Central back-to-back champions

The winners in Division 1 from Central were (right picture, from left) Lucy Moylan, Sophie Hawkes, Cera Edwards Biddle, Jordyn Anderson, Sophie Phelps, Silke McNaught (co-coach), Ruby Carr and Conrad Smith.

Central School were the winners of the Division 1 Interschool netball tournament that ran through term 3 and Muriwai School took out the second division.

There were 18 local schools competing this year, which was contested on a home-and-away basis, mostly played on Fridays at lunchtime.

The eight teams in the top division included Awapuni, Central, Kaiti, Mangapapa, Nga Uri a Maui, Sonrise, Te Wharau and Wainui.

The 10 teams in Division 2 were Makaraka, Makauri, Manutuke, Matawai / Waerenga-o-Kuri, Muriwai, Ormond, Patutahi, St Mary’s, Te Hapara, and Waikirikiri.

“The tournament gives the players an opportunity to play games in front of students from their own school, producing a sense of school spirit with schoolmates cheering them on,” said netball commentator Sherrill Beale.

“They also enjoy the opportunity to visit other schools in the district for competition and socialising.

“As in other years, there were some very competitive games in both divisions,” Beale said.

In Division 1, Cental — the defending champions — went through the tournament unbeaten claiming six wins from six games.

In Division 2, Muriwai and Te Hapara met in the final with Muriwai taking the win.

In that division goal differential had to be used to decide the placings in each pool before the final game could be played.

“Congratulations to the players, management and the supporters of Central School, and to Muriwai School,” Beale said.

“Central won the School Supplies Netball Cup, and Muriwai took the Gisborne Netball Centre Primary Interschool Netball Tournament Trophy.”