WHAT WENT ON 19 - 20 June

Mercantile Squash
Round 6 delivered some crucial results as teams jostled for position ahead of next week's final round-robin fixtures. The much-anticipated top-of-the-table clash saw Smithy Motorcycles continue their impressive form with a commanding 18-3 victory over Farmlands, strengthening their position at the summit of the standings. At the other end of the table, Slort Sports produced a dominant performance, defeating The Wishing Stars 18-6 to keep their campaign alive heading into the final week. With just one round-robin week remaining, the top four is beginning to take shape, but there is still plenty to play for and several teams remain in contention for semi-final spots. Every point will count as we head into next week's decisive matches.

Match of the Round belonged to a family showdown between mother and daughter, Lara Deam and Alyssa Deam. In a fantastic battle that went right down to the wire, neither player could be separated, finishing with a 36-36 draw. Congratulations also to Donald Carroll, who was the lucky winner of this week's raffle. Good luck to all the teams for the final round this Friday!
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Emergency Smash Services bt. Pensioners 12 - 9
Pickering Cabinet Makers bt. Racket Squad All Hui 16 - 4
Slort Sports bt. The Wishing Stars 18 - 6
Smithy Motorcycles bt. Farmlands 18 - 3

Junior Rugby
Another round of junior sports done and dusted, with two of our Rippa teams facing each other! Another great round for Athletic with some amazing performances from our tamariki. Check out the scores below:

Rippa
Athletic White (7) vs Athletic Black (9)
Athletic Stripes (11) vs St Joseph School (5)

Junior
Athletic Warriors (16) vs YMP Maungataniwha (5)
Athletic Storm (18) vs Nuhaka (5)

Primary
Athletic (1) vs YMP Maungatoa (24)

Senior Netball
This week Osler's Bakery & Cafe Athletic Black delivered a strong team performance against Nuhaka, securing a convincing 49–6 victory. Our defence was outstanding throughout the game, applying pressure and working effectively in the shooting circle to create turnovers. Through the midcourt, our attack fed the ball accurately and consistently into the shooters, allowing us to capitalise on scoring opportunities. It was great to see the team put into action the skills and strategies we have been focusing on at training, resulting in a well-deserved win.

Osler's Bakery & Cafe Athletic White faced off against Waiau, and with our regular shooter away, we had to make a few adjustments. Lara Deam answered the call-up to Goal Shoot, teaming up alongside our captain Alyssa Deam in the opening quarter. Sarah Spicer made an immediate impact when she took the court in the second quarter, bringing fresh energy and momentum to our side. This allowed Alyssa to move back into her preferred Wing Attack position. Grace Cooney started at Wing Defence and grew in confidence as the game went on, picking up some important interceptions and turnovers. By the third quarter, we were only down by two points. In the defensive circle, Sophie Mickelson worked hard at Goal Defence, making life difficult for Waiau’s attackers. Despite a strong performance, we were unable to come away with the win, with Waiau taking the match 16–11. Considering they’re currently top of the table in the Silver Grade, it’s a result we can still be proud of. Player of the Day honours went to Courtney Hayward, whose effort and determination shone throughout the game. The season is far from over, and we’ll be ready to go again next week.

Sadly, there were no matches for Charteris Choppers Athletic Rugby or QRS Athletic Football as both games did not go ahead due to defaults.