TEAM BUS GOES ON UNPLANNED FERRY ADVENTURE

In a classic case of 'who the hell programmed this thing?', the Papamoa U14 football team embarked on an unexpected aquatic journey when their bus took a wrong turn at the ferry checkpoint. What should have been a straightforward trip ended up as a scenic detour through Tauranga Harbour, leading to a rather annoyed group of players and parents. Rumour has it the GPS was following a ferry timetable — fantastic for boats, not so much for a bus full of impatient kids and their harried coach, Brian.

Witnesses report the situation escalated when a few dads, obviously channelling their inner RWC refs, began to shout at the poor volunteer driver. “You had one job!” lamented one particularly vexed parent, who also shouted something about a 'bloody ferry' not being on the itinerary. Meanwhile, the kids in the back, used to feral sideline snacks and rough housing, were busy fighting over a half-eaten cheeseburger that rolled under the seats.

With the friendly guidance of local constable Dave Pearce, who was presumably off-duty but made sure to mention he was on top of things at the station, the bus finally returned to dry land. Players say that by the time they arrived, the energy felt more like a pre-match barbecue than a football game. “If anyone admits this to the principal, we’re all rooted,” one player quipped while trying to pry the remains of old chips from his spikes.

As the team finally disembarked, a cheer erupted, but it wasn’t directed at the game ahead — the kids just wanted to celebrate the fact they weren’t still floating around. The moral of the story? It’s probably a better idea to double-check the settings on your GPS before it tries to send you for a swim.