Wanganui's longest day

The Wanganui Under 17 team still smiling in Canterbury yesterday.

It has been a tournament as emotionally gruelling as it was physical, but the Wanganui Under 17 team finished unbowed at the Age Group Netball Championships in Rangiora yesterday.

While the normally unsatisfying 23rd placing mirrors last year, the team had to rise above a crippling illness and injury toll, plus the emotional distress of the death of the uncle of player Kerwyn Morgan at the start of the week.

Morgan flew home yesterday as Wanganui went on with barely seven serviceable players after the goal keep Catherine Nauga had a suspected broken leg, with Britney Rauangi flying in to join the side.

Croaky coach Parekura Muraahi, who by yesterday had caught the dreaded lurgi which laid four squad members flat in Canterbury, watched them narrowly lose their morning playoff with Nelson 37-30, with only six players available.

They were back to seven as vice-captain Lisa Lin dragged herself out of bed for the last game just two hours later with Whangarei to decide 23rd-24th.

After a double extra time period of five minutes each way, the scores were still tied before an exhausted Wanganui prevailed 50-48 in sudden death - where a team had to get a two goal lead.

"They functioned beautifully. It was a really tough match, ended up playing an extra 17 minutes," said Muraahi.

"When we were drawn at fulltime, I turned to my manager and said 'given the week we've had, of course we go to overtime'."

Just like last year, the decimation of the squad meant captain Niamh Flower played every minute of every game, joined this time by fellow troopers Francie Walford and Kahurangi Sturmey.

"I take my hat off to them. They carried the load," said Muraahi.

The idea of entering these tournaments is to develop players for the future, and Muraahi said the squad had found inner resources they never knew they had.

"It was a great experiance to go into extra time and then extra-extra time.

"They thought they were spent, but to then play on just adds to the experiance."