Victory to start the season

The Waterside Karori women’s football team kicked off its 2023 Central League season with a 2-0 victory over North Wellington at Alex Moore Park on 22 April.

Emma Narelle scored both the goals, the first in the 43rd minute and the second in the 59th minute.

Widely picked as a likely title contender Waterside Karori’s next match is against Seatoun at Karori Park on 29 April.

In the other matches of round one Petone beat Palmerston North Marist 3-1, Victoria University defeated new entrants Taradale 2-1 and Wellington United beat Seatoun 4-0. Waterside Karori did not fare so well in round five of the men’s Central League, and North Wellington also lost its match.

North Wellington had no answer to the possession-based football played by the Wellington Phoenix Reserves at Alex Moore Park on 22 April.

Going into the sheds 2-0 down at the break and conceding two penalties, played a significant part in the 4-0 win by the Nix.

It was a similar feeling for Waterside Karori who had to endure a long road trip to Park Island where they were on the receiving end of a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of a resurgent Napier City Rovers on 23 April.

There are still no points on the board for Whanganui Athletic who also hit the road and travelled to Hutt Park where they went down 3-1 to Stop Out.

Petone were the surprise early leaders against top of the table Wellington Olympic. Petone had notched up two goals in the first half hour and there was no doubt some anxious moments at Olympic control.

Normal transmission resumed shortly afterwards though and Olympic came out with their reputation intact for a 4-2 win, including a hattrick by Jack-Henry Sinclair.

The surprise of the round however was Western Suburbs convincing 3-1 win over Miramar Rangers.

Johnsonville shares honours

By Frank Neill

The Johnsonville Hawks and Marist St Pats shared the honours when they drew 31-31 in Wellington Rugby’s premier Swindale Shield competition on 22 April.

Johnsonville was disappointed that they let Marist St Pats come back into the match, rebounding from being down 12-24.

It took a last minute try for the Marist team to snatch the draw in the match, played on their home ground of Evans Bay Park.

Lucas Aukuso was outstanding for the Hawks, and was rewarded when he scored a try.

Sergio Hollis and James Douglas also played well for Johnsonville.

Jacob Walmsley, Oliver Paotonu and Sean Rankin scored tries for the Hawks, while Mark Sutton added one conversion and three penalties.

Johnsonville’s next match is against the third placed Oriental

Rongotai on 29 April.

When Northern United led Poneke 17-6 in the first half, they were looking to score a convincing victory. It was not to be, however.

Norths added only three more points, while Poneke notched up another 33 points to win the match 39-20.

Played at Kilbirnie Park, the match saw Norths head into the half time break with a 17-11 lead.

However Norths lost wing Liki

Siliga to a yellow card early in the first half, which significantly assisted the home team. Their three tries, scored in the opening 30 minutes, came to first five eight Dudley Parsons and loose forwards Olano Afutoto and Luca Rees.

Northern United’s next match is against the unbeaten Upper Hutt Rams on 29 April.

The Norths women’s team, playing in the third round of the Rebecca

Liua’ana Trophy, defeated Paremata-Plimmerton 25-5 on 22 April. This saw Norths finish the day as one of only two unbeaten teams in the women’s premiere competition, along with Petone. The two teams have also scored the maximum 15 points.

After scoring five tries, the Norths women looked like they would keep Paremata-Plimmerton scoreless, only to see them cross the line right at the end of the match.

5 De-cluttering Tips? YIP!

Hey Everyone! With the wet weather creeping in, now may be a great time to start re-organising and decluttering your home. You don’t have to be selling your home to declutter! Decluttering your home can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right approach, it can be a manageable and even enjoyable process. Here are 5 tips to help you declutter your home:

1. Baby Steps

Don’t try to do your entire house in one go. Instead, start by focusing on one area at a time. Pick a single room or even just a cupboard to start with. We just did under the stairs last week and even that gave us a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep going.

2. Four Piles

As you start to declutter, sort things into “keep”, “sell/donate”, “chuck”, and “maybe”. Be honest with yourself and don’t hold onto items you don’t need or use. Regularly emptying these ‘piles’ is a great way to feel a sense of progress.

3. Take your time

Decluttering can be emotionally and physically exhausting, so it’s important to take breaks. Don’t try to do too many days in a row. Instead, take breaks as needed and pace yourself. There is no rush.

4. Don’t double up

Do you really need 3 can openers?

Decluttering isn’t just about removing things you don’t need but also simplifying your lives. Do you have a drawer full of plastic containers… or a box full of odd screws and bits left-over from kit-set furniture installs?... you know what you have to do.

5. Miss it?

When we go to sell houses, it is amazing how often we see people have boxes in storage that haven’t been open since the day they moved in with them. If you haven’t needed to use it for a long period of time, you don’t need it! Remember, decluttering is not just about getting rid of stuff, it’s about creating a more organized and peaceful space for you and your family to enjoy. Also if you have things to donate, check out our charity shop FreeForAll in Porirua, it is a free op shop that redistributes waste from landfills!

Live Simply, Give More, Expect Less

Have a wonderful week!