Netballers’ heavy load

Press, 30 May 1981, Page 16

Netballers’ heavy load

The Canterbury netball team will have its fitness fully tested, and no doubt extended, when it plays the touring All England side at Hagley Courts at 2.30 p.m. on Monday., , l: , ..

Only three hours before, it will have played the champion North Island side in the final of the Raro tournament.

Canterbury will not even know its opposition in that final until less than an hour before their game. The winner of the northern section will be found today; it will meet Rotorua at Hagley courts at 9.30 a.m. on Monday; the winner of this game will play Auckland at 10.30 a.m.; and the successful team from this game will meet Canterbury.

Fitness will be on the line here as well because one team may have to play three games in succession and will certainly have to play two. In preparation for these games, Canterbury will play both Otago and Nelson during the South Island squad tournament today, but will not compete in this tournament when it continues tomorrow. The touring English players will today travel to Timaru to play South Canterbury. Canterbury has four New Zealand representatives from the team that won the national tournament in Christchurch last August.

They are Sandra Heffernan (goal-keeper), Wai Taimanu (goal-defence), Leigh Gibbs (wing-defence) and Jan Henderson (wing-attack). The other members of this successful combination who have been retained are Ann Davidson (goal-shooter), Adrianne Prattley (goal-at-tack), who is the captain, and Lynn McLennan (centre).

All have had the chance to play against the English girls, either in the northern or central squad teams and the Canterbury coach, Cath Brown, has also seen the English opposition in action as she coached the northern squad team. All will be aware of the different style of the English team and their more aggressive approach to the game.

Three others are named in the Canterbury squad: Jane Eddington, and Dianna Sullivan, both of whom were in the Canterbury side last year, and Jenny Readman, who last year captained the under-20 team.

Miss Brown has been very frank with her squad and has stated that she will play the seven who are playing and combining best, and will have no qualms at standing a

New Zealand player on the side-line if her present form is below par. On her form in recent club games, Jenny Readman is ■ the one most likely to topple,, an established player. The majority of the English players have had international experience and all have represented England before. For example, nine of the 12 played at the world tournament in 1979 and of these, two were at the world > tournament in Auckland in 1975.

It was that year that Canterbury last met an English side, bn its way to Auckland. England won on that occasion, but the reasons — not the excuses —

were that Canterbury was - ; not only not national champion that year, but also did ■ not have its New Zealand representatives as they had , • already assembled for training before the world tourna- • ment.

This time, Canterbury will . present a much more formid-, able opposition. No doubt, England will pay Canterbury the compliment of fielding a • top line-up, not only in an effort to win, but also to use. the game as a good proving . ground before meeting New , Zealand in the first test in Dunedin on June 6.