Netball cup to Ellesmere

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32661, 17 July 1971, Page 15

Netball cup to Ellesmere

The Foscutt Cup, the trophy presented each year to the premier netball sub-association in Canterbury, changed hands for the first time in six years when Ellesmere won this year's tournament. North Canterbury had won the tournament every year since 1965.

This year, however, North Canterbury was relegated to third place, losing matches to Ellesmere and the young Banks

This year’s win by Ellesmere is the first time for 21 years that it has taken the cup, although Jt finished runner-up several times during North Canterbury’s reign. Banks Peninsula, which had finished near the bottom of the competition in recent years, and whose team members have an average age of 17 years, played weU during the tournament and deservedly finished second.

The Canterbury Country team, which will compete in the second grade of the New Zealand tournament at Palmerston North next month, contains three North Canterbury players, one fewer than last season. The new champion sub-association, Ellesmere, has two players in the Country team compared with one last year. Banks Peninsula has two players (one last year), and Lincoln and Kaikoura one player each. .£ ou ®fry netball supporters will hope for a good performance by the Country team in the New Zealand tournament. This will be the third time that Country has entered the second grade. Last year, it finished about the middle of the grade. The coach of the team is Mrs M. Fraser (Rangiora).

Bay side.—The Poverty Bay senior representative Rugby side to play Bay of Plenty at Opotiki on Saturday is:—Backs: A. Swann, P. S. Ransley, R. M. Parkinson, C. J. Bargh, G. Newlands, J. De Depne, R. Coleman. Forwards: G. Thompson, L A. Kirkpatrick (captain), K. McGrannachan, P. Goodwin, D. A. KirkBatrick, E. Smith, Grant Allen, '. Walker. Reserves: Forwards, K. Allen, C. Kirkpatrick, R. Waide; backs. P. J. Duncan, P. A. Martin, W. K. Mabey.