Netball: Rapid growth for juniors' programme

The Y1 Hurupaki Pink team. Sara Macdonald (left), Aston Plunkett, Persia Plunkett, Kari Solomon, Alexis Worthington, Cameron White and Ella Taylor. Photo / Supplied

Whangarei Netball has completed two out of three weeks of grading for intermediates, collegiate, seniors, premier reserve and premier grades.

Grading for intermediates, premier reserve and premier is being held over three consecutive Friday nights.

Playing on a Friday afternoon/evening is new for the intermediates but is required due to the timing of school holidays and the public holidays during April.

Collegiate and seniors will continue to be graded over three consecutive Saturday afternoons.

Grading will conclude next weekend with all grades and teams having one more grading game to play.

Immediately following that will be grading promotion relegation games where only the top and bottom teams of each grade play to determine the final grading and ranking for the preliminary round.

All results will be on the Whangarei Netball Centre (WNC) website leading into the preliminary round which will commence May 15.

Results to date have Active Refrigeration Fideliter 1 with no losses in the premier grade and Whangaruru Premiers and Manawanui White both with two wins and one loss.

At the bottom of the grade, presently, is Active Refrigeration Fideliter 2 with no wins.

The Premier Reserve competition is a lot closer with Manawanui Red and Craig's Bridgestone Marist 2 with two wins and a draw each.

Coal Miners Daughter Marist 3 is currently at the bottom of the grade with no wins.

As stated above all teams have one grading game to play.

Junior netball also started at the weekend.

In addition to the Y1 and Y2 junior programme introduced last season, incorporating a skills session and a modified game, WNC introduced a new Y3 junior programme this season.

The junior programme, ANZ futureFERNS is a Netball NZ initiative.

WNC has junior co-ordinators who are trained and who co-ordinate the skills sessions for Y1 to Y3 along with trained "Star Helpers" and/or coaches of the teams.

This initiative is about all players developing fundamental movement and ball skills.

Juniors have the biggest numbers of players in the competition with an excess of 100 teams entered.

WNC is also in the process of seeing four more netball courts installed.

These should be ready to be played mid-season and are required due to the large numbers of juniors playing the game.

The preliminary competition, played as a round robin, will commence May 15.

Premiers will go indoors on a Friday with three one-hour games in the main played at ASB Stadium.

Game times will be 6pm, 7.25pm and 8.50pm.

Premier Reserve also play one hour long games but on a Saturday.

These will commence from May 16. All other senior and intermediate grades will commence competition on the same date and will play 40 minute games on a Saturday.