NZSS Netball Tournament Team Profile: Napier Girls High School

Napier Girls’ High School recently finished third at the Lower North Island Secondary School (LNISS) tournament to book their place in the 16-team NZSS tournament in Timaru in the second week of the October school holidays.
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From the LNISS zone, Napier Girls' High School join winners Manukura, New Plymouth Girls’ High School, Wellington East Girls’ College and Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt. Napier beat Wellington East 40-37 in the playoff for third and fourth.

Four Napier players, Jamiee Tapine, Valentine Kahukura, Parris Petera and Melika Samia, made the A Grade LNISS tournament team.

This follows a successful year in Hawke’s Bay competitions and they will be gunning for a positive finish to their season.

Napier GHS are in pool A with Upper North Island tournament winners Epsom Girls’ Grammar School, Nelson School for Girls and Hamilton Girls’ High School.

Napier last played in the NZSS in 2015. Before that they competed in 2018 and finished 12th.

A bit more about the team below:

School: Napier Girls’ High School

Team Members: ​: Janaya Preece, Janayah Lewis, Caitlin Smith,  Parris Petera, Samantha Taylor, Ashleigh Poi, Brianna Lee, Maddison Kaye, Jaimee Tapine, Kiah McCorkindale, Melika Samia, Valentine Kahukura
 
Captain: Valentine Kahukura
 
Coaches: Annemarie Kupa and Julie Williams
 
NZSS Netball tournament recent history:
We were last at nationals in 2015 and we were placed 13th.

What’s it going to take for your school to do well in the NZSS Nationals coming up in Timaru?
Start well in every game. Keep dancing!!!
 
What local competitions has your school team played in this year and how did your team go?
Our team won the secondary schools Super 12 and also played in the Premier Club Super 8 competition in Hawke’s Bay and won that too.
 
Who are your school’s closest rivals on the netball court?
Hastings Girls’ High School and our inter-school fixtures against Palmerston North  Girls’ and Tauranga Girls’ High School.
 
What’s been a memorable match your team has been involved in this year?
The final against the Otane Thirsty Whale club, as our team had family members in the Otane team and our coach Annemarie’s twin sister was playing against us. Also our game at the Lower North Island Tournament against Sacred Heart Lower Hutt to make top 4, which we won 33-30.

What’s the age make-up of your team?
The NGHS team is made up of one year 13 player, four year 12s, six year 11s and one year 10.  This is the first any of us have been to nationals.

What’s the strength of your team?
We are all representative or Development players.  We have strong shooters and a good team defence.

Are there individuals in your team that also play other sports for the school?
Melika Samia - HB Basketball and Volleyball Rep / Janaya Preece - HB Basketball Rep / Janayah Lewis - HB Basketball Rep / Ashleigh Poi - HB Basketball Rep
 
Does your team have any pre or post game rituals or preparations?
A dance routine the girls’ choreographed to the songs ‘It’s tricky’ or ‘She’s got that vibe’.
 
What other support has your team received to get to allow it to operate at the level it does?
Good fundraising efforts by parents at short notice.