Squash: Commonwealth Games calls

SCOTLAND BOUND: Rotorua's Amanda Landers-Murphy is off to Scotland to compete in her first Commonwealth Games.

It was the best phone call Amanda Landers-Murphy could have hoped for.

The Rotorua squash player received news on Sunday she was heading to the Commonwealth Games in July to represent New Zealand.

"It is not a bad phone call to get."

It was a proud moment for the 22-year-old who has lived in Rotorua her whole life.

"It is something I have been working towards for a few years and to make the team is pretty surreal," she said.

"I want to play well and do the country proud and my team mates proud and just see how it goes."

It is her first Commonwealth Games and she will compete in the women's doubles, mixed doubles and women's singles events.

She has been paired with 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Joelle King in the women's doubles competition.

"Joelle is such a great player and has always been an inspiration for me. Just to be playing with her is an awesome experience in itself," she said.

"Joelle and Jaclyn Hawkes got a gold medal at the last Commonwealth Games and that is definitely something to live up to."

King is the highest ranked player in the eight-strong New Zealand team and is currently ranked fourth in the world.

Landers-Murphy is ranked third in New Zealand and 43rd in the world.

She said Squash New Zealand started pairing players together last year to choose a team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

"Basically we got paired up with people to play with, and played a tournament in Darwin last year. We then played the New Zealand Doubles with the pairings they wanted to promote to the NZOC."

In the mixed doubles, she will play alongside Canterbury's Paul Coll who is another young talent in squash.

"We have played a few times together now. It is quite a good pairing so I am hoping we can just get better and better."

Landers-Murphy was chosen for the doubles but will also compete in the singles. She said her family was stoked for her when they heard the news on Sunday.

"Everyone was pretty excited when we found out. It was quite overwhelming really, everyone who got told had something encouraging to say, which was nice."

She said her parents would both be going to the games with her to support her. Landers-Murphy, who currently trains full-time, will remain in Rotorua for a month before leaving for Malaysia in mid-June to play a warm-up tournament.

She will return home for another month before leaving to Scotland with the rest of the New Zealand team.

Landers-Murphy lives in Waikite Valley and is currently training six days a week for four to six hours a day.

She trains with her coach and well-known Rotorua squash player Danny McQueen.

The former Rotorua Girls' High School student has been playing squash since she was 13.