Huge variety of sports on offer at tournament

It is only week four of the term but already there has been so much action happening with most winter sport competitions now up and running around the region.

Area schools tournament

Each year, six area schools from the lower South Island take part in the Southern Area Schools Tournament, which is rotated around the six different participating schools to host each year.

This year’s tournament was hosted by Twizel Area School. About 180 pupils from Waiau Area School, Maniototo Area School, The Catlins Area School, Lawrence Area School, Twizel Area School and Roxburgh Area School took part.

This tournament provides a great opportunity for the students to take part in various sports over three days. Sports played include touch, basketball, rugby, netball, football, ki-o-rahi, volleyball, golf, indoor bowls, squash, badminton, table tennis, petanque, sports climbing, chess, frisbee golf and clay target shooting.

Over the course of this tournament, pupils are selected in sports — rugby, netball, basketball, volleyball, ki-o-rahi and football — to represent the South of the South region at the national area schools tournament in Whangarei in the July school holidays.

Many thanks to Twizel Area School community, friends and whanau for their support hosting pupils, running sports and providing the opportunity for southern area school pupils to mix with others from similar schooling and experience a friendly yet competitive sporting tournament.

Results from the tournament:

Boys touch — Roxburgh Area School; Girls touch — Roxburgh Area School; Girls basketball — Twizel Area School; Boys basketball — Roxburgh Area School; Squash — Roxburgh Area School; Rugby — Roxburgh Area School; Netball — Roxburgh Area School; Boys volleyball — Roxburgh Area School; Girls volleyball — Twizel Area School; Ki-o-rahi — Roxburgh Area School.

Tokomairiro High School

The winter sport sign-ups for Tokomairiro High have been on par with preceding years, and hockey and netball are the most popular. We look forward to seeing how the basketball team does this year. The teams have had a shift from more senior players to more junior players and it is great to see so many year 9 pupils signing up.

As usual, none of this would be possible without the staff and parents who volunteer their time to coach and manage the teams.

Tokomairiro had the annual sports exchange with East Otago High School recently, and a great time was had by all those involved which included 60 pupils and seven staff. This has always been an amazing day, and pupils cherish the friendships that are formed over the years.

The Toko First XI hockey girls went up against Columba Green in division three and won 2-1 on May 9. It was an action-packed game and skill levels were matched. It was an awesome way to begin the season.

Logan Park High School

Logan Park winter sport is up and running with great numbers competing in the challenging environment of Covid and flu season.

A team to watch this season is the first XI boys football team which plays in the premier senior boys Wednesday school league. The team had a great start to the season, drawing against John McGlashan College First XI, and will compete in the Linwood tournament in September.

The first XI girls team is also competing in a tournament in September, and had a good win in its first game.

Both teams are looking forward to the season ahead.

The boys badminton first team is another to watch this season. It was second last year and is working hard to be the premier secondary team this year.

The boys and girls hockey teams are off to winter tournaments in September and both have made a good beginning to the season.

The school has large numbers playing basketball, including several playing at a representative level.

Netball teams have also enjoyed a good start to the season. They completed a Netball Smart session, learning warm-up skills to limit injury.

Many senior pupils are coaching junior teams. A big thanks to all of them and the parent helpers.