A young east Auckland sportsman is about to head to the United Kingdom to compete in a competition for Ultimate Frisbee players.
The 2024 World Junior Ultimate Championships is being staged in Birmingham from July 21-27.
Among the 40-member New Zealand squad of young men and women who are taking part is Pakuranga College pupil Connor Nankivell.
Connor says his school’s Frisbee team recently tasted success and he can’t wait to play for his country in such a major international competition.
“Pakuranga College’s boys Frisbee team just won the Auckland Secondary Schools Indoor Championship which has been great training leading into Worlds.
“I’m looking forward to representing both my community and New Zealand at this level.”
According to the sport’s governing body in this country, New Zealand Ultimate, the sport is played by two teams with a flying disc or Frisbee on a field with end zones, similar to touch rugby.
“The object of the game is to score by catching a pass in the opponent’s end zone.
“A player must stop running while in possession of the disc, but may pivot and pass to any of the other receivers on the field.
“Ultimate is a transition game in which players move quickly from offense to defence on turnovers that occur with a dropped pass, an interception, a pass out of bounds, or when a player is caught holding the disc for more than ten seconds.”
The Kiwi team is aiming for a top-six finish for its two teams at the Under-20 Championships, held every two years by the World Flying Disc Federation.
The local teams were undertaking a preparation programme including three training camps before heading to Birmingham for the tournament.
What makes Ultimate Frisbee unique is that the sport is self-refereed and governed by a ‘Spirit of the Game’ that’s written into the rules.
Players are responsible for ensuring fair play and resolving their disputes.
At the World Championships that means players who speak different languages must find a way to resolve conflicts among themselves.
Ultimate NZ executive officer Iain Stewart says despite New Zealand’s geographic isolation and the associated difficulty of finding international competition opportunities, both teams placed sixth at the 2022 Championships in Poland.
“We have a lot of experience on the teams this year and we’ll definitely be a threat for a place in the semi-finals.”
The New Zealand teams will be led by seven returning players who participated in the 2022 World Junior Ultimate Championships.
Most of the newly-selected players have also gained international experience, with both New Zealand teams securing a 3-0 victory over Australia in the 2023 Trans-Tasman series in Sydney and clinching the title.
