Netball New Zealand Emerging Talent Selectors along with New Zealand Secondary Schools head coach Pelesa Semu have named a team to head to Australia later this year.
After a three-day trial in Auckland last week which involved fitness testing, specialist skill sessions and trial matches, the team of 14 was confirmed by the Emerging Talent Panel, Semu and Netball NZ.
The NZSS team will travel to Australia from 27 June-3 July where they will be involved in the U19 Australian camp, providing some vital international play which has been missing in the past three years due to the global pandemic.
Semu, who will coach the side with assistant Jo Morrison, said announcing the team was just another step towards getting New Zealand’s best secondary school netballers back on the competitive netball court.
“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,” she 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.
“It all begins again here and Jo and myself are eager to work with this group of players and watch their progress.”
Semu said it had been a thorough process leading up to the team announcement which had started last year with regional tournaments, National Development Camps in January and this month’s trials.
“History shows a number of New Zealand’s elite players having started their netball journey with the New Zealand Secondary Schools team, so we recognise the important work we have to do with this special group of schoolgirl netballers.”
The team contains four players who have been a part of the Synergy Hair Netball League this season including Lili Tokaduadua (Robinhood Comets) and Priscilla Rasmussen (Northern Marvels), Liza Ball (Waikato Bay of Plenty), and Phoenix Schwalger (Central Manawa).
New Zealand Secondary Schools team 2023:
Liza Ball (WBOP) – Hamilton Girls’ High School
Zoe Elliott (Central) – Woodford House
Zara Feaunati (Central) – Scots College
Sarah Guiney (Central) – Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Shaquaylah Mahakitau-Monschau (WBOP) – St Peter’s Cambridge
Le’Oxeayn Maiu’u (Northern) – Avondale College
Emilie Nicholson* (South) – Columba College
Priscilla Rasmussen (Northern) – Avondale College
Phoenix Schwalger (Central) – St Mary’s College, Wellington
Ella Southby (South) – St Hilda’s Collegiate School
Sienna Stowers-Smith (Mainland) – St Andrew’s College
Summer Temu* (Northern) – Mt Albert Grammar
Grace Tiko* (South) – Cromwell College
Lili Tokaduadua (Northern) – Howick College
*Subject to fitness clearance
After a three-day trial in Auckland last week which involved fitness testing, specialist skill sessions and trial matches, the team of 14 was confirmed by the Emerging Talent Panel, Semu and Netball NZ.
The NZSS team will travel to Australia from 27 June-3 July where they will be involved in the U19 Australian camp, providing some vital international play which has been missing in the past three years due to the global pandemic.
Semu, who will coach the side with assistant Jo Morrison, said announcing the team was just another step towards getting New Zealand’s best secondary school netballers back on the competitive netball court.
“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,” she 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.
“It all begins again here and Jo and myself are eager to work with this group of players and watch their progress.”
Semu said it had been a thorough process leading up to the team announcement which had started last year with regional tournaments, National Development Camps in January and this month’s trials.
“History shows a number of New Zealand’s elite players having started their netball journey with the New Zealand Secondary Schools team, so we recognise the important work we have to do with this special group of schoolgirl netballers.”
The team contains four players who have been a part of the Synergy Hair Netball League this season including Lili Tokaduadua (Robinhood Comets) and Priscilla Rasmussen (Northern Marvels), Liza Ball (Waikato Bay of Plenty), and Phoenix Schwalger (Central Manawa).
New Zealand Secondary Schools team 2023:
Liza Ball (WBOP) – Hamilton Girls’ High School
Zoe Elliott (Central) – Woodford House
Zara Feaunati (Central) – Scots College
Sarah Guiney (Central) – Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Shaquaylah Mahakitau-Monschau (WBOP) – St Peter’s Cambridge
Le’Oxeayn Maiu’u (Northern) – Avondale College
Emilie Nicholson* (South) – Columba College
Priscilla Rasmussen (Northern) – Avondale College
Phoenix Schwalger (Central) – St Mary’s College, Wellington
Ella Southby (South) – St Hilda’s Collegiate School
Sienna Stowers-Smith (Mainland) – St Andrew’s College
Summer Temu* (Northern) – Mt Albert Grammar
Grace Tiko* (South) – Cromwell College
Lili Tokaduadua (Northern) – Howick College
*Subject to fitness clearance