Wairarapa netball pulls out of superleague

Wairarapa will not be fielding a team in the regional superleague netball series which gets under way next month.
The decision will suspend a three-year involvement with the competition which also involves sides from Wellington, Kapi Mana, Hutt Valley and Kapiti.
Wairarapa actually won the inaugural superleague in 2005 but with the quality of opposition improving markedly they have not been a serious contender for the title over the past two seasons, finishing seventh in 2006 and eighth in 2007.
Netball Wairarapa centre manager Kim Whiteman said the latest move did not necessarily mean the superleague was a "no go" for Wairarapa in the foreseeable future.
"Right now it's just for this year, next season we may see things differently," she said..
Whiteman said the decision not to participate this year was based around the poor turnout of prospective players at a recent selection trial.
Not only were numbers down on what was anticipated but the large majority of those who did attend were still eligible for age group play.
"Most of the more experienced players from the past couple of years weren't available and with the league looking even stronger this year we couldn't guarantee a competitive side," Whiteman said. "It wasn't an easy decision to make but we believe it was the right one."
Whiteman said it was encouraging though that the bulk of the trial participants would still get action at a higher level through the centre's under-17 and under-15 sides which , interestingly enough, will be coached by Marion Tulloch and Kelly Sargent respectively.
Tulloch coached the Wairarapa superleague side in 2006 while Sargent had charge of the winning side in 2005 and also that of 2007..She had also agreed to continue in the coaching role this year but consented to taking the under-15s when the superleague side became redundant.
Four other Wairarapa-based netball coaches successfully passed the final stages of their level two examination just last week, namely Dayle Clarkson, Jo Booth, Trudy Hullena and Lynda Strange.
Clarkson and Booth are now in the process of organising a coaching course for beginner coaches which will be held in Masterton on April 5.
On the playing front 10 Wairarapa players were selected to attend a high performance specialist coaching course in Wellington tonight.
Jesse Smith will take part in the level two programme while participating at level one will be Natasha Hill, Paige Drummond, Victoria Green, Shannon Sim, Sam Gordon, Grace Southey, Chantae Reeves, Evie Langlands and Raewyn Cavubati.
There will be a late start to the 2008 inter-club netball season in Wairarapa due to the need for the schedule to be organised around school holidays. Senior competitions will get under way on May 10 and primary school competitions a week later.