The Star: February 18, 2021

Thursday February 18 2021 The Star
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wilson returns to put the
sting back into Hornets
SPORT 31
REIGNING champion
Waimairi’s revival in Tennis
Canterbury premier men’s
interclub title has continued
with debutant Ben Hyde-Smith
starring in an upset win over
leaders Cashmere.
The year 13 St Andrew’s College
student was drafted in as
a late replacement for Simon
Mooney and showed no sign of
nerves as he won his singles and
doubles matches in round eight
TIES: Walt Wilson has returned from a coaching stint in Sydney to mentor Halswell in
this year’s Canterbury Rugby League premiership season. Below – Wilson about to score
for Canterbury against West Coast.
PHOTO (above); CHRIS BARCLAY
• By Chris Barclay
WALT WILSON debuted for the
Halswell Hornets as a precocious
11-year-old and four decades
later his association with the club
endures as head coach of the
club’s Canterbury Rugby League
premiership side.
The former provincial representative
and Junior Kiwi returned
from a two-year coaching
stint in Sydney to take over from
Jason Martin, who guided the
side to sixth last season.
Wilson emerged from quarantine
on Christmas Day, the ideal
present once the pull of family
influenced his return home.
The 51-year-old had relocated
to Australia when son Reuben
joined the Wests Tigers feeder
club, Ryde-Eastwood, where dad
ended up coaching even after his
boy returned to Christchurch.
“I was asked to stay on (in
2021) but I thought if I’m not
progressing (to a higher level) I
need to come home and spend
time with my children,” he said.
“My daughter is looking to
get married and my oldest boy
(Reuben) is turning 21 in May. I
thought the time was right.”
Wilson’s timing was also
impeccable across the Tasman,
his arrival coinciding with Ryde-
Eastwood rejoining a senior
Sydney club competition for the
first time since 2000.
“I went over there to support
Reubs and I ended up getting the
head coaching role by default,”
said Wilson, who developed an
interest in coaching as a teenager.
The Hawks entered the fourthtier
Sydney Shield and celebrated
their return by winning the 2019
grand final. A year later they
were pipped 32-30 in the decider.
Wilson, who coached agegroup
sides in Canterbury,
embraced the experience in one
of Sydney’s rugby union strongholds
after a daunting initiation.
“We went through 34 players
in the first four weeks,” he said.
“I didn’t know anybody, I
didn’t know what their form was
like. I had to find out for myself.”
The Hawks lost their first three
games but then knuckled down
to beat Cabramatta Two Blues.
Halswell are a month into their
pre-season, with Wilson confident
his time in Australia will be
beneficial as the Hornets strive to
make the top four and challenge
for the Pat Smith Trophy.
“There’s more quality players
(in Sydney) and it makes for a
stronger competition,” he said.
“When you’ve got that element
of competition you have to look
at a lot of different options when
you’re coaching around strategies,”
he said.
Wilson was working in
recruitment, bringing skilled
workers to New Zealand from
action last weekend.
Hyde-Smith beat Nant Prachuabmoh
6-4 6-1 and then
combined with fellow junior
Finn Emslie-Robson to overcome
Prachuabmoh and Duncan
McCall in three sets to take the
rubber 4-2.
Waimairi recorded only one
win in the opening six rounds
– one was rained out – and now
they have won two on the trot.
“It was a big game for the team
the United Kingdom before
Ryde-Eastwood enhanced his
CV, with Covid-19 derailing that
industry he is now a site manager
for a building company.
The former fullback was rapt
to be back in the fold at Halswell
Domain, back where it all began.
“I started playing league when
I was 11, I had my first premier
game when I was 18 and I retired
at 30,” he said.
“I started coaching as a teenager
and when I take on things I
like to give it a good nudge.
and it’s definitely a highlight
of the year so far to get the call
up and play a part in the win,”
Hyde-Smith said.
The victory left Waimairi in
second place, a point ahead of
Elmwood, who were comfortable
5-1 winners over Te Kura Hagley.
Edward Batt and Carlos Emslie
produced the encounter of the
tie, saving eight match points
and regrouping from 6-9 down
in the super tiebreak to claim the
“I got my high performance
ticket (from NZRL) after a number
of years. It’s good to have but
doing it on the ground, practically,
is where you get the good
experiences.”
Wilson was happy to build on
Martin’s foundations, his predecessor
stepped down with a third
child due next month, though
he will occasionally turn out for
the Bs.
“It’s looking like a good, competitive
team,” he said, appraising
a settled squad.
“We just want to be competitive
in the first round and we can
reassess as we go each week.
What we do have is a group of
keen footballers, and that’s half
the battle.”
Club stalwart Jeff Whittaker
was confident the Hornets could
create a buzz, or sorts in a competition
ruled by Linwood.
“He’ll be a big asset back for
the club, he was a big asset as a
player and administrator before
he left. The knowledge he’s got
from being in Aussie has made
him an even better coach,” he
said.
contest 6-1 4-6 21-19.
Country Ashburton beat
Shirley on a count back of games
won after the tie was locked at
three wins apiece.
The Mid Canterbury side hold
a one-point lead over Te Kura
Hagley, who they meet in the
penultimate round of the regular
season at Wilding Park tomorrow.
In the women’s competition
Te Kura Hagley stayed unbeaten
with a 4-2 win over Elmwood,
SUCCESSFUL: Samantha
Ottley became only the
second female harness
racing driver in New
Zealand to reach 500 wins
when she reined home
Deceptive Lee last week.
500 wins
no big deal
for Ottley
• By Jonny Turner
SAMANTHA OTTLEY was
typically low key after becoming
just the second woman to
notch 500 driving wins in New
Zealand.
West Melton-based Ottley
reached the milestone in style
at Oamaru last week, adding to
that total with two more wins,
one at at the Hororata meeting at
Methven on Sunday, and another
the day before at Invercargill.
Ottley joins her northern
counterpart Nicky Chilcott,
a pioneering woman in New
Zealand harness racing, as a
500-race winning female driver.
Though proud to be something
of a pioneer herself, the
large number of women now
in the driving ranks in New Zealand
means Ottley doesn’t think
of her achievement as anything
too unusual.
“It is pretty cool, but it is not
really too much to think about,
really,” she said.
“There are so many girls getting
out there and driving which
is awesome to see. And they are
certainly kicking a lot of goals.
“Getting a milestone like this,
it happens when it happens. I am
getting on some nice horses and
it has been a good season.
“You just cruise through really,
the milestones just pop up. I like
to try to drive more winners
than the previous year,’’ Ottley
said.
– Harness Racing Desk
Teenage debutant steers Waimairi to tennis upset
while champions Waimairi
recorded the same margin over
Cashmere-Burnside.
Te Kura Hagley and Waimairi
are set to meet in the final, with
just one round remaining.
Points:
Men – Cashmere 94, Waimairi 73,
Elmwood 72, Country Ashburton
65, Te Kura hagley 64, Shirley 41.
Women – Te Kura Hagley 98,
Waimairi 75, Cashmere-Burnside
65, Elmwood 37.