Water polo tourney tests Kiwis quality

Kelly Mason. File photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Top women players to assess world rivals.

New Zealand's best women water polo players get a chance to test their progress when they host a high quality international event in Auckland, starting tomorrow.

The intercontinental tournament at the West Wave Aquatic Centre in West Auckland, part of the World League and which also features 2012 Olympic champions the United States and bronze medallists Australia, is a leadup to the league super final in Shanghai in June with qualifying places for that event on offer.

But the tournament event also offers New Zealand a good chance to assess opposition at the world championships in Kazan, Russia in July.

New Zealand's first pool game tomorrow is against Canada, and coincidentally they're also squaring off in the opening match of the world champs. New Zealand face Japan and Australia in Auckland, but they'll have an eye on Kazakhstan, another world champs opponent, too.

Preparations have been better and more intensive than ever before, according to captain Kelly Mason who believes New Zealand can be highly competitive.

That said, Mason says New Zealand will be the only team at the event who don't train full-time.

"Right now the main goal is to use this as a stepping stone to see where we're at," Mason said.

Mason, 27 and a national representative for eight years, has been a professional, having spent two years playing in Russia and France after finishing at the University of Hawaii, but most of the New Zealand players hold down full-time jobs or study at university.

"That makes it difficult, but at the same time we are doing a lot more than we have in the past, and our girls are naturally talented," she said.

"So I don't see any reason why, if we continue what we are doing now, we can't beat these teams and eventually qualify for the Olympics."

NZ water polo team

• Kelly Mason (c), Nicole Lewis, Hannah Klein, Simone Lewis, Ricci Ferigo, Emma Stoneman, Katherine Curnow (Marist, Auckland), Brooke Millar, Sarah Landry, Liana Dance, Jasmine Myles (North Harbour), Miranda Chase (Waitakere), Kirsten Hudson (Wellington).
• Schedule for opening day tomorrow: Japan v Australia, 3pm, Brazil v US, 4.30pm, China v Kazakhstan, 6pm, NZ v Canada 7.30pm.