Media Liaison for The National Bank Cup

Media Liaison for The National Bank Cup

Jane Hunt will be weekend media liaison person for The National Bank Cup. She will distribute results to this email list after games, and also be available for score updates. Please contact Jane on 021 1070287.

To be added to Netball New Zealand’s media database, contact Josie Campbell on 021 388921 or josiec@netballnz.co.nz. For interviews with any of the teams, please call the team media contact listed in The National Bank Cup media guide (pdf attached).

Please note an amendment to the media guide on page 12. Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit withdrew from the NZU21 squad, and Candyce Edwards was added.

A preview will be distributed to this list each week, and wraps following the games. See below for the Round One preview.

Teams look to sign off the end of an era in style

The opportunity to become permanent holders of the National Bank Cup has added an extra edge to the final season of Netball’s domestic showpiece in its current format.

Entering its 10th season this week, The National Bank Cup will be replaced by the Tasman Trophy next year.

Defending champions Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic supported by Sleepyhead kick off the opening round of the season against the More FM Flyers in New Plymouth on Thursday with their sights set on a third successive title.

“Netball is going into a new era and I think everyone involved wants to finish this competition off in style and we are certainly looking to make a bit of history,” Magic coach Noeline Taurua said.

With six newcomers in this year’s line-up, most notably the inclusion of former Silver Ferns captain Anna Stanley (nee Rowberry), and the experienced international quartet of Irene van Dyk, Laura Langman, Joline Henry and Casey Williams, Magic will present an imposing challenge for the youthful Flyers.

Under the weight of expectation, Taurua and her charges learnt plenty before securing back-to-back titles last year and the coach believes that will lead to a better equipped and more powerful team in 2007.

“We are at a higher level both physically and mentally than the same time last year and there’s a real hardness about the players of what they actually want to do,” Taurua said.

“There’s always that feeling about being one-hit wonders but now with those two good wins in the previous two finals we’ve cemented ourselves and our position. We’ve learnt a lot along the way and because of that I don’t feel any pressure at all this year.”

In a battle between two of the heavyweights, Fujifilm Force make the trek south to Stadium Southland, in Invercargill for an eagerly anticipated clash against six-time winners of the competition Ascot Park Hotel Southern Sting, also on Thursday night.

Despite their strong playing pedigree, Force have made the final just once – in 2003 – and coach Yvonne Willering realises she has one last chance to rectify a burning ambition.

“This year has to be the year,” she said. “There are no more second chances and obviously we would like to be the team that is the last one added to the trophy.”

Sting have contested every final since the inception of the competition in 1998 but were beaten in the 2005 and 2006 finals.

“Our slogan this year is ‘bring it home’,” Sting captain Jenny Ferguson said.

“Being the 10-year anniversary it’s pretty important to Sting that we get this cup back. Things have gone well for us in the pre-season and it’s just a matter of fine-tuning now.”

Sting have proven performers in Natalie Avellino, Donna Loffhagen and Adine Wilson while the off-season signing of the fleet-footed Liana Barrett will give the midcourt added impetus.

Force are defensively well-equipped with strong performers in Leana de Bruin, Sheryl Scanlan and Vilimaina Davu which is complimented by livewire midcourter Temepara George and former Australian shooter Megan Dehn.

In what promises to be a close tussle, Goldair Flames and The Trusts Diamonds meet in Christchurch on Saturday.

With the evergreen Julie Seymour and Maree Bowden in the midcourt, solid shooter Shelley Norris and veteran defender Kate Dowling the Flames have a core of experience in each third of the court.

“When people look at us on paper we’re not a team of stars but we can use that to our advantage,” Flames captain Seymour said. ``Because of the nature of this competition everybody is beatable on any given day and that’s why we go out there.”

For the Diamonds, experienced midcourter Jenny-May Coffin makes a return to top-flight netball where she will be a valuable asset to the younger brigade. Defenders Stephanie Bond and Anna Scarlett and rising Silver Ferns shooter Maria Tutaia form the experienced core in a youthful Diamonds team.

In the final match of the round the Genesis Energy Shakers will be at home on Sunday to a new-look Otago Rebels, who are shaping as the dark horses of this year’s competition.

The addition of former Australian defender Demelza Fellowes and Silver Ferns shooter Jodi Te Huna has enabled the Rebels to considerably strengthen both ends of their court.

“The addition of Jodi and Demelza at both ends has shored things up because we have got a reasonably strong midcourt,” Rebels coach Janine Southby said.

“We definitely want to be the last name on that National Bank Cup.”

The National Bank Cup Round One Draw
April 5:
Flyers vs Magic, New Plymouth, 7.00pm
Sting vs Force, Invercargill, 7.30pm

April 7:
Flames vs Diamonds, Christchurch, 4.00pm (televised live on ONE Sport)

April 8:
Shakers vs Rebels, Wellington, 1.00pm (televised live on ONE Sport)

ends

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