National netball

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 30

National netball

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. The 1975 New Zealand first-grade netball championship promises to be one of the most closely fought in the long history of the event. Forty-seven teams are contesting four grades, and yesterday was the first day. Waikato and Wellington, first equal last year, gained maximum points yesterday as did North Shore and Auckland. Auckland beat the formidable Canterbury side 31-23, in the final round of the day. It survived on a lead of only a couple of goals for a while but managed to gain a useful break and hold it until the end despite desperate efforts by Canterbury to overhaul it. Nelson lost to Auckland Sub-unions 25-34 but beat Southland Country 36-14 in the second grade; Canterbury Country beat Ashburton 47-18 and Temuka and District 35-23.t0 lead the third grade, and in the fourth grade West Coast, South Canterbury Minors, and Marlborough had

wins, but Nelson Minors lost both its matches. First grade results:— Waikato 37, South Canterbury 29; Canterbury 39, Rotorua 30; Auckland 35, Otago 17; Hawke’s Bay 28, Hutt Valley 23; North Shore 32, Matamata 26; Wellington 31, Rotorua 28; Waikato 25, Hawke’s Bay 21: North Shpre 30. Hutt Valley 25; Matamata 34, Otago 18; Auckland 31, Canterbury 23; Wellington 37, South Canterbury 29. Points: Auckland, North Shore. Waikato, and Wellington 4; Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay, Matamata 2; Hutt Valley, Otago, Rotorua, and South Canterbury 0.