Three of Otago’s best young netballers have been named in a 14-strong New Zealand Secondary Schools team to tour Australia later this year.
St Hilda’s Collegiate School pupil Ella Southby, who is the daughter of former Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby, will be joined in the squad Emilie Nicholson (Columba College) and Grace Tiko (Cromwell College).
Nicholson and Tiko have been included subject to passing a fitness test.
New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) assistant coach Jo Morrison, of Dunedin, described getting three players from the region in the team as a historic result.
"It is the best we’ve ever had," she said.
"We usually struggle a little bit in this space. It is nothing to do with the fact I’m the assistant coach, it is just a testament to the hard work these girls have put in but also the work that had been done in that pathways space."
Nicholson made the NZSS A team last year, so the promising defender has been on the radar for a while. Southby been selected as a shooter but can also play wing attack. She is calm and heady player and deadly accurate.
Tiko is in year 11 and the goal keep is the baby of the trio. She already has good height and is probably still growing.
"She is tall and rangy and has an ability to get turnover ball and I’m really excited about her potential."
NZSS head coach Pelesa Semu named the team following a three-day trial in Auckland last week.
The team will tour Australia from June 27 to July 3 where they will be involved in the under-19 Australian camp, providing some vital international play which has
been missing in the past three years due to the global pandemic.
"We have been waiting a long time to get to this point of naming our side and it’s a really exciting time for us," Semu said.
"Our opportunities to head overseas for international play has been severely impacted in recent years due to Covid. I don’t think we can underestimate the importance of this pathway when we look at the bigger picture of high performance netball in New Zealand."
The team contains four players who have been a part of the Netball League this season — Lili Tokaduadua (Robinhood Comets), Priscilla Rasmussen (Northern Marvels), Liza Ball (Waikato Bay of Plenty) and Phoenix Schwalger (Central Manawa).
New Zealand Secondary Schools team
To tour Australia
Liza Ball, Zoe Elliott, Zara Feaunati, Sarah Guiney, Samuel Marsden, Shaquaylah Mahakitau-Monschau, Le’Oxeayn Maiu’u, Emilie Nicholson*, Priscilla Rasmussen, Phoenix Schwalger, Ella Southby, Sienna Stowers-Smith, Summer Temu*, Grace Tiko*, Lili Tokaduadua.
*Subject to fitness clearance
