Takapuna Grammar's Guy le Noel tries to get past Rangitoto College's Ollie Andrew. Photo / Natalie Slade
Sports-minded students moving to a new school could find themselves on the sideline if a proposed rule change is passed at next week's Auckland Secondary Schools Heads Association annual meeting.
A student transferring to a new school and wanting to play in that school's premier team in a sport administered by an outside body, eg, the Auckland Rugby Union which oversees school rugby, will have a mandatory six-week stand down.
A student transferring to another school can, however, play in a lower grade.
The main reason for proposing the new rule is to "uphold a level playing field and to discourage indiscriminate movement of players between schools and/or poaching of players in a premier competition".
But there are also questions about the right of ASSHA and ASB College Sport, who administer school sport, to ban children from playing their chosen sport at their new school at the level they are capable of.
Changes will be made to the ASSHA board at next week's meeting following resignations by Jim Dale (Sacred Heart), Dale Burden (MAGS) and St Kentigern's Steve Cole - headmasters of three of the higher-powered schools in the Auckland.
CRICKET
In a game that doubled as a Gillette Cup clash, Rosmini gained the points and booked their spot in the next round as they continued their good start to the season.
Batting first, St Peters compiled 202/9 in their 50 overs led by 42 from Jack Parsons and 47 from Sam Cameron. Many batsmen were bamboozled by Josh Hilton Jones' leg spin as he picked up 4-37. He was well-supported by Nick Vallely's 3-28.
The Rosmini batsmen fared little better in reply with Alex Du Rand's 43 and Callum Simmonds' 45 the top scores. But all other batsmen got starts and Rosmini chased the total down for the loss of only six wickets.
In a game between old rivals AGS, AGS cemented their position as the form team in their pool with a comfortable 77-run win over MAGS. AGS' lower-order Shikar Chaturvedi emerged as the top-scorer with a well-constructed 52, as AGS reached 202/7.
The MAGS innings was in trouble early and Amit Dhadwal's 48 was the only act of defiance as all AGS' bowlers troubled the batsmen, with Kyle Jamieson's speed and bounce the main destroyer as he picked up 4-23 as MAGS were bundled out for 126.
The match between Macleans and KBHS saw a 224-run partnership between the Auckland Under-18 pair of David Winn and Andrew Morrison for Macleans.
Winn compiled a massive 140 and wicketkeeper Morrison supported with 78. Kelston opening bowler Josh Cunis took the plaudits with 3-64.
In reply, chasing 257 runs, KBHS were dismissed for 172 with Varun Narula's off-spin being the most potent weapon in picking up 3-31.
Unbeaten WBHS met Kings at home. Kings bowled smartly to restrict the visitors to 78/4. Bowler Mitchell Murray finished with figures of 6-32.
Kings' captain, Mark Chapman, exploded with eight sixes and 10 fours in an astonishing innings of 119 runs off only 73 balls, leading Kings comfortably to the target in 34 overs for seven wickets lost.
After losing the toss to Avondale, St Kentigern were put into bat and were quickly in trouble at 2/2. Matt Ellis and Tom Hewitt then put on a 64-run partnership for the third wicket. Ellis went on to top-score with 55 and Hewitt 36. Five ducks from the team, however, led St Kentigernto 150, as Pretesh Patel continued his hot form with figures of 5-26 from 10 overs.
Avondale took their time, eventually reaching their target in the 48th over with captain Harshall Vyass and Zubar Smith top-scoring with 30 each.
Sacred Heart hammered Rangitoto in the most one-sided match of the round. Batting first, Sacred Heart piled on a massive 305/6 with wicketkeeper Glenn Phillips leading the charge with 112.
Rangitoto's innings never got going and despite a valiant 31 from Thomson they were dismissed for just 88 with Pierce Fletcher's 3-25 the top figures for Sacred Heart.
WAIKATO
Hillcrest were in early trouble at 14/2 having won the toss and electing to bat first against St John's. Elliot Law (57) and Jack Prestidge-King (17) set about restoring the innings. Then Huw Elias (54) joined Sean Rudman (77) and the pair went on to post a run-a-ball century partnership with shots all around the wicket. Hillcrest were dismissed for 268 off the last ball of the innings.
In reply St John's made the worst possible start losing 3/29. Jayden Purcell (60) backed up his strong performance with the gloves eventually top scoring. St John's went to drinks at 87/3 but the introduction of spin saw the St John's innings lose momentum and the match was concluded quickly with the last five wickets falling to the spin of Shamen Achary and Nigel Lim.
On a damp, grassy wicket, St Peter's won the toss over St Paul's and decided to bat, but both the St Peter's openers were out cheaply to the bowling of Josh Malpas. A 79-run partnership between Eddie Walker and captain Tim Seifert, who top scored in the match with a well-hit 58 off 52 balls proved vital. A dogged batting effort from Matt Joubert (28 runs off 66 balls) saw St Peter's through to 160. Malpas and James Chenery took 3 wickets each.
St Paul's strong batting line-up came up against a disciplined four-man pace attack. Chris Fawcett (16) and James Chenery (16) offered some determined resistance before being removed by Jason Thomasen who claimed 4-27. St Paulswere dismissed for 70 in the 22nd over.
HBHS Development XI won a tight battle with Matamata after looking to be down and out. HBHS batted first and were soon in big trouble at 75/7. However sensible, patient batting by Nick O'Sullivan (51) and Jono Lush (28) turned things around and helped by 39 wides, HBHS posted a defendable total of 188.
Matamata captain Ciaran O'Malley (36) Chanchal Singh (22) and Jo Freeman (36) put Matamata into a winning position. However they lost wickets at crucial times and were eventually dismissed for a disappointing 157. In the end the ridiculous number of wides cost Matamata the chance for their first win of the season.
In the other division one match, Cambridge HS, led by 67 not out from Mitch Kirkbride, chased down the 144 scored by Morrinsville College to win by eight wickets.
PETER SHARP
While he might have been best known as a cricket commentator and enthusiast, Peter Sharp, who died on Sunday after a battle with cancer, is well remembered for his work with the New Zealand Secondary Schools Sports Council.
He had a lifelong association with promoting and developing sport for young people in schools, initially as a teacher and, later, as deputy principal at Linwood High School. In 1992 he was responsible for the formation of NZ Secondary Schools Sports Council.
The strength of New Zealand's school sport systems, the participation rates of students and the leadership of teachers and community people are the envy many countries, through his vision, hard work and dedication.
SWIMMING
More than 300 swimmers from 19 schools competed in the first of four zone championships at the Millennium Pool on Monday. The place-getters from those North Harbour championships must now wait to see where their times fall to see whether they will qualify for the Champions of Champions finals at West Wave on April 3.
The eight fastest swimmers in each event will win through.
Opinion: Some players should feel hard done by.