Broken hand no obstacle to Bay touch player
Playing with a broken hand Reiley Bartlett scored three of Outkast Sports five tries as they won the open women's title in Manawatu's inaugural Winter Touch Competition in Palmerston North yesterday.
Outkast Sports beat Manawatu school team Manukura 5-4 in the final which was decided by a drop off which came down to three players from each team playing each other. Outkast Sports led 2-1 at halftime in the tight affair and the score was 4-all at the end of regulation time.
Karamu High School Year 11 student Bartlett collected the broken hand in the second match of the six-team competition earlier in the season. However she was so keen to play in the final she took the cast off prior to the match.
"Reiley told us her hand felt fine so we gave her the thumbs up," her father and delighted Outkast Sports coach Anaru Bartlett recalled.
Bartlett was rewarded for her commitment by scoring the winning try in the drop off after breaking the Manukura defensive line and dashing 30 metres to the tryline.
Others to shine for Outkast Sports in the final were Bartlett's mother and team captain Jeda Bartlett, New Zealand under-16 player Tiaana Rolls who is a Year 11 student at St Joseph's Maori Girls College and Napier Girls' High School Year 13 student Shyan Murphy.
Among Manukura's best were two Outkast Sports players who moved to Palmerston North this year - New Zealand under-16 rep Monique Poa and New Zealand Talent Development squad member and Taku Mana club player Maia Davis.
Poa and Rolls will tour New Zealand with their national team later this year.
The title-winning Outkast Sports team was:
Jeda Bartlett (Captain), Naadean Wainohu, Shyan Murphy, Ratahi Corbett, Laine Robinson, Harris Robinson, Sara Corbett, Llewellyn Coombs, Briah McGrail -Timms, Reiley Bartlett, Holand Marsh, Kim Araia, Tiaana Rolls.
