Exciting week-end for Canterbury netball

Press, 3 June 1989, Page 12

Exciting week-end for Canterbury netball

By

DIANNA LESLIE

Leigh Gibbs, the Canterbury netball coach, is anticipating an exciting week-end as the Canterbury squad takes on two visiting teams as well as its traditional foes in the South Island squad tournament which starts at the Hagley courts tomorrow. Teams from the Western Australian Institute of Sport and Manawatu have beefed up the menu for the Canterbury side which generally makes short work of its opposition. The tournament provides coaches with an ideal opportunity to test combinations as the substitution rule is applied at will. “It is basically a trial. I will be looking to see which players stand out in different combinations,” said Mrs Gibbs.

“The visiting teams are great because it gives us

more scope. It will be like a trial but better because we won’t be playing against our own team." The Australians’ visit was an unexpected bonus as a team from Canberra bowed out of its commitments for next month and the Western Institute was eager to make the trip. It is likely that Sally Ironmonger, the Australian goalkeep, for the Milo series, will be included in that lineup.

Mary Setu, who has fought back to gain provincial status this season, has been forced to withdraw from the team with a knee injury and Jane Diedrichs will replace her. Diedrichs had an encouraging start to her Bendon League career at wing defence and as she is a likely prospect for the defence, Mrs Gibbs will also be running,

some younger members round Setu’s attacking position.

There will be plenty of fire from the Manawatu team as Canterbury was upset by it in the first round of the NewZealand tournament last year.

Canterbury will also play Canterbury Country, w-hich is playing for its first time as an individual union, Otago and Southland. It will square off against the institute team three times in the next week.

The institute team plays Canterbury at the Hagley Courts at the completion of the squad tournament, Monday at 6 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m. The side will also give a demonstration practice for school children on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Australian team plays Canterbury under 21 on Tuesday at 6 p.m.