Karate: Wooster off to top Japan tournament

Jacqueline Wooster, left, Jacob Waretini and Rhiannon Wooster with their trophies won across the Tasman.

Hawke's Bay karate exponent Jacqueline Wooster will represent New Zealand at the fifth World Open Kyokushin tournament in Japan in November.

Wooster, 21, qualified for the event by winning the Australian open women's lightweight title for the second time in three years at the 40th AKKA open full and non-contact tournament in Sydney earlier this month.

She was one of 10 students from Wooster International Kyokushin Karate Academy who competed across the Tasman.

"She came third in South Africa two years ago at the World Cup and has been training hard ever since she got back to be in the best fighting form she can be. With Australia out of the way, we are now focusing on getting her sponsors and fundraising to get her to Japan," proud mum and WIKKA administrator Jennifer Peni said.

Earlier this year Wooster, who also represents Wellington's Marist dojo while completing her nursing studies in the capital, won the women's open title at the New Zealand Kyokushin Championships in Hastings.

Her 14-year-old sister Rhiannon Wooster and 16-year-old Jacob Waretini both fought won their respective female and male heavyweight colts full contact divisions in Sydney.

"This was a big step up for Jacob and Rhiannon as their opponents have been in the colts (16-17 years) for almost two years. They have just come out of 13-15 years intermediate divisions. Both of these fighters have been training for almost 10 years for the chance to fight overseas and prove they can compete with the best.

"Jacob had won the non-contact the day before and to also win the colts full contact was just amazing. Rhiannon, being only 14 and much younger than her fellow competitors, proved that with determination and skill, age didn't matter.

None of her opponents knew her age except for the organisers as we had to get permission for her to fight outside her age division.

In New Zealand she fights in the colts division, so it was only right that she fights as a colt in Australia," Peni explained.

Before Jacqueline Wooster and 22-year-old Jesse Wall competed on the Sunday they helped with the coaching of the two colts and six juniors on the Saturday.

This lightened the load for Wooster's father, Shihan Richard Wooster, who couldn't attend every one of his students' fights as three rings were in action.

The youngest of the Bay contingent, 9-year-old Divan Singh won the 8-9 years boys lightweight full contact padded division and was second in the non-contact division.

His 11-year-old sister, Emma-Leigh Singh, won the 11-12 years mid-weight girls full contact padded division.

"This is the first year we have taken juniors to an overseas tournament and, in the beginning, it was just a recon team for the following years and the experience. Many of our students already had New Zealand national titles.

So for them to compete in such large divisions and walk away with Australian titles was mind-blowing. Of our 10 students competing, only Jacqueline had ever competed overseas previously," Peni said.

Among the sponsors the WIKKA team were grateful for were Mr Apple NZ Ltd, Hastings Girls' High School's student council and St Joseph's Primary School.

Other results were:

* Robert Wooster (12) third 11-12 year boys non-contact and third 11-12 year boys lightweight full contact padded division.

* Ranchero Honotapu (11) third 10-12 girls heavyweight full contact padded division.

* Anahera Mihaka (11) third 11-12 girls non-contact.