Rongotai in good form heading into Futsal Nationals

Rongotai College celebrate scoring their winning goal in the Wellington final against Wellington College. PHOTO: Photo Wellington.

The Rongotai College Senior A Futsal team is a team that has always contended at the highest level, and are continuing to do so this year with having a truly exceptional season.
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Their most recent success being crowned the 2019 College Sport Wellington Regional champions after beating defending 2018 NZSS Futsal champions, Wellington College.

This result was satisfying but they were quietly confident on winning as they were undefeated prior to the tournament. With a rather young squad, containing only six year 13s in a squad of 12 students, this title will only fuel them with confidence moving forward towards nationals.

Rongotai College has always been a rather successful school at both regional and national level, being the defending champions of the CSW Futsal Premier Division, and have previously made two national finals in 2015 and 2018. Having fallen short on both occasions, this is the year students and supporters believe they will be able to go one further.

Last year, Rongotai College was narrowly beaten by Wellington College in the NZSS final, after beating Hamilton Boys’ High School 2-1 in their semi-final. Goal-keeper Shannon Lucas won the Golden Gloves award at the conclusion of the tournament.

Team morale and belief in one another is at the highest level it has ever been at Rongotai. Senior A captain Lucas Bertos says the team is in a positive space. He says that Regionals was a tidy and successful day for Rongotai College, with their winning ways continuing on throughout the tournament and through to the final. He believes that Rongotai delivers a quick and exciting new style of futsal that can benefit them at a national level.

Bertos delivered his helping hand in that Regional final, scoring the only goal of the fixture in unbelievable style in the 1-0 win against Wellington College.

The future of Rongotai futsal is bright, as the Junior As were also finalists at the Regional tournament, coming second, and the Senior B side are Wellington Division 2 finalists for 2019.

Coaches Glenn and Darsey Hogan are happy to be involved in the success that this season has brought them so far and they believe these winning ways will only continue throughout nationals and years to come.

Rongotai College don’t have to venture far to attend Nationals, which are being held at Kilbirnie’s ASB Sports Centre all next week, 25-29 March, with the Senior Boys final on Friday afternoon.

A total of 92 teams will be competing in the tournament, in Senior Boys and Girls and Junior Boys and Girls divisions. The girls tournament is being played on Monday and Tuesday before the attention turn to the boys’ competitions from Wednesday through to Friday.

There are eight Senior Boys pools of five teams each, with Rongotai College in Pool B with neighbouring St Pat’s Town, John McGlashan College, Buller High School and Rototuna High School.

For more information visit: https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/COMPETITIONS/Futsal-1/NZSS-Futsal-Championships

The Rongotai College Senior A futsal squad is:
Lucas Bertos (C) , Sean Lane-Turnbull , Matt Carter, Joe Renwick, Matt Peden, Jesse Randall, Ollie Taylor, George Walker, Preston Rota, Johnny Khoun, Mohammad Dia, Jacob Chadwick.