The Star: September 19, 2019

The Star Thursday September 19 2019
34
SPORT
in brief
St Margaret’s tennis
star wins Otago titles
Young tennis star Abby Mason
battled a chest cold and her
doubles partner to claim the
Otago Indoor Open women’s
singles title in Dunedin at the
weekend. The St Margaret’s
College 15-year-old coughed
her way through the match but
slammed her backhand and
forehand to power her way to
a 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 win against rival
and the tournament’s No 1
seed Kelly Southwood. The pair
teamed up to win the women’s
doubles title earlier in the day.
Bulls play for spot
in league final
The Canterbury Bulls have
a chance on Sunday to book
a spot in the national rugby
league premiership final. The
Bulls will be firm favourites
when they take on Waikato
in Hamilton. If they win and
Counties Manukau defeat
Akarana in their match later in
the day, the Bulls will book a
spot in the final next month.
Young kart driver in
Italy for final round
Teen kart driver Jacob Douglas
will compete at the final round
of the FIA Academy Trophy
Series in Italy this weekend. The
14-year-old from Christchurch
heads into the round currently
ranked 15 th out of 51 drivers.
Topping the points list heading
into the final round is Robert
De Haan, of the Netherlands,
from Italian Paolo Ferrari,
and Joshua Coertze, of South
Africa.
Pride look to
dominate Central
Canterbury United Pride host
Central in what could be a
cricket score in the second
round of the national women’s
football league at English Park
on Sunday. The Pride, which
are defending their title, opened
the campaign with a 6-0
demolition of Capital over the
weekend. Meanwhile Central
are coming off a 0-6 hiding
from Southern. The match
kicks off at 2pm.
• By Gordon Findlater
FOR THE FIRST time in more
than a decade, Christchurch
Boys’ High School have three
students in the New Zealand
Schools team.
Prop Ben Lopas, halfback Max
Hughes and first-five Ollie Lewis
were all named in the squad last
week.
The last time three students
from CBHS made the squad was
in 2006, when Nasi Manu, Ash
Dixon and Hugh Reed were all
selected.
Meanwhile, CBHS year 12 lock
Jamie Hannah has been named
in the NZ Schools’ Barbarians
squad.
In 2005, a record five players
from CBHS made the NZ
Schools squad, with Manu,
Tim Bateman, Mason Pomare,
Owen Franks and Colin Slade.
However, between 2007 and
2018, just two players from the
proud rugby school have made
the team, with Josh McKay in
2015 and Louie Chapman last
year.
The phone calls from NZ
Schools coach Mark Hammett
went out while Lewis, Hughes
and Lopas were all playing a
round at the Coringa Golf Club
in McLeans Island as part of
their year 13 physical education
programme.
“About four holes in I got my
call . . . I had Ollie in my group
of four so he was congratulating
me but then kind of shied away
and spent a few holes on his
phone waiting for his call,” said
Hughes.
“[When his phone rang] we
started celebrating and were
quite loud, but then he had to
answer his phone so we had to
stop for a second,” said Hughes.
Lopas could not receive his
call from Hammett because his
phone was broken, so he didn’t
find out until he returned home
later in the day.
However, he still had reason
to celebrate out on the course,
shooting a group best two-under
par.
Hughes and Lewis have built
on their halfback and first-five
combination since their first year
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NZ call-up for CBHS stars
CALL UP: Max Hughes, Ben Lopas, Ollie Lewis and Jamie
Hannah have been selected in the NZ Schools and
Schools’ Barbarians sides.
at CBHS and are now looking
forward to the rare opportunity
of continuing their partnership
in a national team.
“It’s been a big goal. It’s going
to be pretty exciting to stand
beside him and do the dream
we’ve aspired for during our
whole school career,” said
Hughes. CBHS has produced 46
All Blacks over the years. And
it is something the boys are well
aware of as they look to continue
the legacy of players’ reaching
their full potential.
“You always want to be better
because you know so many All
Blacks have been before you. You
want to do the school proud –
that means you train hard,” said
Lewis.
The CBHS contingent will be
joined in the NZ Schools squad
by four other students from
Canterbury schools.
St Andrew’s College prop
Jack Sexton – son of former
Crusaders hooker Matt Sexton
– will be joined by lock
Zach Gallagher and loose
forward Dom Gardiner –
son of former Crusaders flanker
Angus Gardiner – in
the forwards. Meanwhile,
utility back Wil Gualter has
become the first student from
Lincoln High School to make the
squad.
The NZ Schools and Schools’
Barbarians squads will assemble
this weekend before a game
of three halves in Palmerston
North on September 26. Both
teams will then play games
against the Australia Under-18s
and Fiji Schools.
NZ Schools squad:
Cam Church, St Kentigern
College; Allan Craig,
St Kentigern College;
Vaiolini Ekuasi, St
Peter’s Cambridge;
Zach Gallagher, Christ’s
College; Dom Gardiner, St
Bede’s College; Vincent
Green, Hamilton Boys’
High School; Meihana
Grindlay, Kings College;
Wil Gualter, Lincoln High
School; Finau Halafihi,
Auckland Grammar
School; Max Hughes,
Christchurch Boys’ High
School; Corey Kellow,
Sacred Heart College;
Jacob Kneepkens,
Francis Douglas
Memorial College; Jacob
Kneepkens, Christchurch
Boys’ High School; Ben
Lopas, Christchurch Boys’
High School; Ruben Love,
Palmerston Boys’ High
School; Aidan Morgan,
Kings College; Blair
Murray, New Plymouth
Boys’ High School; Manu
Paea, Rotorua Boys’
High School; Te Rama
Reuben, St Kentigern
College; Anton Segner,
Nelson College; Jack
Sexton, St Andrew’s
College; Roderick Solo,
Scots College; Ben Strang,
Whanganui Collegiate;
Tiaan Tauakipulu, St
Kentigern College; Gideon
Wrampling, St Paul’s
Collegiate.
STEP UP: Ollie Lewis (left) and Max Hughes have been
standout players for Christchurch Boys’ High School.
3 issues $20 • 6 issues $44.50 • 10 issues $65
rugbynews.co.nz 0800 77 77 10