NEXT GENERATION: Sisters Ava (3) and Olivia (4) Campbell show what they picked up on the first Saturday of the First Kicks programme at Wembley Park. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY
NEXT GENERATION: Sisters Ava (3) and Olivia (4) Campbell show what they picked up on the first Saturday of the First Kicks programme at Wembley Park. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY
THE first full weekend of May saw the start of junior sport across Whanganui with opening weekend rugby, netball and football getting under way. Laird Park saw the opening day tournaments for dozens of teams in both the primary and secondary grades, playing multiple match-ups with six and eight-minute quartersrespectively.
Across at the Kaierau Country Club, a little history was made as eight rugby teams began their quest to be the 2016 Whanganui Secondary School open grade champions.
Two squads from Collegiate, Wanganui High School and one each from Rangitikei, Cullinane, City College and Ruapehu will contest this independent competition under the WRFU banner, in a return from all playing in the various Manawatu union competitions for the last couple of seasons.
The junior rugby teams also kicked off their seasons at Spriggens Park and elsewhere.
Over at Wembley Park, the first games for the juniors were played, starting with the popular First Kicks programme first thing in the morning for youngsters aged 4-6 who are learning the game.
New sponsors Embassy 3 Cinemas and Meteor OPD have come on board for First Kicks and the "Fun Football" competition respectively, joining the regulars such as Display Associates and Stirling Sports with Junior Football, while McDonald's has contributed 200 balls as well as water bottles and bibs.
