Hockey: Wanganui back at top level

Michelle Low (left) and Kylie Penn will lead the new Wanganui senior women's team at the national tournament in North Harbour next week. PHOTO/LEWIS GARDNER

For the first time in at least seven years, the royal blue will be trotting out on to the field of the National Senior Tournament as the new Wanganui senior women's representative team debuts in North Harbour on Monday.

A labour of love for squad members Michelle Lowe and Kylie Penn, who were both determined to see a Wanganui team back at the top level, the side has been pulled together from six members of the Tech College Old Boy's women's team, nicknamed 'Techno', and four players from the Collegians squad.

Joining them will be six imports from the Taranaki CHL team, as Taranaki are not sending their own women's side to the tournament.

Penn said it had taken a bit of work to get the team started with a few players saying no, only to express interest in coming on board when the squad was a confirmed starter.

"Our fitness has actually improved since we finished the [club] season in Division 1."

"Our coach we have snapped up from Taranaki is Mark Lyles, who's a very skilled coach with coaching at regional level."

The manager is Inez Belcher from Manawatu.

It will be a unique double for squad members Jessica Watkin and Trin McCarthy, who were also part of the resurrected Wanganui senior women's cricket team last November the first for 14 years.

The tournament at North Harbour will be from September 7-12.

There are nine women's teams taking part and eight men's. The women's draw is split into two pools. Penn said the Wanganui team had to be moved pools when Manawatu and Southland pulled out, putting them in Pool A against the strong North Harbour and Auckland teams, along with Counties Manukau and Canterbury.

Wellington, Tasman, Tauranga and the NZ Defence Force team make up Pool B.

Wanganui's first game will be on Monday against Counties Manukau at 1.30pm.

In other representative games, the Wanganui Under-13 squads will have mini-quad tournaments this weekend.

The girls team, Rawleighs, will play in Wanganui while the boys, Hatch and Curtis, will play in Palmerston North and Napier respectively. Back in the local club scene, the men's and women's Division 2-3 competitions have reached the finals series, starting tonight at the Gonville Domain.

The Wanganui senior women's team:

Michelle Low, Elizabeth Hunter, Loren Mooney, Lorette Cockburn, Kylie Penn, Trin McCarthy (Techno); Haley Mallinder, Chloe Peters, Jessica Watkin, Amelia Stanley (Collegians); Rebecca McCullough, Rebecca Dearden, Hawaiki Tamati, Bridget Taylor, Penny Stark, Cathie Bunler (Taranaki CHL).