Success for Manawatu age-group athletes
What a week or so it was for some of Manawatu’s age-group sports teams.
The Central under-18 girls hockey team won a national title for the first time and the boys weren’t far off, losing the final to Canterbury.
The under-19 netballers lost the national final to Hamilton City, the under17 boys basketballers lost the national final to Harbour and the girls finished seventh.
There were a handful of Manawatu players in the New Zealand under-17 team that finished second at the Oceania championships in Australia.
CD locals
When Central Districts announced their list of contracted players it was great to see all but one of them were CD players.
Canterbury’s Ryan Mccone, who came north last year, is the only player from outside the region, while the rest of them are all born and bred Stags men.
Every CD association is represented; Marlborough, Nelson, Horowhenuakapiti, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Wanganui, Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki.
Weather intervenes
It was another one of those rare weekends where senior sport was cancelled. Club football, rugby league and netball were all called off because of waterlogged fields
Club rugby was able to go ahead with a lot of games moved to the driest grounds that could be found. Some were a bit soggy but Massey University’s fields were in great condition considering how wet it had been.
Commonwealth Games bound
Manawatu’s three athletes at the Commonwealth Youth Games will be in action this week.
Ashhurst cyclist Dylan Simpson and swimmers Mya Rasmussen and Laticialeigh Transom are in the team of 34 competing at the Bahamas.
Palmerston North-born Transom is based in Australia, but swims for Palmerston North club Ice Breaker Aquatics. Rasmussen is from Feilding and swims for Kiwi West Aquatics.
Dawai on the move
Former Feilding High School rugby star Mosese Dawai has popped up playing rugby league in Australia.
A New Zealand secondary schools player last season, he joined Otago after he finished school as part of the Highlanders apprentice scheme. But now the Fijianborn wing is playing league for the Sunshine Coast in the Queensland Cup.
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