Squash: Bay teen in firsts mode again

Another First: Rhiarne Taiapa is the first Hawke's Bay squash player to win an Oceania age group title. Photo/Duncan Brown

When it comes to national firsts Hawke's Bay squash player Rhiarne Taiapa has been there and done that.

Well now there's an international first for the Bay on the Hastings Tennis and Squash Club A2 grader's squash CV.

Taiapa, 15, who last year became the first Hawke's Bay-based player to be named the country's most improved junior female, became the first Bay player to win an Oceania age group title earlier this month when she beat Auckland B1 grader Amara Afghan 3-0 in their under-17 grade final at the Auckland-hosted champs.

The 2016 national under-17 champion, Taiapa, was the top seed for the champs and was unbeaten in her three matches before the final.

While Taiapa had some memorable matches in the city of sails it was the powhiri she received at her Hastings club upon her return home on Monday night which will stay etched in her mind for the rest of her life.

"I was presented with a pounamu taonga. I was told the taonga will keep me safe on my travels to tournaments as well as when I'm on court. I will wear it for ever."

"It was an awesome night at the club. I had been away for two weeks and had missed my friends as well as my squash peers who were all there," Taiapa said.

After the Oceania champs, right-hander Taiapa, who is in her ninth year as a squash player, played for the New Zealand Junior team which beat their Aussie counterparts 26-10 in a Trans-Tasman test.

Hastings Girls' High School Year 12 student Taiapa had a win and a loss in the series.

Playing in the under-17 section, Taiapa beat Aussie No 2 Jade Woods 3-0 and lost 3-0 to Aussie No 1 Alex Haydon.

This was the fifth year Taiapa had played in the series and the fourth consecutive year the Kiwis were triumphant.

"The only time we lost was in 2013 when we were pipped 19-17," Taiapa recalled.

After the test Taiapa travelled to the New Zealand Junior Open Tournament in Cambridge.

This event catered for under-19 players and Taiapa finished fifth best of the Kiwis and sixth overall in the open girls division.

The Tania Tatana-Walker-coached Taiapa will have a spell from tournament play this weekend and next weekend before playing in the Rotorua-hosted Bay of Plenty Open from May 12-14.

This is the third and final selection tournament for the New Zealand team which will play in the Tauranga-hosted Junior World Championships in July.

"Eight of us are in contention. Four get named in the team plus a non-travelling reserve and one other all of whom can play in the individual section of the world champs. I want to be in the top four and at the moment I'm ranked five ... so Rotorua is pretty important," Taiapa explained.

The regular New Zealand Secondary Schools representative would be excused if she opted to save petrol in matches against non contenders for the Kiwi team in Rotorua and play to her potential against fellow contenders. But that's not her style.

"I will go hard in every game and try to get as many wins as possible. We've all got work ons we've been given by the New Zealand coach we need to show improvement on too," Taiapa said referring to Auckland-based Joanne Williams.

"I need to be more alert when waiting for the ball. I also need to show more strength with my grip," Taiapa said.

"Should I miss selection for Tauranga I will still be eligible for the 2019 Junior Worlds. But it would be awesome to play in a world championship on New Zealand soil and I want to give it my best shot."

In addition to sticking to training schedules designed by Williams and Tatana-Walker, Taiapa, does her own fitness work at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park with her sister Shayleigh.

These sessions involved sprint work on the track as well as the stairs on the grandstand.

These are usually followed by a gentle walk, something Taiapa enjoys as variation from the gruelling on-court sessions.

Should she get the thumbs up for Tauranga Taiapa will be more than ready.