Wainui Beach team winners in Hawke's Bay tournament

KEEN SQUAD: Wainui Beach tennis players (from left) Ziggy West-Hill, Seve Royster, Taj Potter, Toby Lane and Jack Long. Picture by Shawn Royster

WAINUI Beach School has a keen group of young tennis players.

They train after school as a squad and also take part in other sporting codes, such as football.

Out of nine schools, Wainui Beach was the only one outside Hawke’s Bay to compete at the Tennis Eastern Primary and Intermediate Champs in Napier at the end of October, and the Gisborne school provided the overall team winners.

Wainui Beach took a team of five to Napier.

Seve Royster competed in the championship division, for experienced tournament players.

He won his first three matches and lost in the semifinals.

Fifty-five boys competed in the Year 5 and 6 social division.

Ziggy West-Hill and Toby Lane were undefeated in that division, winning seven matches each. The two Gisborne boys had to play off in a final, which Ziggy won.

The other Wainui Beach players also did well — Taj Potter came fifth and Jack Long, seventh.

They are coached by Noel Craft, from Tennis Eastern.

Craft said Tennis Eastern was determined to provide regular competition.