Rototuna netballers leap to AIMS top 25
Rototuna High School’s netballers made history at the Zespri AIMS Games last week, improving from a top-48 finish last year to 25th among 135 teams this year.
The 22nd edition of the AIMS Games was the biggest yet, with 14,506 athletes aged 11 to 13 from 467 schools competing across 27 sporting codes.
The Honor Rewha-coached side finished its campaign in 25th place after beating Murray’s Bay Intermediate 19-14 in the 25th/26th-place playoff.
Twelve-year-old shooter Azariah-Grace Mtakwa said the team’s effort and attitude made the final playoff particularly special.
“We fought hard and set ourselves a goal to win. We made it, so we’re all proud of ourselves. It’s the second time at the AIMS Games for some of us, but this time was much better. There was more team effort and stronger friendships,” Mtakwa said.
Mtakwa also acknowledged the strong support from the school, parents and fans who cheered the team throughout the tournament.
School Teacher Nicola McKay said the campaign demonstrated that the future of Rototuna High School netball was in good hands.
She said it was exciting to see the girls represent the school with pride and make such a massive improvement, despite having to play 11 games in just six days.
“This is a hard tournament, but these girls made the school proud, and the future is bright for them.”
Coach Rewha also congratulated the team, saying the players worked hard to reach this level.
“I’m really proud of these girls, even though a couple of games didn’t go our way.”
Rototuna netballers showed resilience to reach the top 32 and secure a place in the playoff rounds after mixed results throughout the tournament.
They won six games in the initial round, including a convincing 22-7 victory over Takapuna Normal Intermediate and a 20-12 win against Villa Maria College, before heading into the playoff stage.
