Netball: Colling hoping to continue NZ netball career

11.00am - By ROBERT LOWE

New Zealand netballer Belinda Colling is to spend the next two years in Britain but has not ruled out playing for the Silver Ferns again, including at the next Commonwealth Games.

"I've not finished with netball. I see myself in the big picture," the goal attack said in Hamilton last night, after helping New Zealand to a 3-0 whitewash of Australia.

"There are some big things on in the next three to four years that I want to be part of."

While she also wanted "a bit of a life at some point" after having been so focused on netball for so long, "I definitely see myself in those events".

Colling, 28, is heading overseas with partner Charlie Hore, who has a contract to play rugby in Scotland.

Hore, a first five-eighth and brother of All Black hooker Andrew Hore, has represented Canterbury at NPC level.

Colling said she expected to leave New Zealand in "a few weeks' time" and was not sure if she would be able to turn out for Canterbury in the national provincial tournament in September.

She said confirmation of the move had come through only days before she went into camp with the Silver Ferns a fortnight ago and she had advised national coach Ruth Aitken about it.

"It's something that I've not had a lot of time to think too much about," she said.

"This series was the focus and I needed to concentrate on that."

Now that the tests against Australia were over, she would be able to consider how she might be able to continue her international career from overseas.

It was something she would need to discuss with Aitken and with Netball New Zealand.

Aitken said there wasn't time during the camp to talk the issue over with Colling, "but if anything is possible, Belinda is the type of person who can make it possible".

A double international who has also represented New Zealand in basketball, Colling made her debut for the Silver Ferns against South Africa in 1996.

She has amassed 77 caps, assumed the test captaincy between 1997-1999 and was a member of the world championship-winning side in Jamaica last July.

She was again a key performer in the series against Australia and in the second test in Palmerston North on Friday night, was named player of the match for her tireless work in the shooting circle.

Colling has been also been skipper of the Canterbury Flames, leading them to last month's National Bank Cup final.

- NZPA