The New World Wairarapa under-17 netball team had mixed results at the Wellington combined centres tournament held at Paraparaumu over Queen's Birthday Weekend. Temperatures plummeted on Sunday with games being played in hail, sleet and icy wind gusts. Wairarapa played eight games in all, won two of them, scored a bonus pointin a third and contested well in all other games despite being soundly beaten by the Waimarama Taumanu-coached Wellington Black side which went on to win the tournament. Victories for Wairarapa came over Kapiti (27-23) and Kapi Mana (31-25) while against Wellington Gold they were level pegging at 25-25 at three-quarter time before losing by eight goals. Their 21-26 defeat by Hutt Valley came after Wairarapa had actually raced out to a 10-2 lead at the end of the first quarter but could not maintain the momentum. Coach Marion Tulloch said the focus for Wairarapa was not entirely on results with the primary objective being to give every player court time and to build combinations leading into their national tourney in July. The loss of skipper Paige Drummond through illness was a blow to Wairarapa but goal defence Julie Malcolm took over the role and led by example with a series of strong performances. Goalkeep Courtney Hamilton gave her solid support at the defensive end of the court. The shooting statistics from Judy Brown, Pohiri Gemmell, Waimarama Phillips and Grace Southey reached over 80 per cent by the tournament's end, newcomers Raewyn Cavubati and Shannon Sim showed they could take the step up from last year's under-15s and Sarah Warren was a tireless worker in midcourt. Wairarapa's results were: lost to Wellington Gold 29-37, lost to Wellington Black 10-52, beat Kapiti 27-23, lost to Hutt Valley 21-26, lost to Nelson 11-28, beat Kapi Mana 31-25, lost to Manawatu 22-34 and lost to Marlborough 17-29 Meanwhile Netball Wairarapa's year 7 representative team for the 2009 season has been named. It is: Annarosa Iefata (Lakeview), Te Kapua Haira (Lakeview), Nicole Sim (St Matthew's), Jorden O'Brien (Chanel), Mikayla Morrison (Alfredton), Ella Watt (Hadlow), Queenie Walker-Albrett (Masterton Intermediate), Georgia Albrett (St Matthew's), Tia Whakahau (Masterton Intermediate), Bailee Potangaroa (Opaki). Coach is Linda Douglas and manager Susie Hermansen.
