Whanganui sport: Hockey, football, netball and more

HOCKEY
The Wanganui Premier men have the chance to advance in the Manawatū Premier Men's A Grade competition on Saturday, but need to find the back of the net.

The 12-team competition has been divided into groups of four teams to help find the top and bottom two of the pools midway through the season rather than at the end. That will determinewhich tops go up a grade and which go down.

Wanganui player/coach Craig Ritani said his side had finished fifth after five games in division 1 and they were due to play the top of division 2, Massey Reserves on Saturday to find their level in the competition.

"We have had three losses and two draws and each game has been close," Ritani said.

"We can match it midfield and in defence with the teams we've played in division 1 this season, but we have struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. We have worked hard on that in training over the past two weeks and hopefully put that into practice on Saturday."

Meanwhile, Whanganui's top women players have joined with Massey Premier A and sit sixth on the table in the Manawatū Women's division 1 competition after a 7-nil drubbing by second-placed HSHC Women last week.

FOOTBALL

In other sport GJ Gardner Homes Whanganui Athletic remain at the top of the Lotto Federation League football table despite their first loss of the season going down 2-0 to Peggy Gordon New Plymouth Rangers last weekend.

New Plymouth Rangers are tied for second on the table with Watsons PN Marist on 16 points, two behind Athletic.

Athletic played PN Marist in Palmerston North on Friday night.

Versatile Wanganui City still lead the YORB Horizons Premiership after eight games on 19 points, two points ahead of Placemakers PNBHS 1st X1 on 17 points and GJ Gardner Homes Whanganui Athletic Reserves third in 15pts.

NETBALL

On night two of the Netball Whanganui Premier A grade competition, Kaiwhaiki A1 play newcomers Whanganui High School A1 at 6pm, while the other early game is a match between Nga Tawa Premier A1and Thompson Plumbing Kaierau A2.

The later 7.45pm match is a clash between Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau and newcomers Whanganui High School Old Girls.

KAYAKING

Meanwhile, following their success at a 10km Winter Race Series in Porirua earlier this month, Whanganui Multisport Club kayakers Liam Lace and Zane Mills-Nossiter managed to once again put on a podium-worthy performance on the Clive River in Hawke's Bay.

For Lace, who now trains out of the Lake Karapiro Performance Hub, it was a nail-bitingly close race against Hawke's Bay athlete Hamish Le Garth, a member of the New Zealand Open Men's team, in the 10km Open Men's race.

Lace came away with silver after a tight finishing sprint with Le Garth.

In the Junior U16 5km race, Mills-Nossiter enjoyed an incredibly tight race where he battled it out with two other paddlers.

After a sprint finish where all three boats finished within a couple of seconds of each other, Mills-Nossiter came away with a bronze medal.

The Whanganui Multisport Club paddlers will continue to compete at various 10km Winter Series Races hosted by clubs throughout the country, gathering points for the final championship race at Rotorua's Blue Lake on August 29.