Our rep teams attended their respective final tournaments over the holiday break. The Under-14 and Under-16 teams went to the North Island Championships in New Plymouth, while the Under-18s attended Nationals in Dunedin.
With many new players, this was a real eye-opener for the girls. The Under-14 team were very young, with many players eligible for the team for another year or two. Heading into North Islands, the team faced some ups and downs, winning the Dannevirke Vikings tournament but finding some tough games in the Palmerston North and Whanganui tournaments. The team played in the A grade in New Plymouth, which was a huge challenge for the young girls. Sickness and injury meant the team struggled to put together a complete performance. However, the girls showed real resilience, continuing to fight and get stronger with each outing.
Coach Bailee Kauika was very proud of the team.
“Things look promising for the future,” she said.
Many thanks to manager Casey Graham for her time supporting the team.
The Under-16 team travelled to New Plymouth with strength across the court. Playing in B grade, the girls started the champs with some big games against the likes of Waitākere and Hamilton City. Focusing on the defensive and attacking structures they had worked on throughout the season, consistency was the key. Coach Tash Bullock had the luxury of versatility in her team and enjoyed watching her players develop and strengthen. All players gave their best at every opportunity. Equipped with quality coaches and management, the team came away with four wins and four losses. Thanks must go to Hannah Middleton who assisted in coaching this year, her knowledge and experience second to none, and manager Kylee Campbell for her amazing support and excellent organisation.
The Under-18s had an up-and-down season, with small numbers at trials and last-minute changes due to injury. Under-16 players Ruby Bullock and Ella Campbell were brought in as replacements and, with Taranaki not having an U18 team this year, we were able to bring in Amy Vickers from New Plymouth Girls High School.
Coach Lisa Murphy was proud of her rebuilt team. This is the best of the best in age group netball and the team came up against some very tall, agile and talented players. The week started in a tough pool, including eventual winners Auckland. Losses in pool play regraded the team to a lower pool. The first game in the pool was against Thames Valley, which saw the girls build in each quarter and play some lovely netball, winning 42-27. The next game against Eastern Southland was more challenging, going down 42-30. The team finished the tournament with a win against Kerikeri 35-29.
Murphy was pleased with how her team grew throughout a tough week, keeping their heads up and giving it their all. Captain Tuahine Hadfield had a solid tournament and versatile player Teresa Rennie also stood out.
“With centre manager Robyn Walford at the helm this year and development officer Natale Hales getting back into schools after a three-year gap, we will see our players develop their skills and our rep programme will benefit from this,” Murphy said.
“The introduction of quality development programmes this year is very welcomed and we look forward as a centre to see more growth in our young players.
