Balanced squad named for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

19 October 201819 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

New Zealand Football: New Zealand U-17 Women’s Head Coach Leon Birnie has named a balanced squad for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay next month. The 21-player squad includes Football Ferns goalkeeper Anna Leat and three other players in Gabrielle Rennie, Aneka Mittendorf and Maggie Jenkins who represented New Zealand at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in August. Birnie believes his squad will be well prepared to handle the challenge of Finland, hosts Uruguay and Ghana in the tournament that will be staged in three host cities... Read More

Tayla Earle named NZSS Netball Player of the Year

19 October 201819 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

Netball New Zealand: New Zealand Secondary School Player of the Year, Tayla Earle, believes the national tournament has been an ideal launching pad for her blossoming netball career. And the 18-year-old will find out next year just how well she is prepared for that next step when she suits up for the ANZ Premiership after gaining a contract with the SKYCITY Mystics. Her signing for next year’s elite domestic league follows three appearances at the Pita Pit NZ Secondary School Championships where she wore the blue dress of Saint Kentigern... Read More

Discus thrower Connor Bell dominates the field to take Youth Olympic Games gold

15 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

New Zealand Olympic Committee: Connor Bell once conceded he was a ‘big kid who liked to play PlayStation’ – now he is a discus Youth Olympic Games champion after completing the performance of his life. “I am absolutely stoked with how I went out there,” Bell said. “I just feel like I’ve done an awesome job, coming out here and performing in front of the world’s best and I did so well and I’m just really proud of myself.” It took two days and an average score of 133.08, from... Read More

MAGS win sixth NZSS netball title

15 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

Netball New Zealand: Mount Albert Grammar School has climbed their way back to the top of New Zealand’s secondary school dais adding to their rich history in school Netball. MAGS led from start to finish in a tough Pita Pit NZ Secondary Schools Netball Championship grand final to beat Westlake Girls’ High School 32-23 at the Southern Trust Events Centre in Timaru. Co-coach Sarah Hann said she was delighted with the final result after what had been a tough week-long tournament. MAGS comfortably reached the championship top eight but the... Read More

First ARL Gateway Programme wraps up

15 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

Auckland Rugby League: Sixteen Auckland secondary school students have this week become the first graduates of the Auckland Rugby League Growing Coaches Gateway Programme. The students came from Tamaki College, Western Springs College, Onehunga High School and Tuakau College, and had the opportunity to earn 12 NCEA credits by taking part in the programme. Across the three days, students were taught fundamentals of coaching and leadership at the Mt Albert Rugby League Club, before gaining practical coaching experience at the ARL’s Holiday Blast event held at Cornwall Park. On the... Read More

Strong start for some at Pita Pit NZSS Netball Championships

10 October 201810 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

Netball New Zealand Former champions Mount Albert Grammar School (MAGS) have made their intentions clear from the opening whistles of the Pita Pit NZ Secondary School Championships. The five-time champion school mean business after netting two emphatic wins on the first day of the national netball event at Southern Trust Events Centre in Timaru. MAGS opened its campaign in convincing style with a 56-27 victory over St Hilda’s Collegiate which it backed up later in the day by beating Villa Maria 54-28. They have kept their opponents to single digit... Read More

Rosmini romp to National Basketball title

9 October 201810 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

College Sport Media: The 50th addition of the National Secondary Schools basketball championship concluded in Palmerston North today with big wins for two powerhouse basketball schools. Rosmini College have won their third National title since 2012, going back to back for the first time. Surprise finalists St Patrick’s College, Wellington were crushed 114-62 in the final. When the score was 84-36 in the third quarter, Joseph Hylton snatched three consecutive offensive rebounds and eventually finished. The hustle by Hylton was a metaphor for Rosmini’s total dominance. Every player on the... Read More

Richie McCaw shares his top tips for success with young leaders

4 October 20183 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

Seven Sharp: There’s no question that plenty of kids look up to Richie McCaw and dream of the kind of success he’s had. So, you can imagine how stoked 800 odd secondary students were today when the man himself shared his own leadership lessons at the Kids with Character Empower Me Leadership seminar in Auckland. TVNZ1’s Seven Sharp asked him what his top tips were for kids. Tip 1: “The first one that I really live by is that you can’t go past hard work, if you think it’s going... Read More

Guo ready to represent

3 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

Badminton New Zealand: New Zealand’s brightest young badminton talent is ready to represent New Zealand at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. At a small ceremony in Auckland on Saturday, Oscar Guo (Westlake Boys High School) was presented with his playing uniform by former Commonwealth and Olympic player, John Moody, who is now a board member of Badminton New Zealand. Guo has had a strong season in 2018, winning both the Australian Junior International and the Yonex North Harbour International and defending his triple crown at the NZ Under... Read More

Morton sisters make history at road cycling nationals

1 October 20181 October 2018 College Sport Auckland

College Sport Media: Baradene College sisters Abigail and Ella Morton made history at the Cycling New Zealand Schools National Road Championships as the first sisters to win gold in their respective age groups, on the same day at Loburn, North Canterbury. It was a memorable day for the Morton family with sisters Abigail and Ella taking out the Under 20 girls and Under 15 girls titles. “It was a surreal feeling crossing the finish line knowing I came first,” Ella said after the race. “Knowing that me and my sister... Read More