The only thing normal in the final round of netball grading on Friday evening was the unpredictability of the results in the Premier Reserve grade. Even so, no one would have predicted the combination of results necessary to catapult Whangaruru 1 into the Premier grade, least of all themselves.
Forthe first time ever, the Whangaruru Netball Club now has two teams in the top grade of the Whangarei netball competition.
Firstly, Hora Hora 1 suffered an unexpected loss to WGHS Snr 2, which on its own wasn't fatal to their chances for promotion. But that, combined with Whangaruru 1's clinical performance and comfortable win in their game against Active Refrigeration Fideliter 2, meant that, on goal countback, the Whangaruru team had the better goal average, leaving Hora Hora 1 wondering what might have been, as they had all but rejoined the Premier competition after a 14-year absence.
Hora Hora's shock loss to WHGS Snr 2, left the Whangaruru team in their own state of shock as they came to realise they had been promoted. They finished the evening by playing Manawanui Red, the bottom ranked Premier side, for ranking. Manawanui Red looked comfortable at half time and were set to hold on to the fifth spot, but Whangaruru 1 fought back strongly in the second half with Tennielle Cherrington delivering the ball swiftly through the mid court to GS Aroha Vause who was effective in closing the seven-point lead. With a penalty against the Manawanui defender called on the full time hooter, Whangaruru GA Geneva Edmonds calmly took the shot to clinch the game 24-23, propelling them into fifth position in the Premier grade.
Whangaruru's 1 team, who started the netball competition three weeks ago ranked second from the bottom in the Premier Reserve grade, will be grateful for the two-week school holiday break to digest what happened on Friday night.
They will then join the indoor Premier competition at Kensington Stadium on the evening of Friday, May 6, when netball resumes, with their first game against WGHS Snr 1.
