Water polo: John Paul polo team win title

The successful John Paul College boys water polo team after winning a national division two competition in Hamilton. Photo / Supplied

The John Paul College boys water polo team have defeated Hamilton Boys' High School 6-5 in a thrilling final to claim a national division two title.

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Division Two Water Polo Championships were held in Hamilton last week.

The John Paul College girls team also had a good tournament progressing through pool play undefeated. The girls team met St Kentigern College (Auckland) in their semifinal and were beaten in a penalty shootout, after the scores were tied at full-time.

In the boys final, the two form teams of the tournament, John Paul College and Hamilton Boys' High, met in a re-match of their pool game, where John Paul College had prevailed 11-8.

Hamilton Boys' came out strong in the final, with their big New Zealand centre forward Richard Sneddon scoring two quick goals to take an early lead.

The Rotorua visitors clawed their way back into the game with goals to Jack Tombleson and Duncan Nixon, to tie the game up 3-3 at quarter time.

John Paul College were forced to play catch up for most of the game, and went into the final quarter trailing 5-4.

John Paul's tall goal keeper Peter Chapman was called upon to make some fine saves as Hamilton searched for another goal to build a buffer. After a time out, the Rotorua team re-grouped and Tombleson equalised to draw level 5-5.

Tony Chapman came off the bench and broke the deadlock with 55 seconds remaining, which saw John Paul College take the lead for the first time in the match.

They held onto the lead in the final period to take the title and go through the tournament unbeaten for the first time.

In the semifinal stage, John Paul College played perhaps their best game of the tournament to dismantle Long Bay College 11-1. Tombleson was awarded the most valuable player award for the tournament.