Netball: Nervous wait for Mystics on Latu case

Cathrine Latu. Photo / Richard Robinson

The Northern Mystics are sweating on the outcome of a meeting this weekend where netball's governing body is expected to rule on the eligibility of shooter Cathrine Latu.

The International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) meets tomorrow and one of the items up for discussion is a Netball New Zealand application to have Latu declared eligible to represent New Zealand.

New Zealand-born Latu is ineligible to represent the Silver Ferns, and therefore regarded as an import in the transtasman league, as she represented Samoa at the 2007 World Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In a bid to be able to include English shooter Pamela Cookey in their roster, the Mystics signed Latu subject to IFNA approval over international eligibility, with Vilimaina Davu included in the side as their one allowable import subject to a successful application of New Zealand citizenship.

The Mystics have ticked the first of those boxes with Davu sworn in as a New Zealand citizen last month, but getting IFNA approval for Latu to switch was always going to be the trickiest part of the equation.

Mystics coach Te Aroha Keenan said it had been a nervous wait for the franchise and she was looking forward to having the situation resolved.

With the start of the ANZ Championship season just over three weeks away, it would be a major blow if it didn't "all work out", she said.

Teams can have only up to two ineligible players on their roster and the Mystics would have to drop either Cookey, who is yet to arrive in Auckland, Latu or Davu from their line-up.

Mystics chief executive Mark Cameron was unwilling to discuss which player would get the axe should IFNA rule against Latu's eligibility switch.

"We don't want to be rocking the boat right now by speculating on what would happen if it's not successful.

"We'll just wait and see what happens on Monday and if it doesn't happen our way then we'll just look at other options."

Netball NZ high-performance manager Tracey Fear, who has been working through the application process with the Mystics and IFNA, said if Latu's bid was approved this weekend there was still one final hurdle to clear.

Netball NZ would need Commonwealth Games Federation approval, but Fear believed this was a formality.

Meanwhile the Mystics have resigned themselves to being without Cookey for their opening game of the season against the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic.

Cookey is committed to finishing off the English season with her side Team Bath, who are leading the British Superleague.