Years of training have paid off for two Mount Maunganui dancers who have been selected as cheerleaders for the Chiefs rugby team.
Friends Hannah Meredith, 18, and Leah Parkinson, 19, both made it through last week's audition to be selected for the 18-strong team and are looking forward to their first training session tonight.
"I'm feeling awesome," Miss Meredith said. "It was a really cool experience. I was really surprised at the high calibre of the dancers at the audition. I just feel so privileged to be part of the team."
The girls, both former Mount Maunganui Dance Academy students, auditioned alongside 22 others and had their technique scrutinised before being taught a routine and being put in a group to perform it.
Miss Parkinson, who has been doing jazz since she was three, said she was nervous about the whole process and tried not to get her hopes up.