College Sport Media
  • Home
  • About
  • Love what we do?
  • Articles
    • Athletics/XC
    • Bike
    • Bowls
    • Boxing
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Netball
    • Rowing
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Sailing
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
    • Weight Lifting
    • Other
  • Videos!
  • Advertise with CSM
  • History of National Events
  • NZ Schools Rugby
    • NZS 2017
    • NZS 2015
    • NZS 2014
    • NZS 2013
    • NZS 2012
    • NZS 2011
    • NZS 2010
    • NZS 2009
    • NZS 2008
    • NZS 2007
    • NZS 2006
    • NZS 2005
    • NZS 2004
    • NZS 2003
    • NZS 2002
    • NZS 2001
    • NZS 2000
    • NZS 1999
    • NZS 1998
    • NZS 1997
    • NZS 1996
    • NZS 1995
    • NZS 1994/95 Tour
    • NZS 1994
    • NZS 1993
    • NZS 1992
    • NZS 1991
    • NZS 1990
    • NZS 1989
    • NZS 1988
    • NZS 1987
    • NZS 1986
    • NZS 1985
    • NZS 1984/85 Tour
    • NZS 1984
    • NZS 1983
    • NZS 1982
    • NZS 1981
    • NZS 1980
    • NZS 1979
    • NZS 1978
    • NZ Schools Stats
  • Index of Articles
  • Partners
  • Youth Olympics 2018,2020
  • Emerging Talent
  • College Rugby Draws
  • Home
  • About
  • Love what we do?
  • Articles
    • Athletics/XC
    • Bike
    • Bowls
    • Boxing
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Netball
    • Rowing
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Sailing
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
    • Weight Lifting
    • Other
  • Videos!
  • Advertise with CSM
  • History of National Events
  • NZ Schools Rugby
    • NZS 2017
    • NZS 2015
    • NZS 2014
    • NZS 2013
    • NZS 2012
    • NZS 2011
    • NZS 2010
    • NZS 2009
    • NZS 2008
    • NZS 2007
    • NZS 2006
    • NZS 2005
    • NZS 2004
    • NZS 2003
    • NZS 2002
    • NZS 2001
    • NZS 2000
    • NZS 1999
    • NZS 1998
    • NZS 1997
    • NZS 1996
    • NZS 1995
    • NZS 1994/95 Tour
    • NZS 1994
    • NZS 1993
    • NZS 1992
    • NZS 1991
    • NZS 1990
    • NZS 1989
    • NZS 1988
    • NZS 1987
    • NZS 1986
    • NZS 1985
    • NZS 1984/85 Tour
    • NZS 1984
    • NZS 1983
    • NZS 1982
    • NZS 1981
    • NZS 1980
    • NZS 1979
    • NZS 1978
    • NZ Schools Stats
  • Index of Articles
  • Partners
  • Youth Olympics 2018,2020
  • Emerging Talent
  • College Rugby Draws
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

11/12/2018 Comments

Maiden NZSS touch title for Columba College

Picture
Columba College - NZSS Girls Touch champions 2018. PHOTO: Touch NZ.
​For a group of outgoing year 13 players including captain and tournament MVP McKayler Moore this past weekend’s maiden NZSS touch title for Columba College was a few years in the making.

“For three of us, this is was our fifth year coming to nationals, and for the four of us in the team leaving school it was going to be the last 15 minutes in our Columba singlets,” said McKayler of the second half in the final that propelled them to the title against Saint Kentigern College.

Columba College beat Hamilton Girls’ High School and then St Kent’s on the third and final day of the annual NZSS tournament at Auckland’s Bruce Pulman Park to be crowned national champions for the first time – and the first Otago school to win the title.

In their semi-final they beat 2016 winners and last year’s runners-up Hamilton Girls’ High School 7-4 before beating defending champions Saint Kentigern College 7-4 in the final. Columba had lost to St Kent’s earlier in the tournament.

After finishing fifth last year, McKayler said going into finals day Columba had nothing to lose against the two big North Island schools.

“Those two teams are renowned for being very classy, so going into finals day we were a bit nervous. But we knew we just had to stick to our game plan and just believe in ourselves and give it everything.

“Beating Hamilton Girls’ for the first time ever gave us a lot of confidence going into the final and we left it all out on the paddock in that last game and it was just awesome to achieve our goal at the end.”

The final itself was on tenterhooks at 2-2 at halftime. “It was a tough grind in the first half, but come the second half we realised that we could actually win this and we just had to give it everything and that managed to be enough.”   

On day one Columba had beaten Morrinsville High School 10-1 and Trident High School 9-1, before losing 2-1 to St Kent’s.

“We weren’t too disheartened by that loss as we knew there was more we could have given in that game, and we were just really happy to get into the top eight anyway.”

On day two they beat Whangarei Girls’ High School 7-4, Mount Albert Grammar School 7-3 and drew with Westlake Girls’ High School 5-5.

“The draw was probably our worst game of the tournament but we used that as motivation for the games that followed.”
​
Columba had qualified for nationals back in Summer Tournament Week in March, beating Dunedin rivals St Hilda’s Collegiate 7-1 in the South Island final.
PictureTournament MVP and Columba captain McKayler Moore. PHOTO: Touch NZ.
​Being named girls tournament MVP was a surprise. “That was such a crazy experience, hearing my name being called out and I was not expecting it!”

McKayler, Meg Sycamore and Maia Joseph made the girls tournament selection of 20 players.

Hamilton Boys’ High School won the boys competition and Howick College annexed the mixed title.
 
McKayler paid tribute to coach Dayna Turnbull, who is also the New Zealand open women’s captain.

“She has been involved in the team for a few years now and her enthusiasm and experience as a coach and player at the highest level is immense.

 “There are still lots of players coming back next year and just having Dayna as the coach you just know they will give it their all in their title defence next year.”

McKayler herself made her full New Zealand debut earlier this year, in the trans-Tasman series in Rotorua.
“That was very surreal, I was just honoured to play against the Australian side who are the world’s best,” said McKayler who plays in the middle playmaking position for Columba and link for New Zealand.

As well as Columba coach Dayna Turnbull, Olivia O’Neill from St Hilda’s Collegiate was also in the team that played Australia, who beat New Zealand 2-0 in the three-match series (bad weather cancelling the last match).

McKayler, Olivia and Columba College teammate – and New Zealand U18 team MVP - Meg Sycamore later went to Malaysia with the New Zealand U18 team that finished second to Australia at the U18 World Cup.

“The culture, the heat and playing against all the other teams in Malaysia was so different to anything I had experienced before. In the final it was a draw at halftime but unfortunately in the second half they ran the legs off us.”

The next big tournament for McKayler and many of the Otago players is the U21 nationals in March. She also plans to start university in Dunedin in 2019.
​
The Columba College NZSS winning touch team was: McKayler Moore (captain), Meg Sycamore, Maia Joseph, Claudia Carruthers, Brylee More, Olivia Fowler, Jess Cowie, Liv Preston, Madi Williams, Kate Macbeth, Riley Piebenga, Abby Anderson, Meg Breen, Grace Macbeth, Charlotte Hayes, Chelsea Smith.

Picture
Comments

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

Organisation

College Sport Media is dedicated to telling the story of successful young sportspeople in New Zealand

Use of articles

All rights are reserved for commercial use.
Any Educational Institution or official sports governing body may use material with acknowledgement to College Sport Media 
© COPYRIGHT 2015.-2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.