SPORT
Wednesday December 20, 2017
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Time to start training for the TriAbility Triathlon The TriAbility Triathlon will make a return in 2018 and those interested are being encouraged to start their training over summer. The inclusive multisport event that supports people of all abilities in a competitive environment will be held on Saturday, March 17. Sport Wainuiomata will partner with the Hutt Valley Disabled Resources Trust to run the event in Wainuiomata for the fifth year. In the past, the event has attracted healthy competition with athletes given the choice of three distances: Sprint (700m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run); Super
Sprint (300m swim, 9km cycle, 2.5km run); and Super Sonic (50m swim, 2km cycle, 400m run). The event is not just for people with disabilities; it is an event for all abilities, from elite to first-timers and everything in between. Registrations are open and can be completed at the Wainuiomata Library on Queen Street. Group training sessions will start up over summer. The vision of Sport Wainuiomata is about uniting the community through sport and recreation by engaging whanau and families in sport and recreation.
TriAbility Triathlon athletes cross the finish line. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Sports talk
with Jacob Page
Cricket is entertainment, give us our best
Shane Richardson. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Kawasaki rider on top of his game By Dan Whitfield
Shane Richardson blitzed his way to the top of the Leaderboard in the 600cc Formula Two class in first rounds of the 2017 Suzuki Tri-Series earlier this month. T h e Wa i n u io m a t a m a n qualified fastest in his class and managed two wins in the competition held later on Sunday, December 10 at Bruce McLaren Motorsports Park in Taupo. The 2017 Suzuki Tri-Series attracted large crowds for what turned out to be a sizzling opening round. Shane easily won both his
races on his Wainui Joinery Kawasaki ZX-6R. The 22-year-old took to track in Manfeild on Sunday, December 17, winning his fi rst race and coming second in his second race. Following round one and two, Shane is positioned first in the standings with a 19-point lead. “It’s nice to come back and win on home soil. I learnt a lot from racing recently and it was good to build up confidence on the bike,” Shane explains. Shane says it is good to be able to come back to New Zealand and continue riding in the different seasons. “It’s good to stay on the bike.”
Earlier this year, Shane spent several months racing in the United States. Though he finished sixth overall at MotoAmerica, a professional motorcycle racing series, Shane says the experience was worth it. “This year has been a dream; getting to race overseas and achieve a long list of goals.” H is next r a c e is r ou nd three and is set to be held on Tuesday, December 26 at the Whanganui Cemetery Circuit. Shane also plans to race in the United States again next year – and is currently looking for funding to help that become a reality.
New Zealand’s national cricket selectors need to realise resting players are only for the tired. Captain Kane Williamson and test match vice captain Tim Southee will both miss matches during the current one day international series against the West Indies. This, according to selector Gavin Larsen, is to manage workload ahead of a summer which sees a series against ‘Ashes bashed England’ loom in the latter stages of the summer. Firstly, neither player should need a rest just two test matches into a home summer, secondly their absence robs New Zealand fans of watching two of our best players live and thirdly there is not the depth to warrant such a move. In 2017, there is the desire to rest and rotate to create depth. This was started by the All Blacks in the lead up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The difference between rugby and cricket in this country is depth - namely rugby has it and cricket never will. Like netball, cricket has a core of players capable of contributing to the international game but when stretched for resources, we will be found out. There is no major campaign this summer, no World Cup, so no need for these silly test tactics.
Williamson thrives on batting and being involved and in his mid 20s, he shouldn’t need a break from a home summer campaign. Southee could do with a refresh given he’s been below his best the last couple of years but the home summer is not the time. Supporters should feel rightly aggrieved by the move. The West Indies are a rabble of a side though the return of Chris Gayle for the coloured clothing matches does offer a little spice. If I had tickets to a match where Williamson or Southee were now rested, I’d be considering a refund. Sport in 2017 is now more than ever an entertainment masterpiece. The public have plenty of options in terms of where to spend their money and if New Zealand Cricket continue to undervalue that fact, then crowds will stop turning up. It’s never been easier to turn down a ticket to a sports match in favour of your comfortable couch and your drinks that you can get from the fridge as opposed to line up and overpay for. Give me the best players and you’ll get my money more often than not. Treat fans with disdain and many, like me, will stay at home and save our money.