Otago starts its bid for the national championship title with a warm-up tournament at the Lion Foundation Arena this weekend.
Coach Georgie Salter's side will play three games in two days against Canterbury, Southland and an Otago invitational team.
It will be a weary weekend for some netballers with club finals today and the first games of the warm-up tournament to be played tonight.
Salter said the tournament was the first stage of building towards the national championship. The team had a life-saving beach session last Sunday, which Salter said was great for building up team spirit. It had two court trainings during the week. Salter was looking for the side to get combinations going and do the basics well.
With the elevation of Katrina Grant into the New Zealand team, Salter will have to find another defender for the national championships as Silver Ferns are not available.
Co-captain Phillipa Finch will not play this weekend as she is honeymooning.
Salter said Canterbury and Southland were quality opponents with different defensive styles so the Otago side would have to adapt.
The Otago invitational side is made up of members of the wider training squad, including Stephanie Brenssell, Megan Graamans, Megan Parke and Angela Mitchell.
Otago starts its national championship campaign against Waikato on September 6, and follows with games against Auckland, Southland and Western, before the finals in Rotorua on October 1-4.
Otago plays Southland tonight, then Canterbury at 10am tomorrow, before playing the invitational team at 1.30pm.
• Otago team for tournament this weekend
Jessica Tuki, Grier Campbell, Rihi Salter, Debbie White, Camilla Lees, Sam Aranga-Durie, Hannah Broederlow, Jaimee Power, Jess Moulds, Louise Thayer, Lorie McDonald.
