Challengers ready for tilt at premiers

Waikohu centre Atlee Wainohu, here protecting the ball from the lunge of YMP’s Ata Mangu, could be a key player in the challenge matches. Picture by Paul Rickard

Tatapouri Sportsfit and IMS High School Old Girls Masters take the court at the YMCA tonight and wins against their premier-ranked opponents will give the grading committee something to seriously consider.

The challengers finished first and second after the grading rounds for A Grade teams, thereby earning the right to stake a claim to a premier division berth.

At 6pm, Tatapouri take on Claydens Waikohu, who finished seventh on the premier grading table.

At 7.30pm, High School Old Girls Masters meet Horouta Gold, who finished sixth.

“Both challenging teams have players who have been in premier grade before and bring a lot of experience,” centre manager Allisa Hall said.

“It will be interesting to see how much of a gap there is between the bottom of premiers, as things currently stand, and the top of A Grade.

“It is too hard to say whether the potential exists for those A Grade teams to win tonight, but they will certainly hold their own.”

Both would be 60-minute matches.

“That extra time should favour the premier grade teams,” Hall said.

She urged netball supporters to take advantage of the free entry, and check out the netball action.

The grading committee would meet on Saturday afternoon, after the challenge games in the other grades, and look at promotion and relegation of teams.

“We do take into consideration the grading results, and at times teams have been moved even if they did not play in the challenge games.”

Hall said not all premier games would be played at the YMCA once the season proper got under way on May 12.

“We are excited to announce that this season we will play some premier games outside during Round 2, as opposed to all games being played in the YMCA,” she said.

“We want to have our top-level netball on display to all levels of players at the courts.”

Hall said all premier grade teams would play one of their games outdoors this season.