Silver Ferns send injured Te Huna home

Jodi Te Huna rests her injured knee during a Silver Fern training session in Melbourne today. Picture / Brett Phibbs

MELBOURNE - A devastated Jodi Te Huna was today told that her Commonwealth Games was over before it started.

The Silver Ferns shooter has been ruled out of competition with a knee injury, and she is headed home for rehabilitation.

Shooter Jessica Tuki has been called into the squad as Te Huna's replacement.

Te Huna injured her right knee during the team's final warm-up match before the Games, against the Victorian men's side on Sunday.

An MRI scan last night showed she had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament.

"After months of training it's so disappointing to not be able to play at this Commonwealth Games," Te Huna said this morning.

"All I can do now is concentrate on getting my knee better and focusing on my rehab.

"The New Zealand netball side are an amazing team unit and I know that Jess will slot into the side well. All of us have been working so hard in preparation for these Games and I wish them all the best."

Tuki, 19, has been in Melbourne with the NZ A team assisting the Silver Ferns in their preparation for the Games.

She was a member of the New Zealand under-21 team who won the world youth championships in Miami, Florida, last year.

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken said Tuki was one of the outstanding players at those championships and formed a strong shooting combination with current Silver Fern Maria Tutaia.

"Jess is an exciting young shooter who shows great maturity in her game," said Aitken.

Tuki, from New Plymouth, played for the Flyers in last year's National Bank Cup championship.

The Silver Ferns take on St Vincents & The Grenadines in their first Games outing on Friday.

- NZPA