At the start of the netball season, the Hauraki Plains College A Netball team set a goal to win the Boulton Cup.
On June 25, the sports stars made that goal come to life when they swept up all seven games at the Thames Valley Secondary School’s Boulton Cup Netball Competition, and ultimately dominated their final game with a score of 20-8 against Morrinsville College.
“I’m incredibly proud of the girls,” coach Bre Barker said.
“It was an awesome day and so good to keep the cup at home this year. The girls worked hard and looked after each other throughout the day which was so nice to see.”
The coach said the team knew it would take hard work to win the cup so they focussed on building their team culture, strengthening their defence and improving their connections across the court. “It was especially rewarding to see our first-year players have such a positive and enjoyable experience at Boulton Cup.” The tournament helped the netballers “bond as a team” and “build stronger connections” with one another, she said.
Team member Amber Perry told The Profile “it felt so good” to retain the cup for another year.
“Luckily the rain held off until [the] semis and finals, but it wasn’t too bad compared to last year when [it] rained all day.” The 17-year old champion said it felt good that “all our hard work at training paid off” and great to see new combinations work together.
Whenever their side line cheered loudly, “it encourages us to play stronger”, she said.
The team’s success came from “everyone’s love for the game”, she said, as well as the coaches who helped them focus and improve their games.
The next goal the team will work towards is the Upper North Island Secondary Schools Netball Championships (UNISS) in September this year.
By DAVIDDA HIKATANGATA
