Squash Auckland:
After a delayed start, the 2020 College Sport Auckland Squash Season is finally set to get play underway today. 64 teams from 25 schools will compete across seven different grades with matches played on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at various clubs, public facilities, and schools.
The Boys’ Premier grade looks to once again be a showdown between last season’s top two teams Auckland Grammar and Mt Albert Grammar, with both sides featuring national junior squad members. Led by NZ Junior Elite squad members Jack Conder and Mason Smales, the Mt Albert Grammar team returns with an almost identical side to the one that took out the treble in 2019, picking up the College Sport Auckland weekly and Teams Championships titles as well as the National Secondary Schools Championships. Despite losing their number one from last season in Elijah Thomas, Auckland Grammar also features a strong side including two NZ Elite squad members in the Fatialofa brothers Leo (pictured) and Apa Jr.
All up 8 teams will contest the Boys’ Premier grade. Contesting the top grade along with Auckland Grammar and Mt Albert Grammar will be Avondale College, Orewa College, Rangitoto College, St Peter’s College, Takapuna Grammar, and Westlake Boys.
The Girls Premier division features four teams with Takapuna Grammar and Mt Albert Grammar both returning to the top grade replacing Epsom Girls Grammar and St Cuthbert’s, where they are joined by defending champions Orewa College and Westlake Girls. The Westlake side sees the addition of Lucy Aspinall and Aishah Lotfy, who along with sister Myriam, Da Eun Baek, Hawon Ryu, and Anna Jowsey will make them the team to beat. Their main opposition should come in the form of Takapuna Grammar who are led by NZ Junior Girls team member Natalie Sayes, while Orewa College number one Anne Leakey returns along with a large number of new teammates to one that claimed the grade in 2019.
Matches are played from 4.15pm to 5.15pm with the Girls Premier playing on Monday afternoons, while the Boys Premier takes to the court on Wednesdays. The other divisions to be competed for are Open A Boys, Open A Girls, Open B Boys (Central East & North West divisions), Open B Girls, and Junior Boys.
In addition to the weekly competition the annual two-day College Sport Auckland Squash Team Championships has been rescheduled for 1-2 September at the National Squash Centre and North Shore Squash Club, after being postponed from its original mid-June dates. Westlake Girls and Mt Albert Grammar are the defending champions. The National Secondary School Championships will be held in Tauranga at the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre from 7-9 August.
The College Sport Auckland competition offers a special opportunity for secondary school squash players to represent their school as part of a team, with much of the sport’s competitive opportunities being individual club-based events such as Junior Interclub and Junior 1-Day tournaments.
List of schools competing in the 2020 College Sport Auckland Squash Season:
- Auckland Grammar
- Avondale College
- Baradene College
- Botany Downs Secondary College
- Dilworth School
- Elim Christian College
- Epsom Girls Grammar School
- Green Bay High School
- Howick College
- King’s College
- Lynfield College
- Macleans College
- Mt Albert Grammar School
- Onehunga High School
- Orewa College
- Rangitoto College
- Rutherford College
- Sacred Heart College
- Selwyn College
- Saint Kentigern College
- St Peter’s College
- Takapuna Grammar School
- Western Springs College
- Westlake Boys High School
- Westlake Girls High School
Week 1 Premier Fixtures (all 4.15pm start)
Girls Premier – Monday 22 June
Mt Albert vs Orewa @ North Shore Squash Club
Takapuna vs Westlake Girls @ Devonport Squash Club
Boys Premier – Wednesday 24 June
Auckland Grammar 1 vs Rangitoto @ Auckland Grammar
Westlake Boys vs Avondale @ YMCA North Shore
St Peter’s vs Orewa @ St Peter’s College
Takapuna vs Mt Albert @ Mt Albert Grammar
Click here to view draws & results