andre Jarvie. The team were pleased with their execution of the game plan and now the challenge will be to eliminate the inaccurracies and get off to a stronger start when they play Tasman in their next outing in Blenheim.
GA Tanya Lund (78%)and GS Arahi Wall (92%) combined well in the goal cirlce while a number of other combinations were tersted in the midcourt and the defence. "It was great to get Ezra Tocker back on court following her injury and Elias who has been battling injury for several months also had a good run," said Jarvie. The team really came home in the final quarter to take the win after trailling for most of the game.
There were 90 schools competing in the week long event that draws on teams from the top of the North Island down to Taupo. 13 Secondary Schools from the Netball Bay of Plenty Region went vying for the best that they could be in their Divisions.
By the end of the week three players were chosen in the Tournament Team - Kimberley Maisey Tauranga Girls College; Kiwi Bianca McLeod Ohia Mount Maunganui College; and Harley Smith Trident high School. Bianca and Harley were named shooters of Division B & C respectively.This in itself is an achievement for these players and their teams.
The four teams in the A Grade - Western Heights, Tauranga Girls, Otumoetai and Rotorua Girls found the going tough while in the B Grade Mount College made the semi finals. Katikati, Te Puke and Bethlehem all had good games but achieveing consisitency was what challenged them all.
In the C Grade Trident and Reporoa both made the semi finals.
The First National Baywide Secondary Schools and the First National Baywide Year 7 & 8 Events were exciting to watch this year as teams tested themselves against each other often in closely fought contests. While there was no changing of champions in the Secondary School Tournament with Western Heights winning and Mount College taking the runners up position the teams were not only put to the test by their opposition but also the weather. The annual First National Baywide Secondary Schools serves as preparation for the Upper North Island Secondary Schools Tournament and this year provided a lot more than just the games on court with hail and rain. Otumoetai College and Western Heights High School will be without their New Zealand Secondary Schools player's Elias Shadrock and Amy Christophers for the UNISS event because of injury.
The First National Year 7 & 8 Baywide was played in good conditions at the Whakatane Netball Centre and this years event saw new teams emerge as winners. The Tauranga Intermediate Vipers have taken a very determined approach to their preparation as a team for the NZ AIMS Tournament which rounds out the year. First National Baywide was the next step along the pathway after winning the Harbourside Netball Centre Year 9 Elite Division. Runners up were last years champions Te Puke Intermediate who looked to have the skills that will help in the week long NZ AIMS Tournament. It was also exciting to see Te Urewera finish with a bronze medal in this very demanding division.
The Cornerstone GA emerged as the pick of the day from each match. Playing some of the best netball of her career Rachel sustained an 83% average over the two demandng games of the day. The team of 6 who were making the choices felt her court play was tireless and her shooting accuracy set her apart from her peers.
The First National Finals that see semi finals and finals played on the same day continues to grow in stature as an event.
The First National Championship Final saw an outstanding match between Horizon Builders Tamatoa and Cornerstone that had the reasonable crowd cheering loudly for quality plays by both sides. The first quarter saw Tamatoa get off to a strong start with four unanswered goals before Cornerstone scored a goal. A five goal gap half way through the quarter had to be pegged back by Cornerstone if they were going to stay in the very physical and fast paced match and so at the end of the first quarter the 16 to 14 score in favour of the men showed that there was more drame to come. Rachel Donnelly and Lee Bartlett worked tirelessly in the shooting circle while Billy Pritchard and Sonia Donnelly were looking for every defensive advantage that they could find. This seemed to be all to no avail with Tamatoa going to the half time break with an 8 goal gap.
The third quarter was all Cornerstone and they began to look unstoppable going into the fourth quarter 43 to 41. The midcourt of Ezra Tocker, Helena Holt and Louise Moffat shortened the passes and controlled the ball more effectively through the court. The final quarter saw a strong start from Cornerstone before Tamatoa stormed back in the final five minutes with a run of 7 goals enough to take the match by one goal at 54 to 53.
The First National Final for the bronze medal betweeen Te Teko Pumaz and Whakarewarewa Valley was no different. The Rotorua side led by 4 at the end of the first quarter 15 to 11. However, by half time the scores were locked at 24 all with the Whaka shooters struggling to find the goal unlike their Te Teko counterparts. The third quarter seemed to be pointing to a Whaka win with their shooters Annabelle Aston and Melissa Ruru finding greater accuracy scoring 10 out of 11 shots than the Te Teko shooters who only managed to sink 8 out of 20.
The final quarter saw the master Tamaku Paul work tirelessly in the midcourt and help stem the flow of ball to the Whaka shooters. The 44 to 43 win to Teko Pumaz completed the changing of the guard for 2008. All three place getters have not had podium finishes before.
The First National Plate saw a game of changing fortunes between Ngongotaha Premier and Maheatataka. Last years champions got off to a slow start but held the Ngongotaha side out to lead by one goal at the end of the first quarter 17 to 16. The second quarter saw a resurgent Rotorua side who turned the tables to be one goal up at 31 to 30 at the end of the first half and by the end of the third quarter Ngongotaha had a two goal advantage 46 to 44. Aroha Taipeti playing GA urged her team on by covering two thirds of the court so effectively. She fed daughter Pani at GS extremely well and the Maheatataka defence began to struggle with the almost uncanny connection between mother and daughter.
The final quarter saw Maheatataka dig deep and become much more composed in their play while Ngongotaha gradually lost the structure that they had built in the previous two quarters allowing errors to creep into their game.
Maheatataka pushed on to win 63 to 58. MMC AMP'T Electrical were the bronze medallists in the plate.
The First National Finals Day Championship Draw sees three new sides vying to be the First National Baywide Champions for 2008. There has been a great deal of talk about the Horizon Builders Tamatoa team competing in the event but there is no doubt that they have added an edge to the competition that will stand some of the players going onto represent the region at the New Zealand Championships in good stead.Cornerstone have played hard to be in the number two position and the question is now how they will fare on First National Finals Day in the semi against the ever improving Te Teko Pumaz side who finished third.
Whakarewarewa Valley were very much focussed on their clash with old foes Maheatataka to ensure that they had a top four berth and secured the win they needed. Maheatataka were unfortunate not to have the services of Arahi Wall Assistant Coach Manager of the NBOP Under 21 and several of their younger away at the NNZ Age Group Championships while Whakarewarewa did not have Erena Mikaere.
The First National Plate Finals will see Maheatataka, Ngongotaha Encore & Premier and MMCC AMP'T Electircal.
Teresa Dobbs Coach of the Under 19 side was extremely disappointed to lose Harley Smith before the event had started to a broken arm sustained on her Volleyball trip to Australia last week. "Harley has played a key role in our lead up to the event and now to learn the night before we leave is a real blow, but we will just get on with who we have and re think our previous plans."
The Under 21 Team played two excellent matches in their first outing in the Under 21 Division of the NZ Age Group Championships in Hamilton. "Our game against Otago was a good game and we showed we could foot it with the older and experienced side for most of the match but we do need to beliove in ourselves. The 43 to 30 loss to Canterbury was such an awesome game for us. We were leading right up until half time and it was small errors that cost us and it was such a shame to lose midcourter Awhina Savage to a broken finger," said Coach Billy Pritchard.
The Te Teko Pumaz have huge determination when it comes to this years First National Baywide Open and playing at home they have managed to use the advantage to defeat those who have normally trounced them before. The Round Six match against Whakarewarewa Valley was no exception and there is no doubt that the Rotorua side would have been disappointed with their loss by 7 goals 52 to 45 so there was not even a bonus point on offer. This now means that Maheatataka have managed to look more like being a top four side.
Maheatataka are still struggling with combinations and only came home to win by one goal 66 to 65 against Ngongotaha Premier in the latter stages of the game. However, these three points along with their one point for within five have helped them to move into fourth with the game to come against Whakarewarewa Valley next week.
Other results saw Horizon Builders Tamatoa contine to dominate with a convincing 65 to 22 win over MMC AMP'T Electrical. Cornerstone beat Ngongotaha Encore 65 to 31.
The 5 Netball Bay of Plenty Teams competing at the Under 17 Event in Wanganui and the Under 15 Event in Taranaki have had mixed results. At the Under 17 Tournament the BOP Gold team have found the extremely cold conditions challenging. Disappointed not to make the top twelve in the A Grade in the cut throat draw they have still had some excellent performances. A close win over Hutt valley compensated for the big loss to Wellington Black. The other two teams, Red and Blue have both finished in the top 12 of the B grade which is pleasing. Blue have found this position tougher than Red who had a good win over Taupo.
In Taranaki the Under 15 team results will emerge over the next day.
Round Five of the First National Baywide threw up a major surprise with long time winners Maheatataka losing to Te Teko Pumaz 63 to 54. Maheatataka failed to make the best use of their own ball and the crafty Whakatane side capitalised on this making sure that the former champions were punished with by scoring off the ball won. This now puts huge pressure on the Maheatataka team trying to win a place in the top four for the First National Championship Finals. Te Teko Pumaz have fared well at home but will need to beat Wkarewarewa Valley and Ngongotaha Premier to seal a spot in the top grouping.
In Rotorua Whakarewarewa Valley and MMCC AMP'T Electrical both had comfortable wins. Whaka defeating old rivals Ngongotaha Premier 54 to 38 and the Mount side defeated Ngongotaha Encore 50 to 38.
The top of the table clash did not come alive until the fourth quarter when Cornerstone finally found the best game plan to out with Horizon Builders Tamatoa but it was too late. The 10 goal first quarter blow out was narrowed to 7 goals and so Tamatoa won 50 to 43.
The First National Baywide Open Bench Officials enjoy the challenges that the games bring to their roles. Allison Gray, Marion Dalgety and Joan Bathe-Taylor are captured here preparing for the Maheatataka versus Cornerstone Match.
There are six of the First National Bench Officials from the Bay of Plenty willingly giving up a week to be at the NNZ Age Group Championships in Hamilton. "We are as proud of these people as we are of our teams and umpires who attend these events,"said CEO Sheryl Dawson. "They have worked hard to achieve accreditation and do a superb job not only for the Region but also for the ANZ Championships."
While the coaches give their messages to the players at quarter and half time Netball Bay of Plenty's First National Umpire Panel Leader, Pam Clayton is also working with the umpires. "I do not give them technical advice during the game but often a question around movement and positioning is enough to help them get on with their role much more effectively. The technical advice comes at the end of the match."
Arising out of discussions around umpiring at the First National Baywide Open and what has occurred with the application of the substitution rule and approaching umpires for rule clarifications in particular a series of protocols will be developed for teams to help them be more effective in their management of a number of areas around the game. A Team Feedback form on umpire performance is being considered as part of the ongoing approach of working together.
The good crowd at Aquinas College saw a game of changing fortunes in Round Four of the First National Baywide Open. Cornerstone looked gone for all money at the end of the first quarter. The inaccurate passes and high number of errors had cost them dearly and Maheatataka had capitalised on this to lead 18 to 10 going into the second quarter. At half time most present felt that Maheatataka had the game sewn up with their 8 goal lead but Cornerstone finished the half knowing that they had not let the score blow out any further. With the rallying cry 'lift it' they began the third quarter with a determination to close the gap. Passing became more accurate and the shooters Hikitia Gallagher and Lee Bartlett began to work much more effectively with the players on the edge of the circle. In defence Amy Christophers, Billy Pritchard & Sonia Donnelly kept increasing the pressure on the accurate Maheatataka shooters Arahi Wall and Shelley Harawira. The crowd became more animated as the game went on and by the end of the third quarter the gap had closed to three with Maheataka leading 47 to 44.
The final quarter saw the score see saw and Cornerstone gradually take control in the dying moments. The 60 to 58 win to Cornerstone now puts the pressure on Maheatataka if they wish to be in the top four come finals day.
Other results
Ngongotaha Premier 53 to Ngongotaha Encore 35
Whakarewarewa Valley had a win by default when MMCC AMP'T Electrical defaulted because of illness.
Horizon Builders Tamatoa 58 to Te Teko Pumaz 47
The 7 Netball Bay of Plenty Representative Teams are getting closer to their first away event in Hamilton on June 29th. Coaches have been working their players towards this one and only opportunity prior to their respective age group events.
"The BOP Under 21 team is coming together well but injuries are impacting on our trainings at present. It will be great to have all players fit and ready to go for that day so that we can then see what we have to do between then and the NNZ Age Groups,"said Coach Billy Pritchard.
The matches of the third round of the First National Baywide League saw two of the table topping teams suffer their first defeats. Horizon Builders Tamatoa defeated Maheatataka in a match that saw last years champions Maheatataka struggling with their playing combinations in such a critical match. The 63 to 58 win to the Tamatoa side was well deserved but it is clear that if Maheatataka wish to be top again they are going to need to sort out their team line ups and changes going forward.
The Cornerstone versus Te Teko Pumaz was locked at 16 all at the end of the first quarter in what was the match of the round. The second quarter saw Cornerstone emerge with a 6 goal lead (36 to 30) going into the second half of the match. The third quarter saw a strong fight back by the home team Te Teko Pumaz with Cornerstone adding one goal to their six goal lead to go into the final quarter 50 to 43. The final quarter saw Te Teko exert more and more prssure but in the end while winning that quarter 16 to 15 it was not enough to close the gap and Cornerstone won 65 to 59.
Whakarewarewa Valley found their winning form against the lower ranked Ngongotaha Encore winning 79 to 23 while Ngongotaha Premier defeated a depleted MMCC AMP'T Electrical 57 to 30.
The second round of the First National Baywide saw an upset, two hard fought wins and the gap between top seed and bottom seed was larger then anticpated because of injuries.
Maheatataka found an injury ridden MMCC AMP'T Electrical easier than anticpated and so were able to give all eleven players the chance tgo put their hands up for the next round. The young Mount side found themselves down by 6 goals at the end of the first quarter but fought hard during the second quarter to not allow the 6 goal deficit to be extended. However, experience saw Maheatataka take control in the second half and they pushed on to win 70 to 51.
The game of the round again featured Whakarewarewa Valley.Locked at 12 all with Cornerstone at the end of the first quarter Whaka made 4 changes to their line up in the second quarter and this saw Cornerstone push out to a 6 goal lead, 28 to 22 athalf time. Thre key changes were made going into the third - Elias Shadrock was movbed to GD after playing WD and GK; Jaylene Tamati moved back to her more familiar role of GK and Pauline Craven moved from GD to WD. This managed to stem the flow but did not close the gap and Cornerstone who were playing consistently pushed out to an 8 goal lead which they held until the final whistle winning 53 to 45.
Other results saw Te Teko Pumaz defeat Ngongotaha Encore win 71 to 30 and Horizon Builders Tamatoa win 65 to 42 over Ngongotaha Premier.
A very captive audience of Netball Bay of Plenty Under 15, 17 & 19 representative players and their parents were delighted to see what is possible for players to aspire to on the way to the top.
NNZ Secondary Schools captain Elias Shadrock said "it is true that winning feeling is just so good." Fresh from winning the Trans Tasman Secondary Schools Event in Adelaide the new representative players were treated to hearing about the New Zealand teams experience along with the other team member from the Bay of Plenty, Amy Christophers, who claimed that "she was surprised with the amount of court time that she had." Runners up at the event were the Aotearoa Team and Kiwi Bianca McLeod Ohia explained "how good it was to come second by beating the Australian Team." These comments were endorsed by Harley Smith who was also awarded the Player of the Aotearoa Team for the series. This was an extremely proud moment for all to be part of and a great way to launch the representative season.
The first round of the First National Baywide got off to an exciting start for the eight teams at the Mount Action Centre. The only upset was Whakarewarewa Valley losing to Horizon Builders Tamatoa 52 to 44 in what was the show piece game of the night. Whaka got off to a great start, looking strong and positive onto the balland so ended the first quarter leading 15 to 12 by playing more controlled netball. However, Tamatoa came back and began to settle into their rythmn in the second quarter and led by two at half time 25 to 23. Whaka had a disappointing performance in the game killing third quarter seeing Tamatoa increase their lead by 13 goals. The fourth quarter fight back by Whaka narrowed the final gap to eight but in a game of changing fortunes it was too late to come any closer and so Tamatoa won 52 to 44.
Other results -
Maheatataka 78 Ngongotaha Encore 27
Cornerstone 67 Ngongotaha Premiers 39
Te Teko Pumaz 70 MMC AMP'T Electrical 42
The First National Baywide Open will see 8 teams play over seven weeks prior to the First National Finals Day on July 19th. For the first time in the Region a men's team will contest for top honours. "When you play in a competition you want to win and this gives the team the chance to contest for the honour of being the First National Baywide Champions. Netball is a game of skill and the men's team is looking forward to playing in this league," said Nicky Dobbs.
The move to a full pool play round was made possible by the 8 quality sides who have entered and with the opening round in Tauranga at the Mount Action Centre on Tuesday June 3rd it will be exciting to see who sets the scene for the First national Baywide in 2008.
Rotorua Girls High School were the stand out perfomers in the First National Baywide Under 15 Event this year. No other team came close to the young but talented group who showed strength and poise beyond their years in the competiton over the two weekends. Winning all of their matches by 20 plus goal margins is a reflection of the experience that some of the players have gained from playing in their school A side. Runners up Otumoetai College Crusaders lost 44 to 21 in the final after a patchy performance against Opotiki earlier in the day. Opotiki defeated Mount Maunganui College Tuis 26 to 23 to take third place. Winners of the Division One B Grade were Aquinas 10 Gold with Otumoetai College Warriors runners up and Mount Maunganui Kiwis third.
In Division Two in the A Grade Tauranga Girls College 9A were winners over Otumoetai College 9A with Trident 2 finishing third. Tauranga Girls 9C defeated Bethlehem College 10A to win this grade with Mount Maunganui College Silver finisihing third.
The First National Baywide Under 15 got off to a great start at the Harbourside Netball Centre and the Finals will be played at Whakatane this weekend. "The standard of play was a step up on last year and it was great to see some of the Under 15 players in their schools top sides playing among their peers and adding strength to their schools teams,"said Tanya Lund.
The teams to emerge in Division One after Day One of the First National Event were Otumoetai College Crusaders, Mount Maunganui Tuis, and Rotorua Girls High School with Trident 1 and Opotiki not far behind.
Division Two saw Tauranga Girls & Otumoetai 9A sitting at the top of their sections with Trident 2 and Mount Maunganui Gold not too far away.
Sport Bay of Plenty divide the Region into Central, Western & Eastern for the purposes of the monthly ASB Secondary School Awards and netball has scooped two awards in the Sports Girl of the Month category, one in the east and one in the west. Harley Smith of Trident High School was recognised for her selection into the Aotearoa Team and the NBOP Under 21 Team. Amy Christophers of Otumoetai College was recognised for her selection into the NBOP Under 21 team with Harley and her success in making the NZ Secondary School Team.
"Netball Bay of Plenty is delighted that both have received these awards because they are most deserving," said Katie Simmons, Coach Force.
Elias Shadrock and Amy Christophers are beginning to get very excited about being at the Trans Tasman Secondary School Tournament being held in Adelaide at the end of May. Kiwi Bianca McLeod Ohia and Harley Smith will be playing in the Aotearoa Team at the same event and are just are delighted to have two of their representative team mates at the same event. For Bianca and Elais it is their second year and for Amy and harley it is their first year at this annual event. "We will be training when we get there but we do have things that we need to be doing now in preparation,"said Amy who was busy training with her NBOP Under 21 Team.All four were wished well by the 5 age group teams at the annual Development Day.
7 May
The pressure is on the older players at each of the age group levels to perform as many of their younger counterparts put their hands up for selection in the Bay of plenty Age Group Teams. The Coaches have been challenged to think about the guiding principles used by the region around younger players which include they can play beyond their year level provided that they are seen as getting significant court time.
Under 19 Coach Teresa Dobbs has yet to reduce her squad to the final 12 for the Netball New Zealand Age Group Championships to be held in Hamilton. There will be a number of surprises in this side which will see a balance of experience along with some younger players who have risen quickly through the age group ranks. “I want players who are willing to work hard and be committed to the team and their programme,” said Dobbs.
The Under 17 Gold Team presented even greater difficulties for Carleza Patuawa who will need to trim her squad mid week from 16 to 10 or 11 so that the final team is ready for the development day on this weekend.
1st May 2008
An Under 21 team has not been selected in the Bay of Plenty since 2001because there have not been enough quality players to form a core that do not fall into the Under 19 age group. The move to have an Under 21 Team is a decision that has not been taken lightly by the Board and the Staff.
“We not only wanted to be assured that we had the right team management in place but we also wanted to be sure that there was a strong player in each third of the court,” said CEO Sheryl Dawson. “The good thing is that we have more than the expected number of good players above the Under 19 level and with two players in the NZ Under 21 Squad we want them to be tested in a tougher competitive environment.”
Coach of the team, Ursula (Billy) Pritchard brings not only her international playing experience for Wales but also her Netball Development Officer coaching experience. Arahi Wall will be the Assistant Coach Manager of the team adding strength the shooting/attacking coaching plan for the team.
“We have been very fortunate to draw these two together to coach this side,” said Coach Development Manager Kimiora Insley. “Both players have been in teams where the expectations and levels of intensity require so much more of players.”
Pritchard is delighted with the group and is very much looking forward to drawing them together and getting the best out of them over the coming weeks. There are also a number of players who can move between defense and midcourt and the shooting end and the midcourt.
There have been 11 players announced to date with one further player under consideration.
Defenders
Amy Christophers (Otumoetai College), Ashley Clark (Western Heights High School), Erena Mikaere (Whaka Club)
Midcourt
Ihimana Herewini (Poroporo Club), Rebecca Love, Claudia Salvador,
Awhina Savage (Tauranga Girls), Elias Shadrock (Western Heights High School)
Shooters
Patricia Iasona (Rotorua Girls High), Shivonne Kutia (Maheatataka Club), Kiwi Bianca Ohia McLeod (Mount College)
The Captain of the newly named New Zealand Secondary Schools Team to compete at the Trans Tasman Secondary Schools at the end of May in Adelaide is Western Heights Head Girl Elias Shadrock. Elias has just finished playing in the Bay of Plenty Team who finished second in the Lois Muir Challenge. Having played as a circle defence up until this year the talented young player has made an excellent transition into the midcourt where she is seen to have a brighter future. Joining Elias in the New Zealand Secondary School side is tall and lean defender Amy Christophers of Otumoetai College who rose to prominence last year after being selected in the Tournament Team at the Under 17’s.
“These young women have worked hard to win their positions in this team and to have two players in this side and Harley Smith from Trident High School competing at the same event in the Aotearoa Team is just so fantastic for others in the Region to see what can be achieved by players from the bay of Plenty,” said Board Chair, Jan Barber.
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
17 April 2008
The Netball Bay of Plenty Team competing in the Lois Muir Challenge struck a glitch after getting off to a great start in Christchurch. “We played just so well against Cook Strait and Southland both of who are strong sides to win by 10 and 11 goals,” said Billy Pritchard, “but then we went on to lose by four goals to Auckland Waitakere. We lost that game because we just did not come together well enough and play the way we can and should. We now need to win every game.”
The Lois Muir Challenge has provided the two NZ Under 21 Squad players in the region with the chance to extend their playing capability. Elias Shadrock is being encouraged to move into the centre court for the future and has made a good showing as a Centre and a Wing Defence.
18 Jan 2008
"The coaches for the group, Rangi Ward and Mayleen Tukaokao, found the age level quite demanding from a coaches perspective because there is still a lot of correctional work to be done with the players in so many areas."
"We were very fortunate to have Ursula (Billy) Pritchard, the Welsh Captain, for the recent World Champs for the defenders, Laurelle Borck for the mid courters and Tanya Lund for the shooters."
The Advanced Camp draws on those players who have had some representative experience particularly at the Under 15 level. The next camp will be the Centre Pass Summer Camp held in the last week of January for the younger players.
14 Jan 2008
The first sessions were demanding and the players got into them with great gusto. Tackle bags, bullrush and constant movement were all part of the first afternoons activities. Kerry Heitia led the session that followed the powhiri held at the Hunghungatoroa Marae earlier on the Sunday.
Katie Simmons has put together a programme full of variety and with has used some of the talented players as coaches. Tanya Lund, Ursula Pritchard, Laurelle Borck, Arahi Wall and Debbie Fuller (Matoe) are all part of the mix. Sophie Schuler will be running a beach session with the group.
12 Dec 2007
ANZ Championship General Manager Tony Holding says that fans will have the opportunity to see some exciting match ups right from the start of the competition.
"We've taken into account everything from venue availability to scheduling times, and we believe that we've got a balanced draw that will enable fans to follow their teams closely," he said. "With all teams having a minimum of six home games, including at least two against Australian teams, teams will be able to have a stronger presence in their communities than ever."
In New Zealand, all 69 games over 17 weeks will be broadcast on Sky Sport. SKY's Executive Producer of Netball, Tui McKendrick says that SKY Sport is delighted to present the ANZ Championship in New Zealand and we will ensure the sport gets the coverage it deserves as this country's most popular women's sport, with all games screening LIVE." "Not only will fans get up close and personal with the teams, individual players and coaches, but our experienced Netball Commentary team will provide a fresh look at the game, with interesting background items and behind-the scenes preparations throughout the 17 weeks of the championship, she said.
"With their wealth of personal experience, will be ensuring that our coverage will be as interesting and exciting to newcomers as well as steadfast fans," said Ms McKendrick.
About the ANZ Championship
COMPETITION NAME: ANZ Championship
SEASON: April - July 2008
NUMBER OF GAMES: 69 matches over 17 weeks
MATCH DAYS: Saturday afternoons, Sunday afternoons,
Monday nights
FINALS SERIES: Three weeks - Two semi-finals, preliminary final
and Grand Final
WEBSITE: www.anzchampionship.com
TEAMS: 5 from Australia, 5 from New Zealand
DRAW:
- 69 matches over 17 weeks from April to July 2008
- Each team hosts 6 or 7 home games
- Each team gets one bye weekend
- Australian teams play each other twice and New Zealand teams once
- New Zealand teams play each other twice and Australian teams once
- There will be 2-3 NZ team home games per round, with one every - Monday
- New Zealand teams will feature in a game every Saturday afternoon - and Monday evening
MATCH TIMES:
- 4 or 5 matches per week across Australia and New Zealand
- Saturday afternoons, Sunday afternoons and Monday nights
Coverage of all matches on FOX Sports in Australia and SKY
Sport in New Zealand
SPONSORSHIP: ANZ has signed on as the Naming Rights Sponsorship in what is believed to be the largest sponsorship of women's sport in Australasia.
HISTORY: Prior to the introduction of the ANZ Championship there were two domestic National Leagues in each of Australia and New Zealand:
- The National Bank Cup - New Zealand
- Commonwealth Bank Trophy - Australia
About SKY Television
SKY Television (SKY), broadcasts in more than 45% of New Zealand homes via a terrestrial UHF and a digital satellite network and is New Zealand's pre-eminent Pay Television operator, offering a wide range of sports, movies, music, on-demand and general content across more than 100 channels. SKY's channel line-up includes 7 sports channels, 6 movie channels, 7 general entertainment channels, 5 documentary channels, 5 news channels, 4 children's channels, as well as other niche channels. (As of 17 August 2007, SKY had 714,664 subscribers). SKY launched as a three-channel UHF service in 1990, with two further channels added four years later. SKY's UHF signal reaches more than 83% of the country's 1.5 million households. In December 1998 SKY launched a digital satellite service, extending its reach to the whole country.
SKY also offers pay-per-view movies, live events and interactive services including Skybet, the Weather Channel, and games channels Mind Games and Playin' TV. With the establishment of a new on line DVD rental service and in December 2005, the launch of MY SKY, a new set top box incorporating a personal video recorder, SKY is positioned to bring New Zealand viewers even more entertainment options.
On 8 February 2006, SKY completed the purchase of the New Zealand television business of PRIME Television Ltd. The acquisition of a free-to-air channel gives SKY the opportunity to showcase its channels and programmes whilst ensuring that New Zealand consumers can view delayed free-to-air sports programmes such as rugby, rugby league and cricket in primetime.
For further information, please visit SKY's web site at www.skytv.co.nz
27 Nov 2007
"If this is the feeling we have now imagine what 2008 will be like." There was no doubting that the intent of the Centres is to raise the bar even further when it comes to events, programmes and development. There is a sense of pride about being innovative or enhancing what is currently being done whether it be in the smallest of the Centres or the largest.
However, one idea that has gained momentum will see Coaches & Umpires all become Individual Members of NBOP so that the information flow continues to reach more people more often.
12 Nov 2007
The Scotland Team found some of the umpire rulings and the more physical approach to netball that has evolved in the southern hemisphere a real wake up call as part of their final preparations. For the Bay of Plenty players the challenge was playing well enough to be selected for the Magic Trials to be held at the beginning of December. "It is always hard to play to the level of expectation in such games from a coaches point of view but there was some good play out there tonight from a number of the players."
The link with the northern hemisphere will continue when following WNC' 07 the captain of Wales Ursula Pritchard will move to Tauranga with her husband to live.
31 Oct 2007
The Open category sponsored by Logotech saw Elias Shadrock win the Netballer of the Year, Leonie Belk win Coach of the Year and Wendy Sinclair win Umpire of the Year. Leonie Belk proved to be a surprise for some present, however, the judges felt that the winning of the NZ AIMS - a national event for Year 8 teams gave her the edge. Harbourside yet again won Centre of the Year and much praise for their No Exceptions competition which was developed for the disabled.
