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The Hibiscus Coast Raiders were “blown away” at being named Auckland Rugby League (ARL) Club of the Year at the organisation’s Conference of Clubs on November 25 and 26. The award recognises the club going above and beyond this season to make a positive impact in their community through the game of Rugby League. The club thanks its volunteers, coaches, managers and players as well as the ARL for their support. Pictured is Raiders chair Seth Gleeson, right, receiving the award from ARL general manager Viggo Rasmussen.
Hibiscus Coast Cricket Club’s manager, Gair McSkimming, is also a player and was recently selected for Auckland Cricket’s Over-50s Division 1 team. Gair is a true all-rounder – a left-hand top order batter and right arm off spin bowler. The squad will compete in the Inter-Provincial Tournament (IPT,) to be held next month in Dunedin, after which a New Zealand team will be selected.
Year 11 Whangaparāoa College student Jessica Washer is one of 90 secondary school netballers who will take part in the NZ Secondary Schools Netball Development Camp in Auckland next month. She is the only player from the Coast to be invited to the camp. Jessica has been playing netball since she was seven years of age and says she has “loved every second of it”. She was in the school’s Premier team, which won the North Harbour Netball competition this year. Jessica, who normally plays Goal Attack, says she hopes to gain experience and enhance her skills at the camp, but also to connect with other players and coaches. “I’m looking forward to being exposed to the high-level environment and learning what it takes to compete at that level,” she says.
At age 14, Enoch Wu of Stanmore Bay is the youngest member of the Hibiscus Coast Harriers and Triathlon Club and already he is making his mark. The Kingsway School student recently completed the full Rangitoto swim – 4.6km from the island to St Heliers Beach. Enoch came first in his age group (12-14) and 46th overall, in a field of 332 swimmers. He says the race was a great experience, and he chased fast swimmers all the way to the finish. “I was a little bit tired at the last 500m,” Enoch says.
Recently Ōrewa College Year 10 student Brian Wilson set two NZ Men’s U17 records (Para F20 division), in discus and shotput. The achievement came at the McKinnon Shield Athletics Competition when he achieved a distance of 19.13m in discus using a 1.5kg weight, and a 6.35m throw using a 5kg weight in shotput. Brian has global development delay and is non-verbal. He has been participating in sports since the age of three. Recently the family moved to Ōrewa and Brian trains regularly, including twice a week at the Millennium Stadium. In April, Brian won 1st place in discus and shot put, Para category, at the Auckland Secondary Schools Athletics Championships. He also enjoys the camaraderie of the Ōrewa College rugby club, having played since he was five. Brian will compete at his first NZ Secondary Schools Athletics Championship this month in Christchurch in the Para category for discus and shot put.
Manly Sailing Club excelled, winning five national awards from Yachting NZ last month. Top of the list was the Race Officer Emeritus award, which went to Vice Commodore Harold Bennett. Harold says it recognises the hard work put in over a long period of time and he was humbled to receive it. Last year he was named Race Official of the Year. In addition, windfoiler Aimee Bright is Young Female Sailor of the Year, Ewan Brazle, who sails O’Pen Skiff was named Young Male Sailor of the Year, and Emerging Coach of the Year went to Matthew Rist. Moth sailor Jacob Pye took home the Harken Youth Performance Award.
