Former Silver Fern to help netball team

Former Silver Fern Debbie Matoe will be assisting the Wairarapa senior women's netball team when they look to successfully defend their Netball Wellington super league title in an enlarged competition which will get under way on March 10.
Matoe, who played for New Zealand between 1993 and 1997 and who was part of the Capital Shakers franchise at national league level, was in Masterton over the weekend at a NW regional camp being held here and not only agreed to help with the selection of the Wairarapa team but also to stage some coaching sessions for them. She already has top level experience in the latter role, having coached the Wellington under-19s last season.
The Wairarapa squad will be chosen after trials to be held on February 8 and 9 at the Genesis Recreation Centre.
Indications are that a number of last year's winning side will not be available in 2006 and there is also doubt that coach Kelly Sargent will take up that position again.
Rep co-ordinator for Netball Wairarapa Lorraine Somerville is still confident, however, that Wairarapa will be able to field a very competitive side.
"Obviously the mix will be different but we are fortunate to have some very promising youngsters coming through the system and this is their chance to step up and be counted," she said.
The super league has attracted an entry of 12 teams this year, four more than that of last season.
Netball Wellington Region will be represented by a development team and Wellington club sides taking part will be PIC, SMOG and Wellington East. From Hutt Valley will be Naenae Collegians, Manaroa, Convent Old Girls and Maidstone United and from Kapi Mana Norths and KBJ. Making up the dozen will be Kapiti and Wairarapa.
Venues for the games will be the Walter Nash Stadium, Wellington East College, Porirua and the Genesis Recreation Centre in Masterton.
Arrangements have already been made for Wairarapa's home game originally scheduled for April 21 to be held the following day as the curtain-raiser to a pre-season match between national league sides , the Shakers and the Flyers.
In Masterton on that same weekend will be former Australian national coach Jill McIntosh who will be part of a Netball Wellington Region junior road show. McIntosh will hold coaching sessions for Wairarapa age group sides while she is in the area.