Category Archives: Sport

Sep 8 2012

Sporting your life vicariously – the last Tournament – Aftermath


The Final Federation Cup Hockey Tournament for the #1 Daughter is done and dusted.

After the two games on Monday the dye had been cast and the girls were then in the bottom half off the draw – the bottom 8, which was confirmed after a further loss on the Tuesday.

Wednesday’s game, against, surprisingly Whangarei GHS, meant that the loser would effectively be relegated from the tournament the following year.

It didn’t go well, the Rangitoto girls turned up to play in a very terse, nervous and sombre mood. And this translated to a ponderous and withdrawn match that they lost easily to a very motivated Whangarei team.

Thursday then, nothing to lose and a match against Kristin School, who, ironically are the closest school to Rangitoto College in Auckland. They have “the wood” on them and 1-0 doesn’t really do justice to a match that Rangitoto dominated for he large part

And so to a final game, in the pouring rain, and #1 seeding for the Marie Fry tournament next year, and a comprehensive 5-2, smiles and high fives all round.

  • Mon 3rd Sep  Round 1 Pool C Rangitoto College Craighead Diocesan  LOSS 0 – 2 
  • Mon 3rd Sep  Round 2 Pool C Rangitoto College Villa Maria College LOSS 2 – 4 
  • Tue 4th Sep    Round 3 Pool C St Cuthbert‘s College Rangitoto College LOSS 3 – 0 
  • Wed 5th Sep  Crossover Round 4 Whangarei Girls’ High Rangitoto College LOSS 4 – 0
  • Thu 6th Sep   Crossover Round 5 Rangitoto College Kristin School WIN 1 – 0 
  • Fri 7th Sep   Final Round Rangitoto College Palmerston North Girls WIN 5 – 2 

Final Results and Placings

  • 1 St Cuthbert’s College
  • 2 Wairarapa College
  • 3 Diocesan School
  • 4 Rangi Ruru Girls
  • 5 Villa Maria College
  • 6 St Margaret’s College
  • 7 Epsom Girls Grammar
  • 8 St Hilda’s Collegiate
  • 9 Whangarei Girls’ High
  • 10 Craighead Diocesan
  • 11 St Matthew‘s Collegiate
  • 12 Christchurch Girls High
  • 13 Rangitoto College
  • 14 Palmerston North Girls
  • 15 Kristin School
  • 16 Gisborne Girls High
Related articles
Aug 29 2012

Sporting your life vicariously – the last Tournament


Next week my daughter will be playing for her College team at the 2012 Federation Cup Secondary School Tournament in Carterton. It will be for her, and many others, the final schools tournament they get to play in. Of course there is always faint hope of age grade representative teams, and other honours, but this one is a final hurrah before she embarks into the real world!

Rangitoto College are this year seeded #6 based on the 2011 tournament results. The Federation Cup is for the top schools Hockey teams, and is pretty mercenary, the bottom 4 teams drop out of the tournament the following year, and the top four teams from the  Marie Fry Trophy Secondary School Tournament are added, this year: St Hilda’s Collegiate , Craighead Diocesan, Christchurch Girls High, and Gisborne Girls High. The Schools that now play in the tournament below -The Marie Fry Trophy Secondary School Tournament –  are : Westlake Girls High, Hillcrest High School, Tauranga Girls College,  and Nelson College for Girls, and they go in as the top 4 seeds for that.

The Federation Cup  is played in a tournament format of 16 Team 4 teams per pool, and then Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Finals.

In recent years, since they qualified after the 2007 Marie Fry Trophy Tournament,  Rangitoto College have finished 8th (2008), 4th (2009), 2nd (2010), and 6th (2011).

This year then the seeding and pools look like this

Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D
Wairarapa College Diocesan School St Cuthbert’s College St Matthew’s Collegiate
Whangarei Girls’ High St Margarets’ College Rangitoto College Rangi Ruru Girls
Epsom Girls Grammar Kristin School Villa Maria College Palmerston North Girls
Gisborne Girls High Christchurch Girls High Craighead Diocesan St Hilda’s Collegiate

And seedings

Team Division Seeding
Wairarapa College 1
Diocesan School 2
St Cuthbert’s College 3
St Matthew’s Collegiate 4
Rangi Ruru Girls 5
Rangitoto College 6
St Margaret’s College 7
Whangarei Girls’ High 8
Epsom Girls Grammar 9
Kristin School 10
Villa Maria College 11
Palmerston North Girls 12
St Hilda’s Collegiate 13
Craighead Diocesan 14
Christchurch Girls High 15
Gisborne Girls High 16

And for me? A Few days in Carterton where there is plenty of Wine to drink ! oh and I’m urged to consider these activities whilst there, inbetween games:

  • Paua World, a terrific paua factory and store
  • The Parkvale Mushroom Factory
  • Vineyards at Gladstone
  • Stonehenge Aotearoa
  • Country gardens – like Daysh Country Garden at Clareville and Assisi Gardens high in the Gladstone hills
  • and as a bonus
  • For an outdoor adventure hike in the Tararua Forest Park and the Waiohine Gorge, which has an brilliant swing bridge.

All of which could happen.

Jul 10 2012

Supporting Local – the one where it costs us more


We’re encouraged to support Kiwi made, and to be proud of our Kiwiness. But this week, and added to a story of last year, it seems that we might just be paying through the nose for some of that faith.

Both the examples below, Air New Zealand, and Adidas New Zealand are both under some scrutiny for their pricing models.

I’m probably being a curmudgeon on this, and this is just the natural order of things, by and large no corporate does anything for altruistic purpose. Why give your money away for no reward.

Air NZ claim that “of course your tickets that buy in NZ on NZ’s Airline cost more” because “They spend millions on advertising” and that of course has “Downstream” benefits. So basically we pay more to support our local Air Line so they can spend more on adverts, oh and of course they support Rugby – They are a ‘global partner’ of the All Blacks.

Adidas claimed that “of course the replica jersey costs more in NZ” because “we spend millions in sponsorship of rugby in New Zealand” Which is just like saying compulsory donation from you, benefit to us!

I’d not be surprised if, for example, Fisher and Paykel run a similar model for Netball sponsorship, it’s not altruism that’d make them sponsor a sport.

The model where the price is slightly higher, the profits slightly higher, and as a result the company can show a generous largess in supporting a sports team, which should generate more sales which generates more profits, you see where this is going.

With the advent of the interwebtubes it becomes more obvious, and both the examples below are as a result of being able to by online, in real time, for the same goods, or service, and get a different experience. I’m sure they didn’t think it through really. Afterall your marketing spend is a local issue, but with a global reach. People shouldn’t be disloyal and shop elsewhere but at home, should they?

I don’t object to sponsorships, profits, profit margins, sales, or globalisation, but I do object to being treated as a bit of a dumbass by the talking head PR people about these things. They’d sell a lot fewer jerseys though if it came with a tag that said “for every jersey you buy we will recover the cost of sponsorship for your team by $10.00. Never happen. Nor would Air NZ get away with a advertising Surcharge on their tickets of 5% to aid their global marketing initiatives.

#justsaying

Kiwis pay top dollar on Air NZ

Air New Zealand has been left scrambling to explain why Kiwis are charged hundreds – even thousands – of dollars more than British passengers for the same flights.

A customer based in Britain who books online a return economy-class flight from London to Auckland will pay much less than a New Zealand-based traveller who books the same journey in reverse on Air New Zealand’s website at the same time.

The price disparity can vary wildly, but a standard round-trip between Auckland and Heathrow via Los Angeles will set a New Zealand-based passenger back $500 more for an economy seat, $1500 more for a SkyCouch upgrade, $2100 more for a premium economy seat and $3000 in business class.

Air New Zealand public affairs manager Tracy Smeaton explained Air New Zealand spent $100 million on promoting the country to foreign tourists – an investment that benefited New Zealanders downstream

Adidas All Black Jersey (Augsut 2011)

Adidas has refused to cut the price of All Blacks jerseys despite a threat from the country’s largest retailer to pull the tops from shelves.

An All Blacks replica jersey, manufactured by adidas, is available for $220 in New Zealand retail stores, but listed for sale at $US79.99 ($NZ92.68) on the website worldrugbyshop.com.

Mr Huggett said rugby fans knew they were supporting New Zealand rugby when they bought a replica All Blacks jersey.

Adidas New Zealand manager David Huggett said “We invest millions of dollars in Kiwi rugby from grassroots through to the All Blacks, including a major investment in the state-of-the-art All Black jersey.”

People being able to buy jerseys for a cheaper price online was no different to being able to buy cosmetics or other consumer products more cheaply from offshore retailers, he said.

Related articles
Jul 6 2012

The facination of the media for Redemption


re·demp·tion:

  • An act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed.
  • Deliverance; rescue.
  • Theology. deliverance from sin; salvation.
  • Atonement for guilt.
  • Repurchase, as of something sold

One of the online media sites in New Zealand,  Stuff.co.nz, uses “redemption” at the drop of a hat.

A quick search returns About 2,590 results on their website which is a little on high side don’t ya think?

Redemption and Sport return 2,090 results !! which is a little on the high side don’t ya think ?

The other online site The New Zealand Herald returns only about 1,000 results. Redemption and sports gets a paltry 70 results.

So either the Journalists at Stuff are a Pious bunch who have some intimate knowledge of the religiosity of the people they are writing about,  or someone at these media outlets doesn’t think “Redemption” means what they think it means.

In the context that the media use it, mostly, it’s for sport. And what they don’t divulge is what it is that they are seeking or  receiving or asking redemption for?

A Redemption from what wrong or misdeed that they’ve done, aside from being an abject failure at their earlier attempt at something. They are mostly professional sportspeople, they’ve been paid, or are getting paid to do what they do. It’s not like they have to give the money back for their failure.

Are they seeking to apologise and show they are worthy of adulation and adoration, and the cash that they comes with it, and to prove that we should throw more money their way?

Worst cases are they don’t get paid as much next time, or they don’t get another opportunity. Either way it’s not a redemptive situation is it?

Sure as an individual it could be that they are trying to redeem their good name then, regain their cachet with their adoring public, from who they crave admiration, seek redress to the bad publicity that comes with some act or other on or off the sporting field. But that does not excuse the media for running over 2000 stories of redemption under any circumstance that I can think of.

If I’m wrong however I’ll seek redemption at the earliest opportunity

Related articles

13th July : Today the NZ Stuff website ran another story about redemption and sports 

 

Jun 27 2012

Sporting your life vicariously – the one where they end in tears.


It’s down to the final few games of College hockey for Ms17 (MS18 in 37 days she informs me), and last night was the final of the local secondary schools tournament.

I’d forgotten how intensely competitive Ms17 is, her not playing grade or club Hockey this year has meant that I’ve not seen her play since the pre-season ANZAC tournament thing a few months back.

Last night, having lost 4-0 MS17 arrived in the clubroom clearly very upset. At a point midway int he second half, the coach had changed the on field formation taking off one of the ‘inner’ (and captain) and a ‘striker’.  Now either this didn’t register with MS17 (who plays at ‘back’) or wasn’t communicated very well on field. It did lead to some dis-array as the opposition made a bit of hay and mayhem as positionally the team were all set up wrong.

She says that after the game she approached the coach, Dave, and says she said that “it would have been nice to know about the changes” and had received not the reply she expected along the lines of ”get over it”.  Which is where, it seems, she loses composure.

In the clubroom she tells us that although she really enjoys the school hockey she hasn’t gotten over the fact that Dave, the coach, and age grade selector, had told her in the past that “she wasn’t fit” and that “she couldn’t hit a ball” and that her “grade level opportunities were limited.” Coupled with the fact that he’s chosen s strange combination of co-captains, one of whom is clearly not a teams player makes Ms17 a bit tetchy.  That the co-captains are picked at age Grade level might be why they are co-captains, and that MS17 chose not to trial for the teams may also be the reason.

It’s clear though that there is a lack of something in the relationship that MS17 expects with the coach/selector, and it’s clear that she lacks the tools to be able to deal with and get the answers / feedback / input that she’s looking for. It’s all very challenging.

I’ve no idea how to fix this, but I’ll work at it though.

Related articles
Apr 29 2012
Gallery

From the St Cuthbert’s ANZAC Hockey Festival.

Anzac Hockey 1

This gallery contains 9 photos.


I wrote about the saga of the School Uniform blazers. These are just a few of the picture I took of MissPdubyah at the St Cuthbert‘s ANZAC Hockey Festival which is a secondary schools pre-season 3 day event, attracting visiting … Continue reading →

Rangitoto Hockey
Apr 5 2012

Jolly Hockey Sticks – the College edition


Rangitoto Hockey

Every year there is a pre-season Inter-College “tournament” at St. Cuthberts College in Remuera. It’s called the Anzac tournament and is by invitation only.

As part of promotion the College hosts the ANZAC Tournament, which is an invitational festival competition of teams from through out New Zealand.

Rangitoto College are the only public school to be invited to participate.

There is a traditional festival dinner held on the first evening of the two day event. Rangitoto College girls broke with tradition a few years a go and dressed “formally” in school uniform for the dinner, and in subsequent years this has become the norm.

This year however having changed school uniform through the year to some new fancy affair the 1st XI Hockey Girls won’t be able to wear a school blazer as the school “pool” of blazers is short the number they need.

Blazers are an optional item of school wear and they are not in common usage other than at formal events and occasion and the school rents them for use for events.

Daughter is besides herself. She feels that not being able to dress up for the festival dinner is a poor signal from the school in a couple of areas. Firstly she thinks that this is an indication of the “worth” of the Hockey team to the School.

The team is in the premier grade, and has won or been in Intercity and National Finals consistently for many years.

Secondly she feels that being able to dress up to represent the college carries with it more kudos and mana among what you could consider a list of élite private schools. She has pride in spades

So she wrote a letter to the head of sports, her coach, and a couple of other teachers in the school. All for the cause. Like I said to her “If you do nothing you get nothing”

I hope something comes of it, she thinks it’s important enough, I hope the school does too.

5th of April update

Having presented her letter to he Dean and her Tutor, as well as the HOD Sports blazers became available. She’s not taking any credit for it of course,  but I told her she should even if she doesn’t believe it :-) My activist daughter, who knew!

Mar 4 2012

Growing up and letting go – sporting your life vicariously – Update


Well it seems I lost the good fight to Keep daughter into playing Hockey this year. Having had all the advantages, support, encouragement and backing of many people, having had access to some of the best mentors and role models, and playing with some of the finest élite players we have in the best team for the best club, it seems isn’t enough. I tried.

Feb 20 2012

Growing up and letting go – sporting your life vicariously


At 17 it’s come down to a battle of wills.

Miss does not want to play club hockey this year. We already agreed that the representative competitions weren’t going to be a feature, it still  seems to be about favouritism and who knows who, who’s the coach and who’s the manager, I’m not saying that the daughters of the various “officials” get picked, it might be the other way around, that it’s accidental that the players are picked then oh can mum or dad be the coach/manager/etc.

Anyway we long ago decided that it wasn’t fair or proper to insist on Miss participating in a short season of representative grade hockey, and frankly it’s a cheaper option.  She has played for various A grade and occasional B grade teams over many years, and this year enough is enough, there wasn’t going to be enough excitement in it. Besides which it could encroach on earning opportunities and a part-time job

School Hockey is fine, we’re down with that, and I think she was hoping to be captain of the 1st XI this year, secretly if not openly. It may come to pass, she has a reasonable chance, but then it’s down to the coach. And the coach is the same one that coaches the rep team. We’ll see how that plays out.

But club hockey is another thing altogether. She played for the championship winning team last year, as probably the youngest team member, alongside a couple of very good current and ex black-stick and junior black-stick players, acquitted herself well, scored a couple of goals and generally seemed to enjoy it.

This year though after the summer break it seems that the fun isn’t there any more.

And this is where, as a parent, it gets tough. I think we’ve been pretty fair and even in pushing and insisting on sports and achievements. Not to the point of forcing her to play, but making sure that we supported and encouraged where possible and supported the decisions that she wanted to make. It’s cost us a fair bit of money too, it’s not cheap, kit, travel, turf fees, club fees , physio visits, gym memberships etc.

With age and experience I’d prefer that she continued, at least for this year, at least untill she went to University, or got a job, and then I’d be happy to let it go. Accept that adulthood and decision-making has arrived and needs to be respected. I’ve even suggested that she start the season and then decide.

On reflection though this would be quitting, and I’ve never let my children quit half way through a team commitment.

So I have a quandary, give up and let go, or push because that’s what I’d like to see happen.

Jan 24 2012

The Phoenix – Late of Wellington – at home but not a home.


Logo

Image via Wikipedia

The Wellington Phoenix have no soul, history, connection, or anything that binds them to or with Wellington & Wellingtonians at any level.

That’s a pretty brave statement huh. Well I think it’s true (And well I did make that statement on Twitter recently)

The club as it exists does not have a history that pre-dates 19 March 2007. Even it’s name was decided by competition and public vote.

Barely 3 years in , late in 2011 financial strife meant that the Phoenix “Franchise” has to be bailed out by a bunch of businessmen keen to make sure that the club stayed in Wellington, thereby fluffing their own egos’ and so they could trumpet financial benefit to the region.

There is no history for the club, no “real” support for the club and one of the owners is imploring people to show up in numbers in excess of 10,00 each week to support a team transplanted / invented in Wellington. They can’t rely on fair-weather supporters, that’s not how it works. If you can only rely on 6-7,000 people each home match then that’s not going to be a sustainable business model, hectoring Wellingtonians to become life-long paying supporters for a team that has a roller-coaster performance standard, in a frankly second or third tier level of skill competition. And if your fanbase is one that decides that they are busy that day with something else, that it’s inconvenient, or they’re not sure who’s playing and when that’s not a fan base, that’s a potential audience not a fanbase.

New Zealanders have been brought up on a diet of success, we love it, and I’m referring to Rugby in particular, but also Sailing where we punch above our weight, and we’re quick to remind ourselves about Racehorses. We not big on backing a losing team for the long haul.

Having a team and then telling everyone that they are the real deal isn’t going to work. It might, but it’s not working right now. The sad state of the media means that they’ll need to supplant a rugby players groin story for anything like a positive coverage or game week mention.

For the Wellington Phoenix then it’s a long hard road ahead, that has not one guarantee of success. The A-League has it’s own problems with scheduling, financial viability and quality of players. You can put lipstick on a pig, but at the end of the day it’s still a pig. There is no rivalry, no cross town game, no player that jumps from one team to another, it’s a club without its own ground (it shares Wellington Stadium with other football codes), and no “Kop end” or similar that weaves its way into local lexicon, unless you think something like ”Bay 11″ counts.

It just isn’t like any other football club I know of, if you’re English or you follow football you’ll have a club you support, mine is Crystal Palace, and has been since the late ’70′s. It’s not about winning, it’s about the tribalism of the support pack, the supporters, the wanting to beat the other local team (in my case say Wimbledon, or Charlton, or Millwall). And I know that anywhere in the world I can bump into a Crystal Palace Supporter and get a high five and a quick chant, it’s like that. I couldn’t change from Crystal Palace to any other team, and yet with the Phoenix I’m expected to have changed from the Football Kingz, to the Wellington Phoenix as if nothing had happened, and to show some deep gratitude and loyalty.

Don’t get me wrong if I was called out and asked to declare my support then it’s be the Phoenix all the way, despite them being half a country away. My country is better than the other country anytime, and it’s not about the winning it’s about country.

And this opinion piece on Stuff is worth a read – “Phoenix crowd plea will fall on deaf ears”

The Wellington Phoenix, at home but not a home.