The 2019 NZSS Netball Championships are at Saxton Stadium, Nelson in the second week of the school holidays from 8-11 October.
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Sixteen of the country’s leading netball schools recently qualified to attend from the three recent zone tournaments

We caught up with Auckland school Avondale College, who won the national tournament in 2000 and 2002 and have qualified in 2019 for the first time in five years.  

They are in Pool B, alongside Manukura, Villa Maria College and Samuel Marsden Collegiate School.
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A bit more about the team below, with coach and former winning player Rachel Rasmussen.

School: Avondale College

Head Coach: Rachel Rasmussen 
Assistant Coach: Teuila Teau
Manager: Tony Cooke
Teacher In Charge: Clem Fraser

Captain: Elleazyr Maiu’u 
Vice-Captains: Grace Nweke, Brianna Folomae

Team Members: ​
Elleazyr Maiu’u 
Grace Nweke 
Ocean Puia
Isabella Rasmussen-Lotam
Lavinia Latu 
Le’Oxeayn Maiu’u
Losimani Latu
Taylor Ensor
Brianna Folomae
Idra Gill
Shyah Hale
Maryanne Moataane 

NZSS Netball tournament history: 

The first time Avondale College qualified for NZSS Nationals was 1995 when we finished third.
Subsequent appearances and finishes: 1999 - 9th; 2000 - 1st; 2001 - 9th; 2002 - 1st; 2003 - 4th; 2012 - 6th; 2014 - 13th 

As an ex-student I [coach Rachel Rasmussen] was involved in the 2000 and 2002 winning teams, so to be part of this journey with the current team as coach is pretty special and a great opportunity to share the history of netball within the school and with the girls.

What’s it going to take for your school to do well in the NZSS Nationals?

Hard work ethic, guts, TEAM work, discipline, attitude and all the 1%’ers in preparation will be key values we have in our NZSS nationals build-up. 
 
What local competitions has your school team and the players in the team played in this year and how did your team and the players go?

We play in the Netball Waitakere School Competition in West Auckland. And are currently 2019 Winners - making it a back-to-back win for Avondale. 
 
Players in club finals:
Elleazyr Maiu’u, Le’Oxeayn Maiu’u, Idra Gill - Premier 1 Waitakere Competition Winners with Club Team Baytex Panthers
Ocean Puia - Open 1 College Waitakere Competition Winner with Club Team TLT Netball 
Elleazyr Maiu’u, Le’Oxeayn Maiu’u, Idra Gill, Maryanne Moataane - Open College 1 Waitakere Competition Runners-Up
Brianna Folomae & Lavinia Latu - Premier 2 Waitakere Competition Winnners with Club Team New Jaks Rangatahi 
 
Who are your school’s closest rivals on the netball court?

For the Waitakere Secondary Schools Competition final this year we had a hard fought battle against a tough opponent in Massey High School.

What’s been a memorable match or event your team has been involved in this year?

The key key pinnacle event was UNISS 2019. The girls went from strength to strength at this competition especially pushing their bodies through a long week of high skilled, competitive netball and managing to beat 2018 NZSS winners and runners up Mount Albert Grammar and Westlake Girls in an awesome display of netball from both teams at this competition.
 
Both these games were memorable matches as they were both key wins in securing a top 4 position for nationals. 
 
What’s the age make-up of your team?

Our youngest player is 13 and oldest 18. 
We carry a squad of 12 consisting of: 
3x Year 9s
1x Year 10
1x Year 11s
3x Year 12s
4x Year 13s. 
 
 What’s the strength of your team? 

We are a team of 12 strong - no individual is bigger than the TEAM. 

Their heart, determination and relentless are strengths they carry as a team. 
 
Are there individuals in your team that also play other sports for the school or to a high level or excel off the sporting field?

We are lucky enough to have the following:
 
Grace Nweke
Mystics Franchise, NZSS Team and Silver Ferns Development Squad member
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
Auckland U18 High Jump Athletics
 
Elleazyr Maiu’u 
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
Auckland Samoa Netball Representative 
North Island Secondary Schools Athletics Rep (100m, 200m, 4x100m) 
NZ Secondary Schools Nationals (100m, 200m & 4x100m) 

Le’Oxeayn Maiu’u 
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
Auckland Samoa Netball Representative 
Tag - NZ Invitational Under 14 
Athletics Inter Provincials Rep U12-U13 (200m, 400m, 80Hurdles, Discus, 4 x100m relay)
North Island Secondary Schools Athletics Rep (300m Hurdles, 200m, 300m,  Discus, 4 x 100m)
NZ Secondary Schools Nationals (300m Hurdles, 200m, 300m,  Discus, 4 x 100m)
Auckland U16-U18 Interprovincial Team (300m Hurdle, 400m & 4x400m relay)
 
Lavinia Latu 
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
Auckland Tonga Netball Representative 
Auckland Tonga Secondary Schools Team 
 
Losimani Latu
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
Auckland Tonga Netball Representative 
 
Shyah Hale 
NZ U15 Softball Team
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
 
Idra Gill
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
Tamaki Makaurau U15 Netball Team
 
Brianna Folomae 
Waitakere Indoor Netball Team
Waitakere Netball Age Group Representative
 
Isabella Rasmussen-Lotam 
Waitakere Under 17 Basketball Representative 
Auckland Samoa Netball Representative 
 
Does your team have a motto or a mascot or any pre or post game rituals or preparations? 

Team Mascot - Dale the KIWI. 
Team Motto - Lesgggggoooooo  

What other support has your team received to get to allow it to operate at the level it does?

Without the awesome support of parents and families to get girls to trainings and games we would not be able to function and prepare as we have. School support has been massive and we are very lucky to have student and staff backing us in prep for nationals. 
 
We have had past student/Silver Fern/ Stars Franchise Player Grace Kara come share her expertise with team in sessions. 
 
Alongside game time against ex netball students who have come into support and help us in preparation. 

We are also appreciative of input from Corey Rasmussen, Vaughan Perry and his Avondale Police Colleagues, and local CrossFit Zealous Gym instructor Jan who have all assisted team with fitness sessions throughout season.
 
Last but by no means least our amazing management team supporting Head Coach Rachel Rasmusssen - We have Teuila Teau, Tony Cooke, Clem Fraser and Sports Director and Coordinator Dannaka Dorrington and Moengaroa Subritzky.
 
This is US this is OUR TEAM!! 

The 2019 NZSS Netball Championships are at Saxton Stadium, Nelson in the second week of the upcoming school holidays from 8-11 October.
​
Sixteen of the country’s leading netball schools recently qualified to attend from the three recent zone tournaments

We caught up with Lower North Island team and first time qualifier to the nationals, Whanganui High School, ahead of the tournament.

They are in Pool A, alongside Epsom Girls’ Grammar School, Saint Kentigern College and Ashburton College.
A bit more about the team below, from co-captain Imogen Flower:

School
Whanganui High School
 
Coach & Manager
Lisa Murphy (Coach) Kim Flower (Manager)
 
Captains
Imogen Flower and Montel Vaiao Aki
 
Team Members
Imogen Flower
Montel Vaiao Aki
Keilani Tyrell
Rebecca Tamati
Teagan Tapa
Kara Adrole
Mikayla Heka
Sophie Andrews
Timaima Tuinasoni
Molly Bullock
 
NZSS Netball Tournament History:
This is the first-time Whanganui High School has qualified for Nationals. The only other time a Whanganui school has qualified for Nationals was back in 1999.
 
What’s it going to take for your school to do well in Nelson? 
As first time qualifiers, we will need to balance our excitement with focus and mental toughness to step up to this next level of netball. Off and on the court, we have always been a tight unit and this won’t change during our week in Nelson.
 
What local competitions has your school team and the players in the team played in this year and how did your team and the players go?
The 2019 season saw our team play in the Manawatu Secondary School Premier grade on a Saturday morning and this year we were the winners, beating Manukura in the final.  We also played in the Whanganui Club Premier grade on a Monday night and lost the final against Kaierau to finish runners- up. 
 
Montel Vaiao-Aki and Kara Adrole  played for the Feilding Netball Club (Winners of 2019 Manawatu Club Premier grade).
 
Who are your school’s closest rivals on the netball court?
Because we play in the Manawatu Secondary School competition our closest rivals would be Palmerston North Girls’ High School or Manukura. In Whanganui we have a traditional annual against Whanganui Collegiate in all winter sports, to date we have not lost a netball game against Collegiate Netball for at least five years.
 
Tell us about a memorable match your team has been involved in this year?
The most memorable game would have to be against Samuel Marsden, Wellington during the Lower North Islands Tournament week. Winning this game, which we did, ensured us a top 4 position and guaranteed qualification to NZSS Nationals, making history for our school.
 
What’s the age make up of your team?
We have a mixture of ages in our squad of 10.
Five players are Year 13.  Four players are Year 12 and one player is Year 11.
 
What’s the strength of your team?
We may have individual positions, but on court we are not individuals, we are a team.  Working together has always been a great strength of ours but so is our sense of humour and the fun we have together which supersedes everything.  The best thing about our team is that we actually all like each other!
 
Reps:  Manawatu U19: Montel Vaiao-Aki; Manawatu U17: Kara Adrole; Whanganui U17: Rebecca Tamati; Whanganui U15: Molly Bullock
                                              
Are there individuals in your team that also play other sports for the school or to a high level or excel off the sporting field?
Keilani Tyrell – NZ Development Touch Camp
Teagan Tapa – NZ Development Touch Camp
Rebecca Tamati – NZ Development Touch Camp. NZ U18 Touch Trial.
Mikayla Heka – NZ Development Touch Camp
Kara Adrole – Netball Talent ID Camp for Central Region. U23 Mixed Netball International Competition/Member of the Fijian U23 Team
Sophie Andrews – Athletics & Basketball
Timaima Tuinasoni – U23 Mixed Netball International Competition/Member of the Fijian U23 Team
 
Does your team have a motto or a mascot or any pre or post game rituals or preparations?
No. Only rule in the team is to make your Coach and Manager happy otherwise there’s no dessert.
 
What other support has your team received to get to allow it to operate at the level it does? 

Ongoing voluntary commitment from Coach Lisa Murphy and Manager Kim Flower
Wonderful family support.
Team Sponsor for the last five years – Phillips Electrical Ltd  (Jeff and Taryn Phillips)