INDEPENDENT NEWS

Two Egg Throw & Catch champs to take on the world

Published: Fri 16 Jun 2017 03:29 PM
16 June 2017
EGG BREAKING NEWS
New Zealand’s Two Egg Throw & Catch champs to take on the world!
The eggceptional team at Williment Travel has joined the Hilux New Zealand Rural Games as a sponsor and is sending the New Zealand 2017 Two Egg Throw & Catch Champions off to the UK to compete against the world’s best.
In March this year, the pride of Christchurch’s Nick Hornstein and his cousin, Dairy Flat’s rising star, Robbie Hollander took the New Zealand egg-throwing community by storm winning the 2017 title after having been runners-up in 2016 and performing admirably in 2015.
27-year-old Nick says, unfortunately, egg throwing doesn’t attract the funding of rugby, so they created a Givealittle page to raise funds to take on the world.
With just under $1,721 raised, it looked like the duo aspirations would be thwarted. However, Williment Travel have agreed to fund the remaining monies to get Aotearoa’s premier Egg Thrower & Catcher to Swaton – the home of egg throwing.
“My ultimate goal is to 'crack' the World Record of 76.27m. Having the support from Williment Travel as well as the support from numerous others is truly humbling and provides me with the motivation to bring home a world record for New Zealand.”
The World Championships
The 12th World Egg Throwing Championships are on 25 June, and the heats start at 2pm, all going well they’ll be in the finals at 4pm......and New Zealand will hopefully wake up to the news that our Champs are indeed World Champs!
Our fearless duo will be up against competing egg throwers and catchers from around the world. The current world record stands at 76.27m.
That’s just 6m shy of an unofficial throw by Nick and catch by Robbie.
“We are a young pairing,” says Robbie, “I know we can bring home a world record.”
In 2016, the duo threw a remarkable 63.1m knocking out Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall’s New Zealand record. However, it was not to be, as the 2016 Champs, Brent Newdick and Luke Wainui beat them by 30cm.
"Nick says the goal is to win big and put New Zealand egg throwing and catching on the map. With their consistent success, Nick expects bigger and better things in 2018 at the Hilux New Zealand Rural Games in Palmerston North."
Meet Our Champions
Chief Tosser/Co-Captain: Doubling as a corporate lawyer, Nick Hornstein is a self-proclaimed amateur sports champion. Nick is the veteran partner of the two egg throw and catch champions, and he draws on his sporting experience to guide the team to greater heights. His sporting prowess has been significant – winning New Zealand titles in tennis and playing New Zealand Koru basketball in his junior days. Nick has never been far away from the action, having worked with Hawkeye Innovations following the professional tennis circuit at the Hopman Cup in Perth, APIA International in Sydney, the Australian Open in Melbourne, the Open 13 in Marseille, the Fed Cup in Slovakia and the 2012 London Olympics.
Chief Catcher/Moisturiser Specialist/Co-Captain: 18-year-old Robbie Hollander is the catching member of the team and attributes his soft hands and technique to his early years of playing cricket and softball. In his last year at Orewa College, he lives on a lifestyle farm at Dairy Flat with his family. He has represented North Harbour at hockey since the age of 12 and is presently in the U18 side preparing for tournament. His other interests are quad bike racing, snow skiing and downhill mountain biking.
The duo have competed at the Hilux NZ Rural Games in the NZ Egg Throwing & Catching Championship for the last three years finishing with a creditable 40m throw and catch in 2015 and a very close 2nd in 2016 after breaking the NZ record with a throw and catch of 63.3m.
“I’m so grateful to everyone, Williment Travel for their sponsorship and my family and friends who have assisted me with funding my journey and the NZ Egg Industry – everyone who has supported both Nick and I on our quest to win the World Championship.
Williment Travel was founded back in 1967 by former All Black fullback Mick Williment. Leaving a 50-year legacy (that’s still going strong), we send Kiwis on sports & travel adventures around the world. With our huge range of events enticing thousands of passionate fans, we’re thrilled to sponsor an entertaining, yet skilful event in 2017.
Williment Travel General Manager Adair Cameron, says he first saw Robbie and Nick win the NZ Egg Throwing & Catching Championship at the Hilux NZ Rural Games earlier this year.
“We are certain they have the goods to poach the World Title for NZ,” he says. “Supporting local Kiwi sports is important to both us and the community, and we anticipate their deft skills to be eggs-ceptional!”
The Hilux New Zealand Rural Games
At the heart of the Games are a series of traditional sports, attracting top competitors from throughout New Zealand and Australia. National and world champions battling for the prestigious Hilux New Zealand Rural Games titles.
Together with Sport New Zealand and rural sports associations around NZ we’ve developed exciting new formats for sheep shearing, speed fencing, speed tree climbing and other traditional sports.
We host the ANZAXE Wood Chopping Championship, NZ Harness Racing Gearing Up Championship and the NZ Rural Highland Games ‘Heavies’ Trans-Tasman Competition.
Even the kids can get involved – Kids ‘n Country features a host of fun events over both days to keep under-12s active and entertained. And there are some great spot prizes.
A prelude to the Games is the Running of the Wools in Feilding on Friday 9 March and then the Games themselves in The Square in Palmerston North on the 10th and 11th of March 2018.
Finally, Swaton – the international home of Egg Throwing & Catching
Back in 1322, the local Abbot was the only person in all of the Parish of Swaton who had eggs. The Abbot encouraged Parishioners to attend prayers by giving them an egg as alms. But in wild stormy weather, when the River Eau was in flood, and Parishioners could not make it across, the Monks would hurl the eggs over the river for Parishioners to catch, and in mighty big floods a trebuchet was used to gain extra distances....and so a fabulous egg throwing tradition was born, and it has now become an international sport.
Nick and Robbie are not the first Kiwi’s to take part in the World Championships – the winners of the inaugural World Champions 2006 were Kiwi’s Andrew McKay and Nigel Tiffin, two South Island turkey farmers who were on their OE.
We could go on......but how about you call the 2017 New Zealand Two Egg Throw & Catch Champions who’re about to take on the WORLD!
Due to flights, the duo are only available for interviews from 12 midday on Tuesday 20 June through to 12 midday on Wednesday 21 June.
Flights for London leave Auckland International Airport on Wednesday evening.
And the team, hopefully with the World Championship under their belts will arrive back in Auckland on Wednesday evening on 28 June.
Here’s a link to Nick and Robbie’s 2017 NZ Championship win.
ends

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