Badinlee gets trial for Ferns

While an injury squashed her first opportunity, local girl Badinlee Munro-Smith has earned a second chance to trial for the New Zealand Black Fern's.

The Stratford Rugby and Sports Club (SRSC) player has been selected to trial for the national women's rugby team on May 17 after being scouted at a region group training earlier this year.

"I am really excited at the opportunity but I am nervous knowing I will be competing against some of the best players in the country," says Badinlee.

Badinlee was selected for the opportunity to trial in 2013 but an injury took her out of the game for over a year. Back in fighting shape the 18-year-old has laced up her boots again and earned the chance to trial to play at a national level.

The level of competition is daunting but the trial itself is playing on her nerves as well as Badinlee will be trialling for a position that she doesn't usually play. Usually second five centre, Badinlee will be trialling as a half back, "because the selectors said they believe I could bring a new skill set to the position that the team currently doesn't have".

With the black jersey in her sights and with less than a week to go Badinlee says she has been training hard to impress the selection committee. "The group test trainings were over a month ago so the selectors want to see how much we could improve in terms of strength, fitness and speed." Her trainings include working with the Taranaki Rugby Football Union Sevens Academy and working with her brother and father at home. "Dad was a semi-professional rugby league player when he was younger so my brother and I got into rugby at a young age."

Kerri McBride, manager of the SRSC Women's rugby team, says Badinlee has been with the team since aged 13. "We've seen her grow and develop, she's a fantastic player and both her team and the whole club support her and couldn't be more excited" says Kerri.