Ultimate trip as trio fly to Italy

TOP TEAM: Chloe Topping (left), Monique Gilmour and Sheena Wejendorp will represent New Zealand in Italy.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

It's not a sport every young girl is into but three Whangarei girls will represent New Zealand at the World Junior Ultimate Frisbee Championships in Lecco, Italy, this month.

Sheena Wejendorp, 15, Monique Gilmour, 14, and Chloe Topping, also 14, have been selected for the New Zealand Under-19 girls' team to compete against 20 teams from around the world including the United States, Russia, Spain, Britain, Japan, and Australia.

The girls play for the Whangarei Ultimate Club which meets on a Wednesday night throughout the year.

The trio attend Whangarei Girls' High School and, coincidentally, they all play for the same Onerahi Soccer Club Grade 15 team.

Their coach and team at Onerahi have been supportive and now include a 30-minute "Ultimate" training at the end of their soccer training session on Thursday nights.

Wejendorp, Gilmour and Topping travelled to Auckland yesterday to go into camp with the Kiwis before flying out on Monday.

The girls' local club hosts an annual tournament at Ocean Beach in February which is well attended by players from around the world.

While the sport is not widely known in New Zealand it is played by at least five million around the world and even has semi-professional leagues in the US and Canada.