Selwyn Times: July 11, 2018
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SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Wednesday <strong>July</strong> <strong>11</strong> <strong>2018</strong> 27<br />
Lincoln Combined<br />
Proud supporters of<br />
Rugby & Netball in <strong>Selwyn</strong><br />
players called up for higher honours<br />
Captain Wil Gualter has made the Crusader<br />
Knights squad and blindside loosie Kenan Pluck is<br />
in the New Zealand Maori under-18 squad. Jacob<br />
Page reports<br />
SCINTILLATING form and<br />
composure under pressure has<br />
seen Lincoln Combined captain<br />
Wil Gualter named in the<br />
Crusader Knights training camp<br />
squad.<br />
In spite of his team challenging<br />
for a semi-final spot in the UC<br />
Championship, he is their sole<br />
representative in the Crusaders<br />
region secondary school team.<br />
Gualter has had his moments<br />
in attack, scoring a double<br />
against St Andrew’s a fortnight<br />
ago, and he has also kicked two<br />
match-winning penalties this<br />
season.<br />
“I think the way it is travelling,<br />
a few of the boys deserved to<br />
push their chances a little more,<br />
but for me it’s a great thrill to be<br />
picked and something that I’ll<br />
enjoy.”<br />
HARD WORKER:<br />
Kenan Pluck has<br />
been rewarded for<br />
a stellar season<br />
with Lincoln<br />
Combined by being<br />
named in the New<br />
Zealand Maori<br />
under-18 squad.<br />
PHOTO: FELICITY<br />
PLUCK <br />
The 17-year-old, who has<br />
played most of the season at<br />
second-five said he felt <strong>2018</strong><br />
would be a breakthrough season<br />
right from the start.<br />
“I felt last season, with a new<br />
coaching setup and management<br />
group, that something good was<br />
happening,” he said.<br />
“This year we’ve managed to<br />
win close games and take down<br />
some big rugby schools, and<br />
that’s given us a lot of confidence.”<br />
The Lincoln High School year<br />
12 student, who is part of the<br />
Waihora club, said the Lincoln<br />
Combined team’s chemistry has<br />
been a big part to their success.<br />
“We all get on extremely<br />
well and trainings are enjoyable<br />
and that shows on game day<br />
when we all work hard for each<br />
other.” Gualter said it had been<br />
hard not to think too far ahead<br />
about a potential semi-final.<br />
“It is something that we talk<br />
about at training quite a bit,<br />
probably more than we should,<br />
but we know there is more hard<br />
work to do.”<br />
He said making the Knights<br />
squad was an experience he<br />
was excited about. “Being able<br />
to match myself against players<br />
from bigger schools is going to be<br />
exciting.”<br />
A squad of 25 players will be<br />
chosen at the conclusion of the<br />
camp at St Andrew’s College.<br />
They will travel to Hamilton to<br />
play the Chiefs under-18 team on<br />
Saturday, while another Junior<br />
Knights Development team will<br />
play a Canterbury Invitational<br />
XV in Christchurch tomorrow.<br />
SELECTED: Lincoln Combined captain Wil Gualter is his<br />
team’s only player in the Crusader Knights squad.<br />
PHOTO: KAREN CASEY<br />
Pluck off to NZ Maori camp<br />
LINCOLN COMBINED flanker<br />
Keanan Pluck will get his first<br />
taste of a national rugby set up<br />
with the Maori under-18 squad.<br />
The Rolleston teen has been<br />
one of the best in a talented,<br />
yet under-sized forward pack<br />
which has helped their team<br />
to a top four spot in the UC<br />
Championship.<br />
“We try to hit the rucks hard<br />
and make an impact with what<br />
we have,” Pluck said. He said<br />
the team was thriving on being<br />
considered underdogs.<br />
“Teams turn up to our place<br />
and think we aren’t up to much<br />
and then we show them,” he<br />
said.<br />
The 17-year-old has made the<br />
40-man squad for a three day<br />
training camp in Rotorua from<br />
<strong>July</strong> 16.<br />
Pluck, who is in his second<br />
season with the Lincoln<br />
Combined side, but his first as<br />
a regular starter, said he was<br />
looking forward to getting in<br />
touch with the Maori culture<br />
and playing alongside some top<br />
players.<br />
“It’s a great experience for me<br />
to learn and grow as a player<br />
and since it’s my first national<br />
squad, it’ll be good to test myself<br />
against players from other areas<br />
including the North Island,” he<br />
said. Pluck started playing rugby<br />
after an agreement with a friend<br />
when he was <strong>11</strong>-years-old.<br />
“I had played soccer for a<br />
season but then my friend said I<br />
should try rugby and I’ve loved it<br />
ever since,” he said.<br />
“Mum, where<br />
do the roads<br />
come from?”<br />
Family Day<br />
at the quarry<br />
Sunday 29 <strong>July</strong><br />
<strong>11</strong>am - 4pm<br />
24 Miners Road<br />
Family-friendly, educational quarry<br />
open day. Site tours, information stalls,<br />
machinery on display, food & loads of<br />
entertainment for the kids.<br />
Building<br />
Communities
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