Five teams from Otago were involved in the Girls Rugby Festival, which took place at St Kevins, Oamaru, in the July break.
St Hildas won the award for the best all-round team because of the high points they earned from opposing teams for their positive attitude and referees for their sportsmanship.
They also made it into the final after squeaking past Christchurch Girls in the semifinals, winning 7-5.
With less than five minutes to go, second five Jamie Greene (St Hildas) broke a tackle and scored under the posts.
In the final St Hildas played Auckland Girls Grammar, one of the top three teams in the Auckland competition.
St Hildas dominated the second half after scoring a try in an even first half, but things slipped in the last five minutes and the Auckland team scored its second try in the last play of the game to win 10-5.
A combination team based around Taieri College was beaten by Auckland Girls in the other semifinal.
Victoria Nafatali dominated the scoring for this team during the three days.
Blue Mountain College fielded a team with some Gore High School players included and had a good win over Kuranui College from the Wairarapa, which was down for its second festival in a row.
South Otago looked a team capable of matching the best, especially after it pipped St Hildas in a pool game, but inconsistency cost it a semifinal place.
The local combined team of St Kevins and Waitaki Girls produced some good results, but also lacked consistency. Maybe this was because the difference between the teams seemed much less marked than in previous years.
The most pleasing aspect was the realisation that our teams can compete with the best in New Zealand and it augurs well for the Otago Secondary Schoolgirls team which plays in the South Island Regional Tournament in Alexandra, starting on September 29.
All Black function
A special Winter Captains Breakfast was held on the Monday before the All Blacks v South Africa Test match at Carisbrook.
About 115 pupils, representing every school in Otago, attended the function, as well as invited guests.
These included the Mayor of Dunedin, Peter Chin, representatives from the University of Otago College of Education, Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association's major sponsor Dunedin City Ford, the Community Trust of Otago, the Callis Trust, the Caversham Foundation , the Otago Rugby Football Union, Sport Otago, the Sports Institute of Otago and the Alhambra-Union Rugby Football Club.
The theme of the breakfast was leadership, with both Keven Mealamu and Graham Henry talking about the All Blacks' leadership model.
Mealamu explained that they had a group of leaders on the field and a different group off the field.
He has been part of the off-field leadership team since 2005 and his main role has been to contribute towards organisational events for the players.
He also emphasised the best leaders he had worked under were those who led by example and who were "men of few words".
Graham Henry also talked about leadership, particularly from a coach's point of view, highlighting positivity and encouragement as two key elements.
He commented on how delighted he was to be back in Dunedin as well as back at his old club, formerly the Union Rugby Football Club.
Craig Miller, deputy head prefect at Otago Boys High School and captain of the 1st XV gave a vote of thanks to Henry and Mealamu and Mayor Peter Chin presented both guests with Dunedin scarves.
Titles for South Island
KartSport New Zealand's Eaton Fluid Power-sponsored 2008 Schools Championship titles have gone to South Island schools this year with Chris Cox and Andrew Errington of Christchurch's St Andrews College winning the secondary schools' title and Liam Young, of Dunedin's Wakari Primary School, winning the primary title and Cassidy Mowat, of Kaikorai Valley College, the intermediate title.
Reigning New Zealand Junior 100cc Yamaha champion Chris Cox won the Junior 100cc Yamaha title and finished second in Formula Junior event, while schoolmate Andrew Errington won the 125cc Rotax Max Light title.
In the junior classes Liam Young finished second in the Cadet event and Cassidy Mowat finished third in the Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha event.
Best individual performance across the classes came from Invercargill's Jamie Conroy (James Hargest College), who won four out of five heat races to claim the Senior 100cc Yamaha Light title from top local drivers Morgan Fraser (Kaikorai Valley College), who finished second, and Alex Spenceley (Logan Park High School), who finished third.
Best performance from a member of the host club, the Dunedin Kart Club, was shared by Morgan Fraser and Liam Young.
Of the karters who travelled farthest for the event, the best performance came from Josh Drysdale (Newbury School, Manawatu), who won the Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha title, ahead of Scott Manson (Chrinswood School, Christchurch) and Cassidy Mowat.
This year's KartSport New Zealand National Schools Championship was hosted by the Dunedin Kart Club and Mosgiel's Taieri College at the club's Silverstream raceway.
More than 70 karters from 42 schools from across the country made the trip to Dunedin, where they enjoyed two full days of close and exciting racing in crisp, dry conditions.
Boys' mid-week football
This season's competition has seen numerous interruptions to the playing programme, which has made it rather disjointed for all concerned.
While competition has been keen, there have been some one-sided victories and some runaway leaders in the grades.
Reintroducing the 2nd XI competition has ensured more football for more players at an appropriate level, and the numbers playing are certainly very good.
The top four in the premier grade sorted themselves out fairly early, and the match-ups for the semifinals have been settled, with leaders Otago Boys taking on fourth-placed Kings, and Logan Park and John McGlashan squaring off.
Because of the absence of the Milk Cup squad, teams will play a number of friendly games at the start of the third term, with the semis on August 13 and the final on August 20.
The 2nd XI competition is tight, with four teams vying for two semifinal spots and only one round of games to play.
Kings and Otago Boys are assured of play-off spots, so the interest will be in seeing which two out of South Otago, Taieri College, John McGlashan and Logan Park take the other spots.
Like the junior league, this grade finishes with semis on July 30 and the final on August 6.
Otago Boys Blue are clear leaders in the five-team junior league, and with only one game scheduled in the last round, they will be joined in the semis by Kings, John McGlashan and Otago Boys White.
These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association (OSSSA) which is proudly sponsored by the University of Otago College of Education.
Contacts: Des Smith, Otago Regional Sports Director, PO Box 6303, Dunedin. Ph: 470-1337. Fax: 470-1786. Email: des@osssa.org.nz Website: www.osssa.org.nz
