Lacrosse: Former Tauranga woman Anri Kruger represents New Zealand in lacrosse

Former Tauranga woman Anri Kruger, second from the right, pictured with her coaches, is excited to be representing New Zealand in lacrosse on the world stage. Photo Supplied

Lacrosse isn't a sport often mentioned around the Bay of Plenty - but one former Tauranga woman is not only playing the sport, she is representing New Zealand in it on the world stage.

Anri Kruger is in the 18-member New Zealand Under 19 lacrosse team, which left on Wednesday for the 2019 Women's Lacrosse U19 World Championships in Peterborough, Canada.

The competition runs from August 1-10 and Kruger, who is excited to be representing New Zealand, says the team is aiming for a bronze medal finish.

There are 22 nations competing in the world cup event and New Zealand is ranked fifth, with America and Canada taking the top two spots. Kruger says she is expecting many hard battles to secure a podium placing.

The sport originates from the Native Americans, beginning within Haudenosaunee communities in 1000 AD. Among the nations competing includes the Haudenosaunee.

The champs will officially open on July 31, with Haudenosaunee drumming groups taking on a leading role, followed by the entrance of all teams in alphabetical order.

The New Zealand lacrosse team ahead of the second half of a match against Canada in the 2017 FIL Rathbones Women's Lacrosse World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

"As a reflection of Indigenous communities who began this sport, we are opening our event with a focus on the people who first played this great game," says co-chairperson Cheryl MacNeill.

Lacross is not a massive sport in New Zealand, but it is growing, with teams playing in Auckland, the Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury.

Kruger, who moved to Cambridge from Tauranga last month, started lacrosse while in Year 11. She says there is a strong lacrosse competition in the Waikato and she has high hopes of pursuing the sport even further in the future.

"I'm aiming to make the 2028 Olympics team, it's a long way away but we'll work hard towards that."

She says the sport can be rough with some competitors suffering concussions after being hit on the head with the game's ball or stick, but it's not often and the positives outweigh any negatives.

"It's very similar to basketball in terms of the layout of the field but we play with sticks that have a basket and you basically run down the field with a ball the size of about a tennis ball in the basket and you just have to score it in a goal, basically it's just a little bit smaller than a football goal."

And like any sport, she says the key to playing is being motivated.

"You just have to be willing to learn ... I guess it's with any sport, you have to have that positive attitude and want to learn."