Four local girls have been named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools squad for 2018.
Three of those named hail from Howick College, the national secondary school champs. Another colleague has been named as a reserve.
Netball New Zealand today named a 23-strong squad following the National Development Camp in Cambridge last week, which includes two ANZ Premiership players.
Leehava Saverio, Nanise Waqairo and Teuila Sotutu from Howick College have made the squad with as has Tayla Earle from St Kentigern College. Howick College’s Iva Livani has been named a reserve
Howick College’s meteoric rise at the New Zealand Secondary School Champs ended in October last year with their first national crown. In what was their first appearance at the national netball event, the school beat Saint Kentigern 33-25 in an exciting grand final.
Meanwhile, NZU21 World Champion Tiana Metuarau and defender Renee Savai’inaea, who will make her ANZ Premiership debut this season, are still eligible for the New Zealand Secondary Schools squad for 2018 and have been named in the group.
NZSS coach Mary-Jane Araroa said a final team would be named after the NZ Age Group Championships in July in the build-up to matches against the Australian Under-17 squad in Canberra in September.
“We are excited with what we have seen at the National Development Camp and opted to name a squad at this time to enable us to monitor and track these athletes over the next six months” she said.
Araroa said the National Camp provided the panel the opportunity to assess athletes from all over the country.
“Players were selected from all the national age group competitions, regional Secondary School tournaments and last year’s NZ Secondary Schools tournament which gave us the chance to observe a large number of athletes in one place.”
Not all players were able to attend the camp so the selectors reserve the right to consider athletes from outside this squad in the final selection process.
Player name- 2017 School – 2017 Zone
*Armani Lam — Mt Albert Grammar School — Northern Zone
Bianca Nagaiya — Epsom Girls Grammar School — Northern Zone
Bridie Burns — Sacred Heart College — Central Zone
Brooke Neilson — New Plymouth Girls High School — Central Zone
Ella Williams — St Cuthbert’s College – Northern Zone
*Georgia Stroud — Villa Maria College — Mainland Zone
Georgie Edgecombe — St Peter’s School — Waikato Bay of Plenty Zone
Greer Sinclair — Epsom Girls Grammar School- Northern Zone
Jess Gemmell — St Cuthbert’s College — Northern Zone
Khiarna Williams — Trident High School — Waikato Bay of Plenty Zone
Killarney Morey — Epsom Girls Grammar School — Northern Zone
*Leehava Saverio — Howick College — Northern Zone
*Nanise Waqairo — Howick College — Northern Zone
Paris Lokotui — Queen Margaret College — Central Zone
*Ruby Young — Mt Albert Grammar School — Northern Zone
Saviour Tui — St Mary’s College – Central Zone
*Taneisha Fafita — Waitaki Girls High School — South Zone
Tayla Earle — St Kentigern College — Northern Zone
*Teuila Sotutu — Howick College — Northern Zone
Tiuana-Marie Aiono – Queen Margaret College — Central Zone
Vika Koloto — Baradene College — Northern Zone
<BOLD>Franchise Players Eligible
Tiana Metuarau — Wellington East Girls High Schools- Central Zone
Renee Savai’inaea- St Mary’s College- Central Zone
*denotes subject to fitness/medical clearance as determined by the selectors
