Youth Sports Team of the Year

from WTA Sports Awards 2021

Honours Board

Open to any team of secondary school students that have achieved a high standard of participation in any sport.

Rathkeale College 1ST XI Football

Rathkeale nished a very creditable 14TH at the 2019 Lotto National Football Tournament – the premier tournament for secondary schools throughout New Zealand. Rathkeale topped their pool with two wins and a draw. In the round of 16 they were beaten 1-0 by Nelson College, ending any chance of a top eight nish, followed by a 3-1 loss to HIBS. Rathkeale defeated Hastings BHS 3-1, but lost 2-1 to Napier BHS for a respectable 14TH in their rst entry in the top competition.

St Matthew’s Collegiate School 1ST XI Cricket

St Matthew’s have exceeded expectations with two top three nishes at the Gillette Venus Cup national playo s over the past two cricket seasons. St Matthew’s nished third at the 2019 tournament, but bettered that at the 2020 tournament. They won four of their ve games in round-robin play to Christchurch Girls High School. The two teams met in the nal, with Christchurch GHS coming out on top. St Matthew’s quali ed for the 2021 nals, by winning the Central Districts playo s for the third consecutive year. Wairarapa Pony Club Mounted Games Team

The Wairarapa Pony Club Mounted Games team, representing the Wellington-Wairarapa region, won the NZPCA Mounted Games Championship, held at the Solway Showgrounds in March 2021. The team of Jeremy Thurston, Alex Anstis, Madeleine Percy, Lucy Marshall, and Manaia Papworth are all Wairarapa-based, as is coach Dani Adamson. Wairarapa quali ed second in the preliminaries behind Canterbury for the ve-team nal. Wairarapa turned the table in the nal, scoring 42 points, to take the title by four points from Canterbury.

Wairarapa United U19 Football

Wairarapa United won the satellite tournament at the National U19 tournament in Napier in October 2020, going through unbeaten. The team, comprising players from Kuranui, Rathkeale, and Wairarapa colleges, played three games a day over three days. They won all pool games, scoring 24 goals without conceding a goal. In the quarter nals Wairarapa United beat Manukau 3-1 to set up a semi nal against Taradale, which they won 3-0. The nal with North Wellington nished at 1-1, with United winning the penalty shootout 5-3.