15 Dec 2017
 

Soffe Cup will serve up the first instalment of the second round this weekend. Teams will get down to the business of making the semi-finals in earnest.  

Rotokare will front a pair of number ones—Ajeet Rai and Leela Beattie—that would compete with any New Zealand player, including national representatives.  The other three men are Malcolm Elder, Blair Crowley and Shane Devlin.  The remaining Rotokare women are Chantelle Peters, Tania Atkinson and Julie Foley.  Pukekura’s men are Caleb Fleming, Brady Simpson, David Barnard and Michael Erb.  Pukekura’s women are Nikayla Barnard, Ella Rogers, Caitlin Haylock and Maree Malcolm.  It will be a tall order for Pukekura to overcome the advantage Rotokare holds at the top of the order.  No doubt Caleb Fleming and Nikayla Barnard will relish the opportunity to test their skills against some of the country’s best.  If spectators were ever going to make an effort to watch some Soffe Cup matches these top singles matches would be well worth the effort of travelling to the Rotokare courts. 

Okaiawa/Manaia are pitted against Huatoki. Okaiawa/Manaia’s men are Hamish Mead, Vince Baylis, Josh Murdoch and Ryan Stockman. The women are Megan Small, Lauren Mekalick, Alaire Kahupukoro and Jaimee Baylis.  Huatoki’s men will be Jayden Harrison, Alistair Nairn, Luis Silva and Ross Lilley. The women are Ellen O’Byrne, Tracey Old, Chris Wilson and Jae Wilson. The men's top doubles should be a really exciting match, with Mead and Harrison both having been national finalists at junior level.
 

Oakura will be faced with Pihama.  At home, Pihama will be even harder to handle than in the first round.  Pihama’s women are Catherine Blom, Ngakuira Osbourne, Laura Edmonds and Georgia Smith.  The men are Jordan Fleming, Beauden Fleming, Sean Edmonds, James Padilla and Patrick Stevenson.  There are more than four men listed, which suggests a doubles pinch hitter will be brought into play.  Oakura are putting out a men's line up consisting of Graeme Mitchell, Andrew Hood, Len Adamson and Sammy Lewis. Oakura’s women are Sue Oldfield, Ana Spurdle, Jackie Keenan and an as yet unconfirmed player.  Both sides stand a good chance of making the semi-finals so there will be no quarter given nor expected.