Squash: Ex-Magpie Kinnear shines for club team

Clockwise, from front, Richard Kinnear, Mike Walker, Robert Fridd, Scott Fergusson and David Russell. Photo / Paul Taylor

Talk gifted sports people in Hawke's Bay and Richard Kinnear's name will pop up.

Kinnear, 38, has represented Hawke's Bay in rugby (14 first class games for the Magpies from 1999-2002), cricket for 8-10 years and golf up to Shand Cup level. During his younger days, when he got down to a -2 handicap at golf, he seemed to have a knack of shining at whatever code he turned his attention to with very little effort.

Squash is another sport Kinnear has had reasonable success in during what he described as "seven or eight years of serious play".

In 2004 he was the No1 in the Havelock North club's E grade men's team who finished second at the Palmerston North-hosted national teams final. This week Kinnear will attempt to go one place better when he plays No3 for the club's C grade men at their 10-team North Shore-hosted Superchamps Nationals.

This seventh-seeded team is one of four from the Havelock North club which will be playing at national finals. The C grade men will be seeded fifth at their eight-team Superchamps in Dunedin, the E grade men will be the second seeds at their 10-team Christchurch-hosted nationals and their hopes are high for the top-seeded F grade men at their eight-team Superchamps in Auckland.

"This is the most teams from our club which have qualified for nationals in the same year and the icing on the cake to our 50th year celebrations," said club president and a member of the C grade team, Scott Fergusson.

He is thrilled to have Kinnear on the C grade team's roster.

"While Richard can hit the ball hard his touch play is his biggest strength and touch play is a big asset at this level," Fergusson said.

Kinnear, who managed the Maddison Trophy-winning Havelock North premier rugby team this year, is confident about the C grade team's chances.

"We've trained reasonably hard for a Havelock team. In the past we've been a bit social."

"Fitness will be a challenge for us because there will be some young teams there and we do have to play five or six intense competitive games in four days," Kinnear said.

A father of five, Kinnear, is full of praise for the work experienced coach Dean Remihana has put into the C graders.

Remihana's 16-year-old son will have the No1 role for the C graders.

With Remihana snr's coaching, the right mix of youth and experience and Kinnear's knowledge from numerous successful sports teams he has been involved with expect the C graders to do well.

"At this level it's very much a case of what happens on the day and if everything clicks we should improve on our seeding," Kinnear said.

Fergusson was quick to talk up the chances of the F and E grade teams. It was obvious he had learnt a few of Kinnear's tricks and was taking the pressure off his own team.

In addition to the four Havelock North teams, three other Hawke's Bay teams will be playing in National Superchamps finals from tomorrow until Sunday.

The Hastings B grade women will be in Cambridge and the Hawke's Bay Lawn C and E grade women's teams in North Shore and Christchurch respectively.

Havelock North teams:

C grade men: Ben Remihana, Mike Hinton, Alan Rigby, Richard Kinnear, Regan Loach, Daniel Moffit, Scott Fergusson.
D grade men: David Russell, Kelly Lambess, Alister Martin, Graham Bartleet, Bryan Powlesland, Steve Fussell.

E grade men: Tim McBeth, Tony Oliver, Mike Walker, Del Mudaly, Mark Renwick, Kim Bone.

F grade men: Robert Fridd, Daniel Fridd, Harry Young, Josh Lewis, Jack Cornes, Jase Svensson.