The Wanganui Masters badminton representative team are targeting this opening Saturday of the Masters North Island Division 1 competition as their chance to cement themselves in the top league.
Wanganui won promotion with their victory in the Division 2 competition last year, but coach/manager David Berry said this weekend athome on the Springvale courts would be the start of a big step up in competition.
The team will play twice on four weekends through to August against Auckland, North Harbour 1, North Harbour 2, Waitakere, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Waikato, and Wellington.
Berry said that in masters badminton, which was contested by players aged 35 plus, many of the opposition were former New Zealand players who had recently stepped away from international-level competition.
"We're playing class teams, so to stay in this league we've got to win one or two."
