Netball: Girls hoping Magic rubs off

Magic's Leana de Bruin and Vixens Tegan Philip in action. Photo / File

Rotorua's next generation of ANZ Championship players have been treated to a training session with the Kia Magic.

The Magic visited Rotorua at the weekend to promote their game against the Northern Mystics on Sunday at the Energy Events Centre.

Among the local players treated to a training session with the team were sisters Sonique Morrow, 9, and Bridie, 7, who play for Westbrook Primary School.

"They really loved it, they thought it was great," mum Necia Morrow said.

"The Magic just took them through certain skills, like the goal shoot and goal defence were involved in one area and wing defence and wing attack were in charge of another area, teaching them how to defend and attack."

She said she was a big fan of the Magic and got a real kick out of seeing her daughters running around with the ANZ Championship players.

"It was probably more exciting for me knowing that my girls were there training with them," she said with a laugh.

Rotorua's Sam Sinclair, who debuted for the Magic last year straight out of high school, was right in the mix at the Westbrook Netball Courts on Saturday, helping out the young players.

Morrow said she would be taking her girls to the Magic game against the Mystics this Sunday and they were really looking forward to it.

She said the Magic spent a good hour and a half with the young netballers on Saturday taking them through all kinds of drills and games.

"They [Sonique and Bridie] were absolutely stuffed by the end of it, to the point they crashed out by 6pm. "

She said the highlight was perhaps getting a photo with her three girls, including her youngest Samantha, 5, and injured Magic captain Casey Kopua.

-The Magic game on Sunday starts at 7.10pm at the Energy Events Centre. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster, at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre on Fenton St or at the door on Sunday.