Two New Zealand korfball teams participated in the inaugural Oceania Regional Korfball Championships in Adelaide over the weekend – sides representing the South and North Islands finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the five team competition.

While competitive for periods in each of their games, and making steady improvement through the tournament, the New Zealand teams could not resist their more experienced Australian opponents, who showed the benefit of the greater intensity with which their domestic competitions are played – as well as the international duty that many of their players have been exposed to.

The Games

North Island featured in the first game of the tournament, taking on one of the two strong home teams, Adelaide Blue. Although never really in the game, North Island played with enough commitment to keep their opponents honest, finishing on the wrong end of a 13-6 scoreline.

South Island started their first game by taking a two-goal lead against BMMKA, the Victorian state representatives, staying even through the first half. However, in the second half BMMKA pressured more effectively, frustrating the South Island players into mistakes, to run out with an eight-goal advantage.

The North Island team made steady improvement through the weekend, under the expert eye of former Australian national coach Helen Searle. In their game with BMMKA, they held the Victorians to 1-1 through most of the first half, before wilting in the second half.

The match between the two kiwi teams was very close – South giving North an early four goal advantage, before pegging the deficit back and prevailing by two at the end.

South Island put on their best performance against Adelaide Blue in the first half of the final round robin match. Needing to win by seven to clinch a place in the final, the South Australians struggled against South Island for the first half, against the form book, finishing the half at 6-6. In the second half, however, with some fatigue creeping into the South Island performance, in 38 degree heat, Adelaide Blue broke the kiwi resolve to achieve their seven goal margin in the last few minutes of the match.

In the play off for third, South Island again met the determined Victorians, again matched them for the first half before again seeing the match slip away in the third quarter.

Internationals

The weekend was rounded out by two international fixtures – New Zealand B putting on a stoic performance against Australia B in a tight-fisted, defence-dominated game, losing by 5-3. Australia A managed to dominate the New Zealand A selection more comprehensively – matching the defensive performance of the earlier game and performing more clinically when the attacking opportunities came their way to win 24-7.

Korfball New Zealand gratefully acknowledges the support of The Southern Trust for assistance to the two NZ regional squads.

Results

Round Robin

Adelaide Blue	13	North Island	6
BMMKA	12	South Island	4
North Island	5	Adelaide Gold	16
Adelaide Blue	7	BMMKA	7
South Island	5	Adelaide Gold	12
BMMKA	8	North Island	1
Adelaide Gold	11	Adelaide Blue	10
North Island	9	South Island	11
Adelaide Gold	10	BMMKA	8
South Island	8	Adelaide Blue	16