Whanganui men's team claim silver at National Roller Hockey Club Champs

Whanganui's men's premier roller hockey team came within a whisker of winning back to back gold medals at the National Club Championships in New Plymouth at the weekend, with the defending champions having to settle for silver after being beaten 5-3 by Taranaki in Saturday's final.

Captain Dean Fitness said the two teams had drawn during pool play, but, despite their best efforts, Whanganui weren't able to overcome an early deficit in the final.

"We actually scored first, but then they got three goals reasonably quickly," Fitness said.

"They were pushing up quickly and playing a pretty high pressure game which they converted into goals, and we were basically chasing from there.

"We caught back up a bit but it wasn't enough. We put a big effort in and played well, and maybe with a bit of luck we could have won.

"We're disappointed, because we have the talent to win, but we're not disheartened.

Fitness, who is a member of New Zealand's national team, said he was proud of the way they played, and because most of the starting line-up were still under 20, the team had a bright future ahead.

"Whanganui took home three medals, and our under 14s (Whanganui Lightening) won their final 14-2. Our division two team came third and our under 17s came second.

"At the moment we actually have two kids' teams, and there seems to be quite a bit of interest in roller hockey here in Whanganui.

"The future's definitely looking bright for us."

Roller hockey teams have four players and a goal keeper on each side, with premier games consisting of two 25-minute halves. Kids' competitions have 15-minute halves.

For more information on the Whanganui roller hockey set-up, go to WRHC.co.nz.

Mike Tweed, Roller Hockey
Whanganui Chronicle 13/10/20