Slick showdown leads to Boulton Cup victory

After an 11-year wait, the Hauraki Plains College A netball team have brought home the Boulton Cup, competing in wet conditions against the hosts.
In a final clash against Matamata on June 12, the girls triumphed 17 to 13, sealing the win despite being a player down.
The last time Hauraki Plains College won the cup was back in 2014.
“We were so proud. Absolutely buzzing,” team manager Bre Barker said.
“We had lots of stand-out moments, but one in particular was when we were a player down in the final at the defensive end, and our Goal Defence, Amber, worked so hard to make sure they didn’t score and got a beautiful intercept. It just showed how much our girls wanted to win for each other.”
Held annually, the Boulton Cup location alternates based on the previous winner, and this year’s tournament took place in Matamata.
“Torrential” rain during the pool games added to the matches’ intensity, but despite the weather, Bre said the squad had a great day.
“Leading up to Boulton it was a little concerning what the weather was going to do,” she said. “I know it is a winter sport, but it was not looking great and we had some torrential rain during some of the pool games leading up to the semis and finals which made for tricky conditions for our girls to play in.
“[Coach] Sarah Perry is amazing and we are so grateful to have such a great bunch of girls and can’t wait for the rest of the season,” Bre said, “especially our pinnacle of the year which is the Upper North Island Secondary Schools Competition.”
Hauraki Plains’ A team represents the top netball talent from the college, made up of Year 11 to 13 students. They currently compete in the Hamilton City Netball Centre’s Secondary Senior Prem Grade, playing every Saturday.
They’ll be at the 2025 UNISS tournament, hosted at Auckland Netball Centre, from August 25-29, 2025.