Netball - then rugby: Hawke’s Bay Tui chase a home semifinal

Now-regular Hawke's Bay Tui halfback Kahlia Awa pictured scoring as a replacement in her Farah Palmer Cup debut last year. Photo / Ian Cooper

Three players who triumphed in the Hawke’s Bay Super 8 netball final on Wednesday will be in action on the rugby field on Saturday as the Hawke’s Bay Tui try to set-up a home semifinal in the Farah Palmer Cup national women’s rugby premiership.

Tietie Aiolupotea gets a start while All In: Elusive netball teammates Leykin Rowlands and Lua Semisi have been named on the substitutes’ bench for the match against Counties Manukau at Pukekohe, starting at 12.05pm on Saturday.

The Tui, promoted from the second-tier championship division at the end of last season, have already guaranteed their spot in the top four for the semifinals and are placed fourth going into the last weekend of the round-robin phase of the competition.

They can get into the top two and thus claim a home semifinal if they win, and the current second- and third-placed sides, Auckland and Waikato, are both beaten.

The Tui have had wins over Auckland, Wellington and Bay of Plenty and been beaten by Canterbury and Waikato.

The team:

Kathleen Brown, Tamia Edwards (co-captain), Tori Iosefo, Journey Otene, Lara Kendrick, Oli Mua, Hope Hakopa, Gemma Woods, Kahlia Awa, Krysten Cottrell (co-captain), Tietie Aiolupotea, Jaimee Robin, Leilani Hakiwai, Nicolette Adamson, Michaela Baker. Subs: Phoenix Reid-Stowers, Leykin Rowlands, Kaya Whaitiri-Dee, Tali Wilson-Munday, Jade Tangaere-Tuhua, Leah Tuhi, Raedeen Blake, Lua Semisi.