The Star: April 20, 2023

The Star Thursday April 20 2023
22
SPORT
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Winter codes heating up as
With winter sport
in full swing, Jaime
Cunningham looks
at the match-ups
this weekend
RUGBY (SATURDAY)
Burnside go into their clash
against Marist Albion after a
confidence-boosting 35-13 win
over last season’s semi-finalists
High School Old Boys.
It was Burnside’s first win in
almost two years after the team
was plagued by large defeats in
the last Metro Premier season.
Their last victory was over
Sydenham 20-18 in the 2021
semi-final.
High School Old Boys host
Linwood at Bob Deans (Hagley
Park) after their 22-17 home
defeat to Burnside.
Both teams scored in the last
quarter of the game but Burnside
held on as their strong defence
prevented High School Old Boys
from scoring in the last five
minutes.
Burnside head coach Willie
Brown said the win was
important for the players, the
club, the old boys and their
supporters.
“Some boys hadn’t won a game
since 2021,” he said.
“We had 10 players make their
debut in the game. So our biggest
focus has been working on our
connections not just within the
team but in the whole club.”
Now Burnside take on Marist
Albion at Edgar Macintosh Park.
Marist Albion will be confident
following their strong 35-13 win
over title-holders Sydenham.
Said Brown: “Now that we’ve
got the pressure of winning off
our backs we can just play some
good rugby.”
Sydenham take on Sumner
who go into round 2 on the back
of a last minute loss to Linwood
in the DCL Shield match.
Sumner head coach Gareth
D’Almeida said the loss was
tough but he was confident
Sumner can start their season
better than last year’s nine
straight losses.
“You shouldn’t really lose a
game in the last 10 minutes,”
he said. “But Linwood were
semi-finalists last year, so to go
down in the last play of the game
shows we’re a better team than
we were.”
Lincoln University and Shirley
also suffered tight losses in
round 1. Both will play on their
home grounds this weekend for
the first time this season.
Belfast travel to Lincoln to
take on the Rams after a 24-20
loss to Shirley. A strong Lincoln
University side went down to
New Brighton by a point (27-26)
in their opening game.
Christchurch take on Shirley
at Burwood Park after suffering
the largest loss of the first round,
going down 59-29 to University
of Canterbury. University will
take on New Brighton at home.
In a rematch of the women’s
premiership final, Christchurch
host University of Canterbury at
REPRISAL:
Sydenham
halfback
Max Hughes
spies a gap
in their
premier final
rematch
against
Marist
Albion who
got revenge
for last
season’s final
loss with a
35-13
victory.
PHOTO: B
KING
Christchurch Park. Both teams
go into round 2 after convincing
wins. University pulled away
from Lincoln University last
weekend to claim a 41-14 victory.
Christchurch had a tougher
game against Linwood, but still
came away with a 27-16 win.
High School Old Boys take
on Lincoln University following
their 111-0 thrashing of a young
Prebbleton side in the first
round.
Prebbleton host Linwood at
home and are hoping to get their
first points on the board.
FOOTBALL
Christchurch United are the
team to beat in the early stages of
the Southern League.
They face Nomads tomorrow
night following their 2-0 victory
over Selwyn United which put
them two points clear at the top
of the table.
Their battle with Selwyn
United game looked to be
heading towards a scoreless
draw until Christchurch
United’s Daniel Maclennan and
Abdulbaset Khalifa both scored
within two minutes of each
other.
Although Selwyn United did
not come away with any points,
the Foster Park-based side were
the first team this season to stop
Christchurch United scoring a
third.
Cashmere Technical drew
1-1 with Coastal Spirit in a
scrappy game at Linfield Park.
Technical came close to winning
in the dying minutes, but shots
from Andrew Storer and Lyle
Mattyson did not get past
Coastal goalkeeper Ellis Hare-
Read.
Cashmere Technical are
now two points behind leader
Christchurch United who have
a perfect 12 points from four
games.
Nomads are at the bottom of
the ladder after they were unable
to pick up their first win against
FC Twenty 11.
It will be a challenge for
Nomads tomorrow night against
Christchurch United. Nomads
went down 8-0 to the current
league leaders last season and
then narrowly lost to them again
1-0 three months later.
City’s top netballers back on court
• By Jaime Cunningham
PREMIER NETBALL returns
on Anzac Day with plenty of
Mainland representatives, Tactix
players and talented youngsters
featuring in the eight teams.
This will be the last year
premier 1 grades are played at
various venues, as Nga Puna
Wai is set to host all games next
season.
•UC A vs Kereru B, St
Margaret’s College, 4pm
After going down to Lincoln
University the premier final,
University of Canterbury will be
hoping to go a step further this
season. The bulk of the young
but experienced side return for
UC, with Mainland defender
Julia Wynands set to captain the
team.
Tactix players Paris Lokotui,
Parris Petera and Vika Koloto
will no doubt be integral
assets for UC when they are
not involved in the ANZ
Premiership. UC take on
Kereru B who finished seventh
last season, narrowly escaping
demotion to premier 2. But
Kereru B has a fresh look, with
MATCH-UP: Defending champs Lincoln University A take
on the club’s B team in their season opener. Right – Jess
Maclennan will give the Saints a big boost in defence.
several players transferring from
other clubs.
•Lincoln University A
v Lincoln University B,
Bishopdale YMCA court 1,
5.30pm
No doubt the match-up of
round 1 will see last year’s
premier 1 champion take on the
premier 2 winner.
Lincoln University B were
promoted after a successful
season in the second grade.
Andrea Cousins returns
as head coach for Lincoln
University’s premier team, along
with many of the championship
winning squad, including Tactix
player Kate Lloyd and Mainland
representative Lily Fletcher.
Star shooter Hannah Glen is
out for the side after suffering
an ACL injury in October,
while Tactix training partner
Taiana Day is set to make her
debut on Tuesday. Half of last
year’s Lincoln University B team
return, with six new players.
Ronelle van Dongen is head
coach of the team, while Karyn
Annan is assistant coach.
•Hearts St Peter’s A vs
Kia Toa A, Bishopdale
YMCA court 2, 5.30pm
Moving to Christchurch to
play for the Tactix this season,
Aliyah Dunn will also be wearing
the Saints colours. Her sister,
Tyra, who plays for Mainland in
the National Netball League was
also named in the Saints team,
meaning the shooting end will
be a defensive nightmare when
both players are available. Former
Tactix captain Jess Maclennan
returns for Saints, although
the team will be without Anna
Kennedy, Ellen Halpenny and
Gemma Etheridge.
Six of last season’s squad
return for Kia Toa’s A team who
finished sixth in the premier 1
grade. Samoan international Fia
Laikong will be key for Kia Toa
in the shooting end and Corrina
Ruki returns as head coach.
•Technical A vs Kereru
A, St Margaret’s College,
5.35pm
Technical stalwart and former
Tactix defender Louise Thayer
will be a key player as she returns
to the A team this season. Charlotte
Elley, who is currently playing
for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty
Magic in the ANZ Premiership,
also returns. However, Technical
will be without young shooter
Jess Allan, who is a Southern
Steel training partner. Former
Tactix players Nicola Mackle and
Jess Prosser have also departed
Technical.
Although one of the only A
teams without any Tactix players,
Kereru have plenty of young
players to challenge Technical in
round 1. Liv Clark and Julianna
Wolfgramm return to Kereru’s
shooting end, as the team looks
to improve on last year’s fifthplace.