The Onslow JFC U12 girls team are travelling from Wellington up to Cambridge to play in WaiBOP Football’s annual Weir Rose Bowl this weekend. It’s the first time the club has sent a team to the tournament, and the girls are excited about the weekend of football, as well as the experience of staying onsite at St Peter’s School.

Mike Hyde, team coach, is looking forward to the weekend “The girls will play teams they haven’t played before, so it offers new football challenges”

Based in Khandallah, Onslow JFC is one of the largest Junior clubs in New Zealand. In addition to teams in local leagues during the season, they seek out opportunities and experiences for players to grow both on and off the field. As well as local tournaments, the club regularly enters teams into major tournaments like the Christchurch International Cup and McCartney Tournament, offering players new environments and formats. 

When the U12 girls missed out on entry to the highly oversubscribed McCartney Tournament, they looked around for another option that would give the team a chance to experience travelling outside of Wellington.

The Weir Rose Bowl was appealing for three day format – many families are having a family holiday before or after - and the ability to stay onsite as a team offered team bonding experiences.

He says that the idea of a festival format reduces performance pressure, allowing the team to focus on development. He adds that the club have policies in place to ensure that all players get equal game time, and rotate around positions to get experience.

Team Manager Juanita Copeland is proud of the team: 'Travelling up makes the event special, and staying on-site will strengthen the friendships between players, who are all from different schools across Wellington.”

She adds “This is a new team and it’s the 3^rd time that they will have played together. They are really looking forward to it.”

Article added: Friday 04 October 2024