Bring on July, says skipper

While the weather is not too appealing for Ararua's sun-loving Jessica Moulds, the 20-year-old is enjoying student life at Otago University, excelling on and off the netball court.
The Northlander was selected for the third consecutive year for the New Zealand Under-21 team, and made skipper of the side  that will play a series of games in Australia, against the Australian 19 and Under Squad, the Australian Institute of Sport and a touring England Under-19 Squad in Canberra, during July.
"It's very exciting - our team looks really strong this year. There is a good combination of older and younger players, and there is a good level of experience in the side," Moulds said.
The team contains four players from last year's Under-21 World Cup side - Moulds, Emily Close, Alanah Cassidy and Kayla Cullen - and they are keen to avenge their loss to Australia in the final when they cross the ditch.
"The Aussies will be tough competition again. They will have a good squad," she predicted.
Two of Moulds' fellow Otago teammates, Close and Shannon Francois, were also named in the team after the wider squad had trials in Auckland last week.
Her previous form this season  would have been enough for selectors to go on. The goal keep/goal defence was an integral member of the Otago team,  which recently contested the Lois Muir Championships and came runners-up to Western, going down to them in the final by five goals. Moulds is  also  training with the Otago Under-21 side,  which are playing at the National Age Group Championships at Edgar Centre in Dunedin, during July.
"We play at the Age Groups from July 5 to 8, then head over to Canberra on July 13 - it will be good to get out of Dunedin in the middle of winter," she said, before realising Canberra was not the warmest of Australian cities.
As well as representative netball, Moulds plays for club side Phesed in Dunedin's premier grade  competition, which was tough and of a high standard, Moulds said.
Having first played netball at primary school, mainly because she was tall, Moulds said she had enjoyed it ever since - playing in the Whangarei competition before heading to Dunedin following school to study nutrition at Otago University. "I will be finishing my three-year degree at the end of this year. After that, I want to do my post-graduate in dietetics, which will take another year and a half. But only 35 people are accepted into the course, and it is
based on your third-year marks, and three essays - so I will see what happens."
While her studies are her No1 priority, if an ANZ Championship opportunity arose for the talented netballer in the near future, Moulds said it would be a hard decision to choose  between studies and netball. "If any ANZ opportunity came about with any franchise that would be great. But I'd have to weigh it up with my studies - to do both would be really hard, so hopefully the choice is made for me," she said.
Moulds is making the most of her time in Southland, but she will always be a Northland girl at heart.
"My parents live on a dairy farm in Ararua [near Matakohe] where I grew up ... I really miss the farm, it's so quiet and peaceful ... I would always choose to live in the North Island, because of the warmth but also to be closer to family," she said.