Touch and netball keeping Jaymie Kolose busy

Saint Kentigern College's Jaymie Kolose playing for the Touch Blacks at the recent Touch World Cup in Malaysia.

​Jaymie Kolose has recently returned from the Touch World Cup in Malaysia, where the Touch Blacks Women’s side made the final against Australia, and she is in the Warriors Women’s squad for the new NRL Touch competition.

She has also been selected in the New Zealand Secondary School Netball Team that is preparing to take on England U19 in July in Auckland.

We caught up with year 13 Saint Kentigern College’s Jaymie to find out more about her busy sporting life.

Jaymie Kolose playing Premier netball for Saint Kentigern College last year.

​Congratulations on representing New Zealand at the Touch World Cup. What position do you play and how many games did you play?

For the Open Women’s Touch Blacks team I play Middle/Link. At the Touch World Cup, I played all but one pool game (that was against USA). 

What was a highlight playing for the New Zealand at the recent Touch World Cup?

Representing my country at this level and also playing in the final against Australia with the world’s best touch players was definitely another highlight for me.

The touch season is over, but you still have some exciting Touch commitments coming up, as well as netball?

That was the end of the international and representative touch season for me, however I have been fortunate to be selected to play in the new NRL Touch Competition for the Warriors Women’s Touch team.  School netball started last term with skills and conditioning and court work.  The Auckland school competition starts this week.

What New Zealand Touch teams have you played in previously?

My debut with the NZ Touch Black Women’s team was last April 2018 for the Opens Trans-Tasman Series against Australia.  I have also represented NZ in the Junior grades for the U18’s (Youth Trans-Tasman series 2017) and the NZ U15’s (Development Tour, 2014).
 
What were some highlights playing touch in NZ this past season?

I have really enjoyed my touch season.  To make the finals for the NZSS Touch tournament was a great achievement for the team and school especially with a number of new and younger players.  I then went on to represent my province Counties Manukau in the U18 Girls which we won and then moved into the Open Women’s Touch Nationals also with Counties.  Unfortunately, we went down in a drop-off in the finals.  So, a busy schedule but a rewarding one.  

How do the two sports  complement each other?

Some of the skills associated to touch can be transferred to netball, things like passing into spaces, speed to the ball and agility.  When you are in an environment where you are expected to perform you make sure that the groundwork is done, things like being fit.  Also playing with players with a lot more experience also makes you work harder too. 

What positions do you play in netball, and have you always played there?

I move between Centre and Wing Attack. I have also played Wing Defence. I have always played these positions for school, club and representative netball.

Is this the first time you have made the NZSS secondary school netball team? What other representative netball teams have you played in the past?

This is my first year with the NZSS Netball team. I have also played representative netball for Auckland through the grades and also with Tamaki Makaurau.  Highlights for me would definitely be making this team and winning a NZSS Netball National title in 2016.

How long have you been in the St Kent’s Premier netball team for?

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to go to my first NZSS nationals with the 2017 Saint Kentigern Premier team and was selected in the team in Year 11.

Do you also play some club netball as well?

The Auckland Secondary School competition starts this week.  I am currently playing school netball and fill in for club netball in a Premier competition. 

For school, the St Kent’s team had some big battles last year including the 37-39 extra time loss to EGGS in the Auckland Regional final, so a tough competition?

The Auckland secondary school competition is always a hard competition.  Our team have been focusing on building connections across the court and we are really keen to get out there and play.  We know that each game is going to be tough but we are ready to go! 
 
As well as netball and Touch, do you play other sports?

I had done athletics for school, Eastern Zone and Auckland Championships over the past five years.  I did the 100m and 200m.  Unfortunately, I tore my hamstring and was unable to compete in the Eastern zone and Auckland Championships this year.
 
How long have you been your sports and what was your first sport?

I have been involved in sports since I was three or four years old starting with athletics.  I played netball for club when I was six and started playing Touch when I was about seven.  My first sport would have been athletics.

How much of an influence is your family on your sport, including your older sister Tori?
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My family has had a huge influence on my sports. From driving me to and from games and practices to making sure I’m looking after myself to encouraging me to ‘play my best!’  Everyone in my family plays sports, it is part of who we are and what we do!  You can always guarantee that you would see a family member watching from the side-line, this can be hard sometimes considering there are five of us.  My older sister Tori has always been someone that I have looked up to in sport.  We’ve played together at Saint Kentigern in both Netball and Touch and outside of school too.  She has shown me that hard work pays off. 

Read about older sister Tori Kolose HERE from 2015 when she was MVP of the NZSS Touch Tournament. 

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The Auckland Premier 1 and 2 Netball draw for this Saturday's opening round.

Jaymie Kolose playing for the Open Women's team at the recent Touch World Cup. New Zealand finished runner-up to Australia in Malaysia.