New season ahead for lacrosse
The Waikato Lacrosse summer club league has come to an end but planning is well in place to start the secondary schools league across the region.
Kaipaki Phoenix is the 2017/18, Waikato Club A Grade Champion after defeating Suburbs Falcons in the grand final recently.
Te Awamutu Emerald won against Suburbs Black to claim the Waikato Club B Grade Trophy.
Both finals were played at Bremworth Park in Hamilton on March 10.
Waikato Lacrosse President Ro Edge said the sport would look at how it could improve the club competition for next season.
‘‘Club league went very well, but we are looking at how we can improve on it so that we don’t have teams default.’’
She said the club league had lost some players in the middle of the competition, who headed away to university.
Edge said the Waikato secondary schools lacrosse league was shaping up well.
Games this year would be held at the new Tamahere Recreational Reserve. Last year Cambridge High School had been the base for the competition.
‘‘We are excited about this (Tamahere Recreational Reserve) given the proximity for all our players. It’s not that far from where our main players come from, from Hamilton, Morrinsville, Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Matamata.’’
Edge said the reserve was not considered a ‘‘long-term base’’ and the sport was still working on a plan to set up a dedicated venue for lacrosse in the Waikato.
Waikato Lacrosse would host three major tournaments this year, including the U15, U18 and New Zealand Secondary Schools National tournaments.
The secondary schools winter league would start on May 5.
Edge said the University of Waikato had introduced a new mixed, social winter league this year, to help keep players in the sport once they had left secondary school. It would also compliment the club league.
The social league would run on Thursday evenings, from July 19 to September 27.
No experience was needed, it was just a chance to play an indoor version of lacrosse.