Netball: Latu fails to make Silver Ferns

The light has faded on Cathrine Latu's hopes of appearing for the Silver Ferns at this year's Netball World Cup. Photo / NZME.

The stars haven't aligned for Cathrine Latu and her bid at making the Silver Ferns team to compete at this year's Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

The Northlander's exclusion from the squad adds to her dismissal from the Silver Ferns Oceania Netball Series team, which travelled to Fiji earlier this year, and the Northern Mystics New Zealand Conference final loss versus the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in June.

Latu couldn't be reached for comment yesterday but took to social media to vent her dismay.

Via her personal Instagram, Latu posted a quote from Aristotle Onassis which reads: "It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."

Speaking to the Northern Advocate in April, Latu expressed a strong desire to make the New Zealand Netball World Cup squad.

"I started this goal eight years ago to play a Commonwealth Games and a Netball World Cup for New Zealand and I've only done one of those so far, so this [Netball World Cup] is next on my bucket list."

Despite this, a lack of volume and fluency throughout her ANZ Championship campaign has seen Latu - along with with veteran midcourters Liana Leota and Joline Henry - exempt from coach Waimarama Taumaunu's 12-strong Silver Ferns team.

"It was imperative that we selected on form, and it's important to have versatile playing combinations and this group provides that.

'There is no doubt this has been the toughest selection process in the last four years but that is what you expect in a World Cup year," Taumaunu said

With the window of opportunity gone, Latu will instead grind out games for the NZA team which will travel to Sydney before the Netball World Cup to gain experience in international fixtures.

Silver Ferns World Cup Team:
Jodi Brown (Central), Kayla Cullen (Northern), Leana de Bruin (WBOP), Shannon Francois (South), Katrina Grant (Central), Phoenix Karaka (South), Casey Kopua (WBOP), Laura Langman (Northern), Bailey Mes (Mainland), Malia Paseka (WBOP), Grace Rasmussen (WBOP) and Maria Tutaia (Northern).