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TOUGH
COMPETITION: New Zealand’s ABCK Natasha Callaghan makes
a try against the RAN womens team in competition for the
Endeavour Trophy in Sydney recently.
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Photo:
ABPH Brenton Freind
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By
Michael Brooke
The sometimes fierce but always friendly Trans-Tasman rivalry
has been lifted to a new level of passion and intensity with
female sailors from the RAN left thirsting for revenge after
being beaten by their Kiwi counter-parts in the inaugural HMZNS
Endeavour Trophy.
The inaugural sports competition for women sailors of the RAN
and RNZN saw the Kiwi visitors claim the Trophy by winning the
volleyball, netball and touch football in Sydney on July 15.
The HMNZS Endeavour Trophy, now an annual event, was contested
at Garden Island naval base and involved female sailors from
HMA Ships Kuttabul, Canberra, and Success, HMNZ Ships Te Kaha,
Te Mana, and Endeavour.
CN RNZN RADM David Ledson said the Endeavour Trophy commemorates
the 2004 accident involving the HMNZS Endeavour and celebrates
the courage, commitment and bravery of both nations’ sailors.
He said the competition provides an opportunity for all female
sailors serving in the RAN to participate in a sport against
the RNZN female sailors in an annual competition that has a
trophy at stake. The coach of the RAN team, LS Andrea Harris
of HMAS Canberra, was philosophical about the defeat but craving
revenge next year saying it was disappointing to lose.
ACO Paula Borrell of HMNZN Te Kaha got the competition underway
with a booming serve in the volleyball.
The Aussie ladies managed to return the serve but fumbled their
next shot, which set the scene for the Kiwis’s exciting win
in the first match. Although the Aussie sailors tried hard they
were pipped in all three matches, losing 25-19, 25-23, and 15-13
in the dead rubber.
OCO Phillipa Kingi of HMNZS Te Kaha, and SMET Angie Clarke,
of HMAS Canberra, were declared the Best and Fairest.
The scene was now set for a titanic struggle in the netball,
as the Kiwi victory in the volleyball meant they had ‘one hand
on the Trophy’ in a best of three showdown.
However, the Aussie sailors were out-played by their taller
rivals, who controlled the match 19-2 at the end of the first
period.
The Aussie girls battled on, but they lacked the cohesion of
their rivals who turned a halftime lead of 36-10 into a convincing
58-14 victory.
New Zealand’s LSET Tamara Hill, and the RANs ABSN Nicky Grundy,
were declared the Best and- Fairest.
The venue for the touch football switched to the Navy Oval at
Randwick Barracks, where the RAN sailors were determined to
win back some respect from their rampaging rivals.
However, it was not to be for the Aussie girls. Although LSPT
Corrine Williams, of HMAS Kuttabul, and LSPT Nicky Falkner,
of HMAS Sydney, scored hat-tricks, the Kiwis dominated play
to win the touch football 16-8. Nicky Falkner and ACH Tarsha
Callaghan, of HMNZS Te Mana, were declared the Best and Fairest.
OCO Stacey Reedy, of HMNZS Ta Mana, was declared the Player
of the Tournament for her strong performances in all three sports.
In presenting the HMNZS Endeavour Trophy to the victorious visitors,
CN RNZN RADM Ledson said the name for the trophy was determined
by HMNZS Endeavour’s life-raft accident in Sydney Harbour last
year.
“After the accident sailors from both navies acted in a way
consistent with the core values of each of our navies. And so
on the trophy, on one side is the core values of the RNZN and
on the other the RAN,” he said.
“The second reason we wanted to name it after HMNZS Endeavour
was because the Australian response to the situation the NZ
Navy found it self in typified the close relationship between
the two navies.
“And that is that we will compete on the sports field, we will
compete at sea, but when one navy gets into trouble the other
will come to its aid without even thinking about it.”
He said the words on the trophy characterise that great Australian
word, mateship, that exists between the RAN and the RNZN.
