Young athletes honoured
Christchurch Girls’ High School’s sevens team is helping lead the charge in the growth of women’s rugby, co-winning a major Zonta Sports Awards last night.
The team has dominated on the field, ruling midweek games and bringing home the University of Canterbury secondary school cup every year since the competition launched in 2015.
The sevens team, along with the Rangi Ruru Girls’ under 18s rowing eight, beat teams of netballers, basketballers and footballers for the title of most outstanding team of young sportswomen at last night’s 28th Zonta awards, held at the Hornby Working Men’s Club.
The awards celebrate young Cantabrians’ sporting achievements and can herald the beginning of longstanding and highly successful international careers.
Other big winners on the night were the Christ’s College rowing squad and the St Andrew’s College mixed swimming team.
Individual winners awarded for valued contribution to a team included Christchurch Girls’ High School hockey player Sophie White and Hillmorton High School basketballer Ihaia Kendrew. Other individual stand outs were Burnside High School track and road cycling athlete Sami Donnelly and Christchurch Boys’ High School rower Will Gilbert.
The awards for the best sportswoman and sportsman who have achieved in more than one sporting code went to Brittany Wang for her successes in trampolining, hockey and athletics, and rower and rugby player Sam Darry.
Marion College’s Kate Fraser was acknowledged for her contributions to netball, and Christ’s College’s Will Hutchinson was celebrated for his contributions to touch – both for the category of contribution to sports administration in a position of umpire, referee, coach or tutor.
The award for most outstanding achievement by a young sports person with a disability went to Hillmorton High School swimmer Celyn Edwards and Avonside Girls’ High School student Lilian Exton, for boccia and athletics.