Champions given a rude awakening

The major upset in the opening week of the 2013 NAKFA (Northland Age Kaitaia Football Association) 7-a-side summer soccer tournament - which kicked off last Wednesday evening in balmy early summer conditions on the Kaitaia College top fields - saw the defending champions callously swept aside in the last round of the evening's play.

Rest of the World, who took the double in 2012 by winning the NAKFA Cup and Premiership league title, were given a rude awakening by the First VII, made up of several players from the local college's Northland 1st XV championship winning side, who kicked the Beautiful Game well into touch with a blistering onslaught of velocity and physicality which left the champions completely overwhelmed and, in some cases, flattened.

Elsewhere, Aberdeen FC, resplendent in custom designed scarlet T-shirts, went straight to the top of the premiership standings with two wins from their two games played, including a narrow 1-0 win over the above-mentioned First VII; while the Wild Hogs did likewise in the social league title. It's still early days yet, as sides get a grasp on the nature of the competition and this year's opposition forces.

Results from the opening week of the 2013 NAKFA premiership and social league championships on Wednesday, October 23 were, Round 1: Titans 3 KCOB 2, Fighting Irish 2 Kaitaia Fire 0, Raiders 0 Rest of the World 3, Wild Hogs 3 Cross Ones 1, Aberdeen FC Juniors 8 Wildcats 0, Go Girls 3 Remixed 2; Rd 2: First VII 0 Aberdeen FC 1, Titans 1 Fighting Irish 0, Kaitaia Fire 1 Raiders 2, Sallies 1 Oturu 0, Wild Hogs 3 Aberdeen FC 2, Wildcats 4 Go Girls 4; Rd 3: KCOB 0 Aberdeen 4, Brazilians 0 First VII 2, Cross Ones 4 Oturu 0, Remixed 1 Sallies 2.

Standings: Premiership: Aberdeen FC 6 points, Titans 6, Rest of the World 3, First VII 3, Fighting Irish 3, Raiders 3, Kaitaia Fire 0, KCOB 0; Social league: Wild Hogs 6, Sallies 6, Go Girls 4, Aberdeen FC Juniors 3, Cross Ones 3, Wildcats 1, Remixed 0, Oturu 0.

Tomorrow's draw: The draw for week 2 fixtures being played tomorrow night is as follows, with *indicating social league, remaining fixtures representing the premiership. Round 1, 6.15pm: Titans v Kaitaia Fire (field green), Fighting Irish v KCOB (yellow), Raiders v First VII (red), Wild Hogs v Wildcats (blue), Aberdeen FC Juniors (orange) v Cross Ones, Go Girls v Sallies; Round 2, 6.45pm: Rest of the World v Aberdeen FC (green), Titans v Raiders (yellow), Kaitaia Fire v First VII (red), Remixed v Oturu (blue), Wild Hogs v Go Girls (orange), Wildcats v Sallies (white); Round 3, 7.15pm: Fighting Irish v Aberdeen FC (green), Brazilians v KCOB (yellow), Cross Ones (red) v Remixed (red), Oturu v Aberdeen FC Juniors (blue).