Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Maori Send-off for Kiwi Bound Mel

Mel Waite - who for the past three years has played second row and no. 8 for Hitchin, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, and East Region - will soon be emigrating to the "Land of the Long White Cloud" - New Zealand.

Mel learnt her rugby from a very young age with Hitchin minis before becoming part of a contingent of Hitchin girls who have played with Welwyn Warriors team since 2003. In that time she also came to the attention of both regional and county selectors, playing for East at both U14 and U17 level, before becoming a member of the first U17 county squad last season.

At last week's Beckenham Festival, Warriors skipper Lana Block presented Mel with a souvenir club shirt as a memento of her time with the team, while the remainder of the squad performed the All Black-style haka!

After the tournament, where Mel and her team-mates lost out in the final on penalties, the Warriors all signed the shirt. Mel is looking forward to life in New Zealand but she will miss her friends in the team.

The best bit of being a Warrior? "As a Hitchin girl it has to be all the victories over near rivals Letchworth" she said with a cheeky smile. Mel will keep in touch via the internet and wishes her club and county every success in the future.

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