Hopes For Third Netball Title

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32384, 25 August 1970, Page 15

Hopes For Third Netball Title

The Canterbury women’s netball team will attempt to win its third successive title in the national championships which begin at Dunedin today.

Canterbury won the title in 1968, and after losing Its first game to Rotorua last year It won the tournament In the last round. Canterbury’s chances this year are both at good and as difficult as they were last year. It has a bard game against Auckland today and will play four hard matches at the end of the tournament —against Hutt Valley, Rotorua, Wellington and South Canterbury, the runner-up last year. Three of Canterbury’s team of nine from last year are not available. Miss C. McMaster and Mrs J. Blair, both attack players who have represented New Zealand, have confined themselves to club competition. Mrs M. Simeonldis, who played for the South Island as a defence, has retired. Three young players, all in their second year of senior netball, have shown promising form in Canterbury’s provincial matches earlier this season.

N.Z. PLAYERS The Canterbury side has four players in the New Zealand team for the world tournament at Jamaica in December and on that score alone it should be favoured to win the title again. Mrs J. Harnett, Misses S. Langrope and S. Norman have played for Canterbury for some time and another New Zealand player, Miss B. Walker, came to Canterbury from Otago this year However, Canterbury’s confidence should not be misplace. Last season it went to the tournament as the favourite and lost to Rotorua in the first game. Canterbury will face an unknown quantity in the first game against Auckland Sub-Associations, the winner of the second grade last season. This team is coached by a former Canterbury and New Zealand representative, Miss P. Edmonds.

Auckland, the second team met, plays a hard, fast game, and if those two hurdles can be passed, Canterbury will have two more days of easier

matches to develop a winning form.

On Wednesday Canterbury will play Northland and Matamata, which are not strong teams; and on Thurs day It will play Otago ano Southland, both of which it beat comfortably earlier this Season. STRONG RIVALS The four remaining games, on Friday against Hutt Valley and Rotorua, and on Saturday against Wellington and South Canterbury, will be the hard est—that against South Can terbury could be the deciding match.

Canterbury narrowly beal South Canterbury earlier thir season. Although South Can terbury draws from a smallei number of players than the other leading provinces, it has a team of fast, fit, robust play ers and last season upset many of the more favoured teams.

The draw for South Canterbury Is;—today. Northland and Auckland Sub-associations; Wednesday. Matamata and South land; Thursday, Wellington and Otago; Friday, Rotorua and Auckland: Saturday, Hutt Valley and Canterbury.