High School gets behind the 8-ball

Photo: Whanganui High School's Nick Staples with player-students Julian Brennan and Owen Parkinson and coach Graeme Couper at last year's championships.

Whanganui High School is one of seven schools from across the country competing in teams of three for the National Secondary Schools 8-Ball championship title this weekend.

The competition on Friday and Saturday in Hamilton will be highly competitive, and included in the mix are three students who recently competed in the VNEA World Pool Championships earlier this year, Flynn Beetham (14, St John's College), Alyxandra Jones (14, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls) and Alexandria Endres (13, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls).

Throughout the year students from 16 schools have taken 8-Ball pool on board as a school sport and have been playing within their own regions.

This is Massé's first year running the interschool competition and they hope to see pool become a mainstream sport much like netball or rugby.

Massé will be hosting the schools and paying to accommodate those from out of town.

The competition was instigated in 2012 by Gary Gillard, currently the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) master coach and examiner, and a World Snooker coach.

By Staff Reporter
Wanganui Chronicle 5/9/18