Super 8 Hockey & Basketball Tourneys To Provide Plenty Of Action Next Week

Next week is a massive one in the Super 8 with the hockey and basketball tourneys happening. The hockey is being hosted by Gisborne while the basketball is staged in Rotorua.

Hockey Prospects
Hamilton has been the power base of New Zealand Secondary Schools hockey in recent years. St. Paul’s Collegiate are the reigning Rankin Cup champions and prior to that Hamilton Boys’ High School had won the title twice.

In 2017 the Waikato region again appears to be the pace-setting region. Heading into the Super 8, Hamilton BHS is 12-0 and leading the Waikato Secondary Schools Championship. Additionally Hamilton was the only team to win all five games at the ANZAC hockey festival in April which featured three of the top four sides from the 2016 Rankin Cup.

Hamilton are superbly led by midfielder Tim Nield in his fourth Super 8. Nield is a dynamic midfielder who has represented the Junior Blacksticks and both the Midlands U18&21 squads. Brad Coxon is another real threat.

Palmerston North Boys’ High School are a perennial contenders having won in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015. Longtime coach Bruce Kensington departed at the end of 2015, but six wins from seven games and a India Shield triumph at Nationals last year shows the program is still in good shape.

Hastings Boys’ High School have enjoyed notable wins over King’s College and Wellington College in April and locally have beaten Napier BHS and Lindisfarne College. If Hastings are consistent they could threaten. Their key players are Hamish Gilbert and Central U18 rep Sachan Dadrah.  

Similarly New Plymouth Boys’ High School have experienced mixed form. Losses to Auckland Grammar School (4-2),  Hamilton BHS  (3-2) and Palmerston North BHS (4-1) were offset by easy victories over local rivals Francis Douglas Memorial College and Wanganui Collegiate.

Players to watch in the New Plymouth roster include Branden Russ, a young Year 11 striker who is very elusive and deceptive with his dribbling skill and speed.  Tom Nicholls is a workmanlike defender who will prove tough to foil in the back field.
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For More Click Here: http://www.super8.co.nz/page/hockey-2017/

Basketball Prospects

Palmerston North Boys’ High School are the overwhelming favourites to win the Super 8 basketball tourney at Rotorua Boys’ High School next week.

Palmerston North lost the 2016 National final by a solitary point on a miraculous three-pointer, but have retained most of their roster from that setback and have started 2017 in rampant form winning 23 out of 25 games.
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Palmerston North is stacked with National representatives. Rangimarie Mita, Oscar Oswald, Tama Fa’amausili and Cooper Boyce-Towler are all New Zealand Under-18 reps while seven-footer Callum McRae is a Junior Tall Black and will almost certainly head to the US on scholarship next year.

Who could challenge Palmerston North?

Hastings Boys` High School always produce a competitive team and 2017 will be no exception. Under the astute coaching of Curtis Wooten, Hastings have developed a reputation as the `best small team in New Zealand.` Hastings play a high speed game that relies on skill rather than height and power to succeed.

However in Isaiah Jones they have a big man of genuine quality. Jones represented New Zealand at the 3×3 World Championships recently.

Napier Boys’ High School are the defending champions and have retained former Tall Fern Kirstin Daly-Taylor as coach. Tyrese Davies who made the 2016 Super 8 tournament team is a key player.

Hosts Rotorua Boys’ High School are a long way off the standard which saw them make the final in 2015 and lose a National semi-final by a solitary point to eventual National Champions, Rangitoto College.

Pool A consists of: Napier BHS, Hamilton BHS, Palmerston North BHS and Rotorua BHS. Pool B features New Plymouth BHS, Tauranga BC, Hastings BHS and Gisborne BHS.

Hastings were the first winners in 1998 and the most frequent champions with five titles. New Plymouth BHS have prevailed four times since 2010 while Palmerston North last won in 2008.
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For more information Click Here: http://www.super8.co.nz/page/basketball-2017/