Football skills light up annual Papamoa tournament

Papamoa FC’s 8th grade runners up Papamoa Spurs. Photos: Bob Ricketts.

Papamoa Football Club are blown away with the popularity of their annual junior tournament, staged over the weekend, and the high level of skills on display.

The weather gods smiled as more than 600 young footballers competed in the event the club has staged for the last eight years, with teams from as far afield as Waikato, North Harbour and Auckland making the journey to join Bay of Plenty's finest at Gordon Spratt Reserve.

A total of 58 teams of players from grades 8 to 12 enjoyed the tournament that runs in the first weekend of the July school holidays, with the reserve's firm fields one of the major drawcards for out-of-town teams.

Local club Otumoetai FC took out the 8th grade competition, while the remaining grades all went to visitors from the big smoke. East Coast Bays from Auckland's North Shore took out the 9th and 12th grades, 10th grade went to Hibiscus Coast, and 11th grade to Fencibles.

Papamoa FC's best placed teams were 8th grade runners up Papamoa Spurs and Papamoa Lions, runners up in the 12th grade competition.

Former All White and recent Papamoa FC senior team recruit Cole Peverley was on hand to present the medals and trophies.

Attending the tournament was a delight for Cole. "This is where it all started for me,” he says.

'All credit to the coaches who have prepared their teams for today's event. It is very rewarding for coaches and players alike to perform on stages as today.

'This is where our All Whites of the future will develop.”

The crowds of players and supporters at Gordon Spratt Reserve and the backing of major sponsors were big plusses for the club's tournament organiser Simon Bevan.

"Our timing this year is just perfect,” he says. 'While the Football World Cup is being played out in Russia here we are with our very own grass roots event taking place. The attendance has been fantastic.

'I'd like to thank our sponsors McDonalds and Power Co for helping to make the event a huge success.”

Papamoa Lions came in second in the 12th grade.

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