Water polo surprise

Press, 8 December 1978, Page 4

Water polo surprise

By

RAY CAIRNS

When the New’ Zealand women's water polo selectors named their squad for two internal series this season, they included 18 or 19 players under the age of 19. It would have seemed most unlikely that they would then need to go outside the squad for the national under-19 team to tour Queensland in February. However, the team of 12 named this week is significant in that — with no further tournament play as a guide — Jackie Tait (Auckland) has been named. The excluded under-19 players — Canterbury’s Priscilla Sparks, Trufli Garland and Marie Bishop among them — must be w-ondering quite why they were named in the first place. The men’s under- 19 team to tour at the same time, has not yet been named. The women's team, to be coached by Bryan Mustchin (Christchurch) is;— Colleen Coulter (captain), Jackie Sharpies, Lynnete

Jones, Jackie Anink, Carol McDonald, Janice Beaumont, Judith Sunbeam (Canterbury), Toni Grooby, Leanne Mazzoleni, Tait (Auckland), Yvonne Baart (Bay of Plenty, vice-captain), Debbie Williams (Wellington). Mr A. M. Trotter (Rotorua) will manage both teams.

This week’s meeting of the New Zealand Water Polo Board which approved th* team also received a late entry for the Trans Tours tournament from Dunedin; and moved the national schools’ championships from the crowded Wellington venue at Easter, to the May holidays.

Begins.—The termer heavy, weight champion, Leon Spinks, has been found Innocent in a brief non-jury trial of charges that he failed to control hie Corvette Stingray when it crashed threugh a fence at Elyria. Ohio. Tennis.—The American, Jimmy Connors, and Tom Okker (Netherlands) have fought through te the final of an invitation tournament at Lucerne. Okker beat Hi* Nastase (Rumania), 6-1, S-l, while Connors beat Wojtek Flbak (Poland), 6-2, 6-3.