Supermarket athletes Masterton Mayhem have taken the Wellington regional New World netball championships with a clean sweep of their rivals.
The team from Masterton New World beat Stokes Vegas Aces from the Stokes Valley supermarket by 13-11 in a hard-fought final at the TSB Arena on Wellington's waterfront, team manager PaulineCribb said.
The regional battle brought together mixed male and female teams made up of staff members from 12 supermarkets throughout greater Wellington.
The Masterton team now move forward to contest the lower North Island New World staff championship in Palmerston North later this month.
Experienced netballers and players new to the sport make up the Masterton team, she says, with the mix of young and old, veterans and novices proving too strong for their competitors. ''But it's our coach, Liz Wilton, who really made the difference _ she's awesome.''
The Masterton team will go up against regional champs from the Hawke's Bay, Taranaki and Manawatu regions on May 24 and their confidence has been bolstered after the win this week, Ms Cribb says.
The 2010 championships are the second year that New World have run a netball event so staff can celebrate the company sponsorship of the Silver Ferns.
''The event gives our people a sense of involvement in our major professional netball sponsorship,'' organiser Kristie McGregor said.
The Carterton New World team, dubbed the Carterton Champions, also flew the flag for Wairarapa in the contest this week, Ms McGregor said.
