Top players unavailable

Press, 31 August 1989, Page 48

Top players unavailable

From

DIANNA LESLIE

in Hamilton

Aspiring New Zealand netball players will have a chance to break into the revered national ranks after the revelation that three of the top players have reconsidered their careers.

Wai Taumaunu, the New Zealand captain, will not be available for the Auckland Commonwealth Games, while the vicecaptain, Sandra Mallot, has put her career on hold at the moment. But the biggest blow was the retirement of Rita Fatialofa, a double international, after, an eightyear stint in the national netball team. The New Zealand Netball Association gave the players the option to make themselves unavail-

able for some of the international fixtures for next year because of the hectic schedule. The New Zealand team will play a demonstration match at the Auckland Games, a Milo three-test series against Jamaica at the end of April next year and a Johnson and Johnson tri-series against England and Australia in June.

Fatialofa, an enigma in the national team, was relieved that Lyn Parker, the national coach, stayed by her side as she fielded questions about her time with the side. "It was great while we were at the top, but there are other things I want to do in my life now,” she said.

“I am not sick of netball, I have had a great run. But there are other

reasons — family reasons — why I am retiring.”

Fatialofa discussed her decision with Taumaunu, a close friend, while they were on holiday in Hawaii after the World Games. "Wai and I are as thick as thieves, and we did discuss it, but in the end it was an individual decision,” she said. Fatialofa cited beating Australia “at any time” as the highlight of her career and said that she would miss the comradeship of the national side. The 26-year-old physical education teacher from Auckland has made no decision about her provincial career yet. Taumaunu, who is getting married in December, will be honeymooning in Rarotonga in early January and felt that

there was not enough time for her to get prepared for the Games. "I would love to play, but there is not enough time for me to do it properly,” she said. Taumaunu will be available for other national commitments next year and although toying with the idea of retiring, the snort of derision from her fiance, George, was perceptive. “He didn’t believe I could do it yet. I thought about it, but when it got down to it with Sandy and Rits out, the team will need some experience,” she said. Mallot was unavailable for comment yesterday as her Waikato coach and former New Zealand captain, Tracy Fear, felt it would disrupt the provincial side.