It is always exciting to write about different sports that our students participate in. This week we are excited to showcase Bella Haggarty Y9, who is currently the youngest co-driver for her father, Sean Haggarty in his Subaru WRX. They now have two races under their belts and if you live anywhere near Ashley Forest you may well have heard them recently. Excellent work Bella and Sean. Please feel free to get in touch with us here at the Sports Office if you would like to share any sporting adventures of your own. louise.eder@stmargarets.school.nz

Basketball
It is great to hear from some of our basketball teams about their season so far. The positive comments are awesome and it is good to know the teams are having fun on the court. Keep up the good work. “The Senior A team have had a great season so far, and for the first time ever, beating Rangi Ruru and Christchurch Girls High in the top division. The girls are improving every week, developing new skills and growing as a team. We continue to develop, heading into the Zone 4 tournament in Term 3. We have some exciting games ahead including a home game against Avonside Girls on Monday 28th June at 6pm in the school gym. Come on down to see the team in action.” Piper Eder and Tayla Hardy

“The Pink team has had an awesome start to the season and have been undefeated. We all work well together as a team and are excited to see where the rest of the year will go. We love having the supporters each week which really encourages us.”

“The SMC Red team has had a great start to the season as a social team. We have players who have never played before but this doesn’t stop them from getting right into it. We have had a mix of wins and losses during the season so far. We never fail to have a good laugh on the court.”

“SMC Blue, now known as the Oysters, have had a cracking start to the season and have won the majority of our games. Bree O’Malley has pulled the Oyster together and we are excited to see what the rest of the season entails.”

“So far this season the Year 10 Turbos have had a rocky season. We have not managed to come away with any wins but that doesn’t bring the team down. All girls are very passionate and have a social take on the game. The team consists of Sophie Wilson, Bridget Rooney, Phoebe Wilson, Alice Pennell, Tessa Durkin, Amelia Timiani Dean and Hannah Higginson. With training once a week there has already been a noticeable change in the girls' ability towards the game, although the score hasn’t been quite what we are after, we are able to learn and develop from these losses.”

“The Year 7 Totara team have had a great season so far!! Everyone has been improving heaps, with girls across the board scoring points and beating some boys teams.”

Gymnastics
Rhythmic Gymnastics is a very dedicated sport as you may well have guessed from reading about our various gymnastic achievements over the last few weeks. Each girl competes through their own clubs enjoying a variety of different styles and levels. They have all been working extremely hard training relentlessly for hours on end and we are super proud to say that we have five girls from SMC who have made it into the Canterbury reps, at their respective levels. They will be competing at the NZ Nationals in Auckland from July 20 - 24. Congratulations to the following students;
Year 7 - Cherry Zhu, Mya Hutchings, Lilly Eastmure, Lexie Boon
Year 10 - Scarlett Girvan

These five girls will go on to represent Canterbury at the NZ Nationals where the top twenty compete for a National title and ranking. We wish them the very best of luck.

“Lexie Boon has managed to retain her place after only being able to compete in two competitions due to injury. Lexie’s scores during the competition where the injury occurred were good enough to keep her in the top 20 in all of New Zealand in order to qualify for Nationals, the major competition for Gymnastics New Zealand. Lexie is one of only five who have qualified from the South Island! The hoop photo is just before she did the turning split leap which caused the injury! 

The ribbon picture was taken a few days after the injury when Lexie couldn’t do much - so she picked up a ribbon for the first time in preparation for next year!” That shows sheer determination Lexie good on you.

Lexie Boon Y7 writes;
1. What does it mean for me to represent Canterbury?
For me, I think that it is special because I was injured and only did 2 competitions when others did at least 5 competitions which means more of a chance to get in for them. I am proud of myself because only 4 people in my level from the whole of the South Island made it to Nationals. I am really looking forward to it because it’s my first nationals as it was cancelled last year.
2. What did I qualify for?
I qualified in individuals for Level 5 and Grade 4 group (which is where a small number of people do one routine on the mat altogether)
3. How much training will be needed for Nationals?
I do three lots of three hours a week, as well as one-hour training for the group as I don’t usually train that day. I also do ballet and I have to do rehab exercises to recover fully from my injury. Our club is also entering an online competition in preparation for nationals as there aren’t any competitions soon before nationals.
4. What are my goals for nationals?
I am hoping to finish in the top 15 and try not to make lots of mistakes as I haven’t competed since early April. It may be tough as there are a lot of older girls in my group this year and due to my injury some of my high scoring ‘tricks’ have had to come out. For the group, I am hoping not to make any big mistakes that might get lots of points off, there are also eight groups and we have done awesome over the competition season, so we have high hopes for nationals.
5. Future hopes and dreams.
I hope to make it to nationals every year because I think that if I could do it this year because of my injury then I could do it every year. In the future, I hope to represent New Zealand one day.

Lilly Eastmure Y7 writes;
“I started gymnastics when I was only 4 and have been with the same coach (Elena) since the start. Last year I got a medal at nationals. This national will be my second one since I competed in the 2019 Nationals but couldn’t last year because of COVID. Nationals go on for five days and it is always so much fun being there with friends. In stage three you need to get higher than 20 points overall with four routines to qualify for nationals, but since there are more than 20 girls you need to make it to the top 20. In the grade three group, you need to get a total of 12 points with two routines and right now my group is first in our category. We also compete overseas but due to COVID we have been doing more online competitions and for one of them our group placed second which was really exciting. I will be competing in the grade three group and I’m also competing in the stage three category with free rope hoop and ball.  Right now I am training 21 hours but when it gets closer to nationals I will most probably do 25 to 26 hours a week. Training is usually 4- 5pm to 9pm, 3 days a week, 1pm till 6.30pm once and 9am to 3pm once. My goal this year for nationals is to come top three and get at least two apparatus placings. One of my main dreams is to compete at the Junior World Cup in two years. With this year's nationals and next years that will give me the ticket to go and compete and represent New Zealand in group and one or two individual routines.”

Mya Hutchings Y7 writes;
What does it mean to you to represent Canterbury?
It makes me feel proud of myself.
What did I qualify for?
I qualified in all my competitions
Which groups will I be in for nationals?
Hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon
How much training will be needed leading up to nationals?
5 days a week for 3-4 hours
My goals for nationals?
My goal is to get in the top 5 and to get at least 2 apparatus placings I am very excited for the trip with my gym friends and the experience.

Cherry Zhu Y7 writes; “ I have this great opportunity to represent Canterbury this year, it is my first ever national that I am attending. I will present with honour and pride, showing our great Canterbury community. I think it is a great experience for all gymnasts to take part in and do their best, and of COURSE, have fun. The competitions I have competed in are the Canterbury championships (1st place), Delta invitational comp (2nd), Dunedin Competition (1st), Wellington Competition (2nd) and lastly South Island championship (1st). Upcoming events are Nationals, online competition and school competition. I am competing in level six for individuals and alongside five other team members, we are in the grade six (junior international) category. Unlike stages, levels train less, but currently, I am training 15 and a half hours of gymnastics per week, getting prepared for Nationals. My goals for the upcoming national 2021 is: to do my best and enjoy this lovely opportunity that I have been given. I would like to perform to my maximum, and show off my facial expressions, and have fun while performing. Have hope in myself and perform confidently like I normally do in training. In the future, I would really like to be like my idol, the Averina twins. Show my flexibility and graceful movements, and tell some motivational stories about my rhythmic gymnastics life.”

Hockey
It is great to hear from all of our hockey teams, thank you Mila Balin for organising this. By the sounds of it they have all had a very positive start to the season so far. A huge thank you to all of our coaches and managers throughout this term. It is wonderful to read how our student coaches have been enjoying coaching the juniors. Our big sister, little sister relationships are so important across St Margaret’s. Good luck everyone for the rest of the season.
Junior
SMC Blue has had a fantastic start to the season and remains undefeated. They are developing every week and playing some really great hockey. The 7 aside format is definitely helping with the development of their skills.

SMC White has already shown us lots of improvement this season with their commitment and enthusiasm to improve, which we have already seen in-game results. We are super excited about the potential these girls have for the rest of the season, and their incredible attitudes too.

SMC Magic has had a great start to their season with lots of improvement and development noticed. These Year 6 girls are very enthusiastic and willing to learn and try new skills. They always give 100% and we can’t wait for the rest of the season.

SMC Wizards have had a wicked start to the season. The girls are constantly improving every week, and always show up to the game with a big smile on their face. We are super excited to see what the rest of the season brings and hopefully see some good results.

SMC Stingers are developing their sting! We had our first fantastic win in our last game so we are on the up and up! Our coaches are excellent and our team is so committed and passionate.

Senior
SMC 1st XI (SPL)
Nga Puna Wai is the place to be on Friday evening when the SMC 1st XI hockey team is playing. A strong build-up to the season has set the players up for a positive start having won or drawn the majority of their competitive games so far. With the addition of 3 new players for the 2021 season, Jessie Anderson, Mila Ballin and Meg Downs, the team otherwise remains the same. The players are continuing to grow their core values as a team and there is an emphasis on what legacy they want to leave behind this season. Highlights from the recent games would be our goalie, Anneliese Millard and two from two crucial stroke saves.

SMC 2nd XI (SSL Div 1)
After final team selections were made, our SMC 2nd XI are definitely finding their groove. New coach Charlotte Lee is establishing a strong team ethos and every week the players are developing their teamwork and gameplay. We are currently sitting on top of the points table and the goal is to stay there for the rest of the season!

SMC Red (SSL Div 2)
SMC Red has had a great start to the season and are yet to concede a goal (23 goals for, 0 goals against). We are really keen to maintain this statistic. We are a bit tight on numbers as we wait for a couple of players to be cleared from injury. Our team has elected our super goalie Milky to be our Captain for the season, and we will rotate all other players in the Vice-Captain role so we look forward to seeing the different leadership style each player can bring to the team. Coach: Mrs Shannahan

SMC White (SSL Div 2)
SMC White has had a great start to the season. They were undefeated until they came up against SMC Red in the last round. It was a hard-fought match and showed the calibre of hockey players we have here at school. We have had players out with injury until now so are looking forward to having a full-strength team!

SMC Blue (SSL Div 3)
SMC Blue had a great start to the season with two big wins and 18 goals in our favour across our first two games! We then had a shot at the big time in Division 2 but unfortunately lost to a strong Rangi team, ending up back in Division 3 and determined to have an awesome season!

SMC Green (SSL Div 3)
SMC Green has had an overly positive start to the season so far! Despite our early morning training, the girls show up enthusiastic and ready to learn every time. With an awesome team culture and some very impressive skill sets, the Green Team will be one to watch as the season progresses.

SMC Gold (SSL Div 3)
SMC Gold is made up of Year 9’s with Nina our awesome Year 10 goalie. We have had a steady start to the season. The girls are willing to try new positions and work outside their comfort zones for the benefit of the team. Our enthusiastic team is looking forward to a great season.

SMC Silver (SSL Div 4)
SMC Silver is a full Year 9 team. We have grown as a team with a lot of girls playing out of position and giving it a good go. With all of our enthusiasm and energy, there is a bright future for this team.

Below is a photo of our Green and Gold teams who have played each other in both the friendly round and the second competition game. The slightly older Green team has come out on top both times but have had to work really hard against the mighty team of Gold players.

Hockey
Canterbury Hockey U13 and U15 Extension Programmes: July school holidays
Canterbury Hockey is launching two brand new extension programmes, one for Under 13s (12th - 14th July) and one for Under 15s (21st - 23rd July).

Canterbury Hockey is running a 3-day programme in the holidays:
 21st - 23rd July, in our second week of the holidays. This extension programme replaces the U15 trials and team selections in previous years. They hope to cater for more players and help you reach your potential. These programmes are beginning because, following a strategy review by Hockey New Zealand, associations have been tasked with providing quality, development-focused opportunities that: reach a broad base of participants, are fun, affordable, and focused on skill development and progression beyond the experiences participants would receive in club/school hockey.

Phase 1 will include a development camp consisting of a mixture of training and match play: there will be a focus on targeted development (including technical skills, tactical concepts and character traits), as well as a match play mini-tournament.
Details on phase 2, which will be in a festival event format, will be announced in due course.

Open the following link to learn more about this great opportunity to learn more and challenge your skills. Canterbury Hockey U15 Extension Programme.  If you are interested, you need to complete the online registration by Monday 28 June, 5pm.

U13 Canterbury Hockey Extension Programme (Yrs 7 and 8)

U15 Canterbury Hockey Extension Programme (Yrs 9, 10 and 11)

Please contact co-ordinator@canterburyhockey.org.nz if you have any questions or feel free to contact Mrs Shannahan in the PE office.

Netball
“It has been a busy Term 2 for our netballers at SMC. It has been fantastic to see all of our teams out on court training hard and enjoying their games. We have three weeks until holidays and a reminder to all netball families that we have games on the first weekend of the July holidays (Saturday 10th July) and the final weekend of the holidays (Saturday 24th July). Please be mindful of these dates when making your holiday plans so that teams are not left short of players. Currently, we have our 9A, 10A and Combined Y9/10 teams preparing for the upcoming Junior South Island tournament at Hagley Park during the first week of our July holidays. A fantastic opportunity for our Middle School girls to experience tournament play and make some new friends and connections along the way. If you are free from Monday 12th through to Wednesday 14th July come on down and support the girls. A huge thank you to Hannah Airey from Badass Brownie who has very kindly offered Player of the Day vouchers to our netball teams. The girls absolutely enjoyed their Brownie Taster Boxes courtside last weekend!! Thank you for your generosity and support of our teams Hannah, it is truly appreciated. Every time you buy a Badass Brownie you will receive a raffle ticket to go in the draw to win a slab of brownies of your choice and this happens EVERY week!! You need to:
1) buy a brownie
2) Like on Instagram or FB
3) Look for the winning ticket on Monday!
Badass.brownies on instagram and BadassBrownies on FB https://www.facebook.com/BadassBrownies. The full range of flavours of Badass Brownies is sold seven days a week at The Collective (Riverside Market), Saturday mornings and Christchurch Farmers Market and Friday mornings at Ohoka Farmers Market. Limited flavours are also sold at Black and White (Victoria St), Prima Cafe, and Ben and Jerry's. Also available online www.badassbrownies.co.nz

You can also enjoy brownie at Hagley on Saturdays - you will find Hannah alongside the coffee truck on Hagley Avenue!!

We have also had opportunities to be part of the support crew for the Tactix and Mainland NNL teams this season. SMC hosted the Mainland NNL and the Southern Blast NNL teams which saw four SMC Old Girls take the court. It was awesome to have Georgia White ( 2016), Lily Marshall (2016), Lina Pale (2019) and Laura Mann (2019) back at SMC.

Mainland National League players L-R Lina Pale, Lily Marshall, Laura Mann. SMC netballers L-R Emma Ford, Millie Robertson.

Millie Robertson (10A), Georgia White (Southern Blast National League player) and Emma Ford (10B)

SMC Helpers - Ms Hardy, Miss Lloyd, Millie Robertson, Emma Ford & Tayla Hardy.

Junior Netball
Years 1 and 2
“This year Te Ata Hassan and I have been coaching the Year 1 netballers. The girls have been super excited and enthusiastic about coming to netball each Monday at lunch. We began the term by working on passing the ball, using lots of games and techniques to help improve the girls' skills. As they got better at using their ‘W’ we passed the ball over greater distances and even started working on a bounce pass. We have recently been working on some shooting starting off with hula hoops and just now progressing to the real hoops. This is still a work in progress with the hoop being just a little high for some girls. Te Ata and I are really enjoying coaching all these lovely girls, even if they can be a little cheeky sometimes! We are super excited about how quickly the girls' skills have been progressing and can't wait to see their skills at the end of next term!” Cara Mustchin

Year 3
“Over the past month, we have had the pleasure of coaching the wonderful Year 3’s in netball. They have picked up the game of netball very well, and the added bonus of being able to play other schools while also practising their skills has benefitted them a lot. We have seen a huge improvement between all the girls, and their teamwork has progressed and improved a lot. We can see all the girls enjoy being part of the netball team because they are all very excited when they get their favourite position or get to practice shooting. We love being able to coach the Year 3's because we are able to teach them the skills that we have learnt over the years, as well as growing the big sister little sister relationship. We are now working to improve their passing skills and also teaching them to get free to receive the ball. We can't wait to see them further improve, and hopefully, one day in the future, pull off a win or two.” Anna Marra Y11 and Laura Siegert Y11

Year 4
“So far we have had the privilege of coaching the Year 4 Kiwis in the current netball season. Each Thursday, the girls would come to training and games with lots of energy, which is always great to see. Many of the girls have never played netball before, so they are doing really well with picking up the key skills and drills that we have been teaching them. All of the girls have already made progress with their catching and passing, and they continue to improve every week. They have had some great first few games, always playing to their best. Thank you for the constant support from the parents on the sidelines, cheering on the girls. But also, thank you to Ms Simcock, our team manager, for giving up her time and generously supplying the lollies to motivate the girls!! We hope the girls have been having heaps of fun playing with their friends and learning new skills. It has been amazing getting to know the girls and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings.” Charlotte Parker and Georgia Hague. 

Year 5
“The Year 5 Keas are doing really well, they have improved so much since the first time they played together. Not only have their skills improved but their confidence has too. They are soaking up everything Mrs Hoskins is teaching them, then putting those skills into their games. The girls' gameplay has changed so much with their spatial awareness, distance and footwork. They may not have won a game yet but they are improving every time and watching is getting more exciting each week, with every goal scored the louder the cheers from me, Mrs Hoskins, Mrs Chapman and their parents.” Emma Hoskins

Year 6
“The Year 6 nifty netball team, the Tuis, train hard on a Friday and play equally hard on Friday afternoon at Hagley. Games are fiercely fought and positions are eagerly sought after. Sophie White, a Uni student and ex SMC player, is the coach. Any knowledge she gives the girls is practised at the game. The team players are Alex, Grace, Charlotte, Leah, Alice J, Alice M, Emma and Elisabeth. There is always a supportive team of parents, friends and grandparents cheering the girls on. It is an absolute joy to watch these girls enjoying their games and watching the skill level improve.” Paula Sheldon  

Jelly Bean tournament
It takes an amazing amount of work to organise a tournament of this kind. A huge thank you to all of our coaches, managers and supporters who made the day possible. Judging by the photos it looks like the three teams from SMC all had loads of fun on the day, with costumes, shooting competitions and spot prizes. Thank you to Miss O’Loughlin, Natalie O’Connell, Paula Moore and Arabella Russell for ensuring the girls had an enjoyable tournament.

RESULTS
Y8 - 3rd
Y5 - 2nd

“Our year 5 team had a close fought final to end the nine-game tournament as runner-up. The girls played their hearts out and their support for each other was wonderful to see. The girls played nine games in total and they gave it everything they had.”
Annabelle Smallman came 2nd in the Y5 Netball shootout competition and Sienna O’Connell came 3rd. Twenty Y5 players had to shoot as many goals as they could in one minute. Good job girls.”

“Our Y6 team showed a huge amount of determination and fair play throughout the day. They were full of fun, the sun was out, & lots of parents were there to support on the sidelines. Their SMC spirit showed all day but especially in the last game ( game number nine!!!!!!! 180 minutes of netball ) when the girls were very tired but dug deep and finished the tournament with a win and big smiles on their faces. A huge thank you to parent support and Grace's Mum Rebecca for refereeing as well as their coach Sophie White .” Paula Moore

“Our Year 8 team narrowly missed out on the final with a one goal loss in the semi-final. They won the playoff for third and fourth, finishing third out of 11 teams. Hannah Millar won the Year 8 Shoot out competition.” Sarah Smallman

“It has been a great start to the season for all 25 SMC teams. It is fantastic to see our girls out on the court playing hard and enjoying what they are doing. Thank you to all of our supporters who are on the sidelines each week (no matter the weather) cheering on our SMC teams. We even had three generations of the Haigh family on the sideline!! It is fantastic for our teams to have all of the support that they do. THANK YOU🙏  A huge thank you also to all of our wonderful coaches, managers, staff and umpires who help with each of our teams each week. Your time and effort doesn’t go unnoticed and it is greatly appreciated. Wishing all of our teams' good luck for this weekend’s games!!” Amanda Hardy
SMC Netball Convenor

Senior Netball
Senior A report
“The SMC Senior A team has had a good start to our netball season. Playing in the Premier competition gives us an awesome opportunity to play against high-quality opposition full of experienced players with great knowledge of the game. It has given us the chance to show our potential, improve during the season and we have stepped up as a team supporting each other. This has shown in some of our results so far. Some games have been really hard, but it has helped the team connect on and off the court and build trust in each other which has boded well going into the CSS Supernet competition. So far in this competition, we have had some good games with great results, including a close clash against STAC last week, which saw us come away with a well-deserved win. It is exciting to see the team take our game to the next level and continue to improve through the season leading into our SISS campaign.” Georgia Reed

Umpires
In many sports, without umpires, the game would simply not be possible. Netball is one of these sports and we have some very talented umpires working their way through the ranks. One of them is Caitlynne Hill, who we would like to recognise and congratulate for making the cut. She has been selected to umpire at the NNZ U18 Champs. Caitlynne writes; “This is my 7th year umpiring. I started through the whistlers programme at Christchurch Netball Centre in Year 7. I played netball up until the end of year 11 and then decided to stop to focus more on my umpiring. I umpire around four games per week. This consists of two games on a Saturday, one game in the Premier competition on a Tuesday night and one game in the Supernet competition on a Wednesday evening. During my first two and a half years through the whistles programme, I achieved my bronze, silver, gold and platinum awards. In the next year and a half, I achieved my level one and two, my Centre Badge and my Zone Theory. I gained my Zone Badge and NZ Theory in 2019. I have also been in the development squad at Christchurch Netball Centre and am currently in the accelerant squad. I have to maintain certain fitness levels to be up for selection for National tournaments. My goals for the future are to gain my New Zealand C badge and to keep improving to reach even higher levels. In the photo, I am on the left.”

Orienteering
It is quite a skill, running and reading a map at the same time. Anna Babington Y10 has been doing this since primary school. She is a member of the local Peninsula and Plains Orienteers Club and enjoys competing in local, regional and national competitions. Orienteering combines her love of running with map reading skills. Anna has made the Junior Girls NZ Orienteering team this year which is a very well deserved credit to her.

Orienteering runs in the family, with her older sister Katherine also competing. Katherine writes; “During Queen's Birthday weekend, Anna and I participated in the Queen’s Birthday orienteering event in Canterbury. This was also the selection event for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team that is sent to compete in Australia later this year. I was competing in the Senior Girls category and Anna was in Junior Girls. In orienteering, there are three main disciplines; long, middle and sprint. The sprint was the first event, held at the University of Canterbury campus in town. This course involved a lot of quick thinking and fast running. I placed 7th and Anna mis-punched which meant that she did not go to all the correct controls. We then had the night relay which was held at Nga Puna Wai. We were put in teams of four with others from our club (Peninsula and Plains Orienteering - PAPO). Each person did a short course and when they finished the next person in their team went. Both our teams did relatively well. The second day was the long course, held at Woodend. This was a mixture of technical navigation and keeping a good pace. Anna placed 4th and I placed 5th in our respective categories. Then the middle was held at Woodend South on the last day. It was quite wet and cold on this day. The goal of a middle course is for it to be really technical navigation over a shorter distance. Anna placed very well on this day, coming 4th. Unfortunately, I had a very bad race and placed 17th pretty much blowing all chances of making the team for me. A big congratulations to Anna who made the New Zealand Secondary Schools orienteering team. She will be travelling over to Australia later in the year to represent NZ” 

Rally Driving
Here is something we don‘t read about very often in our SMC Sports newsletter. At only13 years old Bella Haggarty in Y9 has successfully taken up the sport of rally driving. Although she is too young to drive the car, she is old enough to be the co-driver for her father Sean. She has become quite famous in the world of rally driving appearing in articles in the NZ Herald, Stuff and various Facebook pages ( women in motorsport ) and media interviews.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/sport/125476248/christchurch-teen-calling-driving-shots-in-dads-car-in-south-canterbury-rally

Bellas mum Patsy, explains how this all came about;  “Bella has recently taken exams for her Motorsport Licence and successfully passed it a few weeks ago. After some mentoring from a top female co-driver, Bella took part in her first car rally as a co-driver for her father, Sean Haggarty in his Subaru WRX rally car at the Autosport Club, Lone Star sponsored Canterbury Rally last weekend. Her father regularly competes in car rallies around New Zealand. The day before the rally she spent a whole day as a passenger in the rally car while they completed a recce (this means reconnaissance, where they drove the course and Bella made notes and highlighted hazards in her books so she could ensure her dad could drive the course fast and safely. The stage notes are tailored to the driver). Bella had to quickly learn how to read the roads and follow her stage notes on the day, reading every part of the road to her dad, loudly and constantly instructing her Dad the whole way. She successfully navigated around 134 km of some fast and tricky roads reaching speeds well over 200 km per hour and seemed to take to the sport like a duck to water. The rally consisted of seven special stages, the first and last ones being in the Ashley Forest. All other stages were on public roads in North Canterbury that were closed for this huge event. Bella is one of the youngest currently to become a co-driver in New Zealand and has the most amazing support from New Zealand’s Motorsport family, including Women in Motorsport New Zealand who have written about her on their Facebook page. Sean and Bella finished a fantastic 5th in their class D and 7th out of 60 competitors overall. A great achievement for Bella’s first co-driving experience. Her dad said it was one of the most relaxed drives he’s had as Bella was so good at the job. Sean now sits at 3rd in the 2021 Mainland Rally Championship for overall points. Bella literally had a blast and enjoyed herself so much that she convinced her father to enter the South Canterbury rally.”

Fast forward to last weekend……...with Patsy proudly announcing on her Facebook page the results, saying;  “Pleased to announce that the NZRC South Canterbury Rally was a big success for Sean and Bella. They had a fantastic day and the car and everyone are in one piece! They achieved a very respectable 11th overall out of about 85 entries. Got 1st and 4th in class as well. Sean was extremely impressed with Bella’s co-driving skills, her 2nd rally now. She has mastered it so well and just totally blew him away. We are so proud. Bella navigated some really difficult roads that were really slippery with huge drops on either side. Definitely doesn’t get her calmness and level-headedness from me! So very proud of my two! Big thanks to sponsors John McCallum and Brenda at Dunedin Goldsmiths and Josh Rufford at Team Cabling and all the other helpers and supporters along the way, including Bella’s school #stmargaretscollege.”

Sean now sits 2nd in the Mainland rally championships which is a great achievement.