WHS to hit small screen

Kelera Kuruyabaki and her Wanganui High School A1 teammates will play Wellington's St Mary's on Monday night. The game will be shown on Sky Sport 2.

The Wanganui High School A1 netball team will make their television debut in a popular competition.

WHS A1 has been selected as one of the top 18 secondary school teams in the country to compete in the "College Netball" competition, which is broadcast on Sky TV and starts on Monday against St Mary's Wellington in Porirua.

Started in 2011 after the success of the College Rugby programme on Sky, College Netball matches are played as the curtain raisers to ANZ Championship games, with Monday's match-up with St Mary's the opening act before Haier Pulse v Adelaide Thunderbirds at the sold-out Te Rauparaha Arena.

WHS came sixth at the Lower North Island secondary schools tournament last year to qualify for the competition, with their game being one of the 12 shown on TV out of the 18 being played.

Coach Lisa Murphy said she was looking forward to the experience her charges will gain playing under the big lights.

"We have been training as a squad since November last year to keep the girls' fitness and strength up over summer.

"Some of the players have had heavy commitments with summer codes also.

"We have lost four senior players from the starting line-up from last year but have got some promising talent coming through the school."

The 2013 version of the team dominated both Netball Wanganui's Saturday morning secondary schools competition and the Monday night Premier 1 club grade.

This College Netball competition is played in a knock-out format featuring six teams each from the Upper North Island (UNI), Lower North Island (LNI) and the South Island (SI).

Murphy said St Mary's won the Lower North Island last year and were runners-up in NZ Secondary School championships.

"They are a very skilled side and I am sure they will have good development coming through so we will not be taking them lightly."

Netball Wanganui is organising a supporters' bus to go to the game and stay for the ANZ Championship match afterwards.

Murphy said they had a few tickets left for $50 per person, with the bus leaving Wanganui at 2.45pm and arriving back around 11.30pm.

Contact her or Robyn at Netball Wanganui on 06 349 2329.