Netball: Competition as hot among the small fry

By Richard Boock

Some of the smallest names in international netball will begin playing for the biggest prize tomorrow when the preliminary rounds of the world championships start in Christchurch.

While games between seeded teams will not begin until Wednesday evening - when the Silver Ferns play Canada - the so-called tournament minnows start their own ranking competition tomorrow, with international credibility and even government funding hanging on their performance.

Of the 27 teams competing at the 10th world championships, 15 will be competing in the 11-match qualifying series to determine seedings 13-27, of which four will ultimately qualify for the play-offs and the possibility of a crack at the silverware.

For Welsh manager Ann Handley, this competition-within-a-competition is as critical as the games at the end of the tournament, with the chance to scale the international ladder depending heavily on tomorrow's effort, and the four seeding games on Wednesday.

Seeded 17th in the world after a disappointing tournament in 1995, Wales arrived in Christchurch on Saturday without veteran goal-shoot Pamela Walker (who has been ruled out through injury), but with a king-sized appetite for improvement, and a penchant for breaking into song anywhere and at any time.

"They were all having a bit of a sing-song yesterday," Handley said of her players. "Everyone's having a great time already, and it seems that the jet-lag has pretty much worn off - which is important because we need to start well."

Wales begin their campaign against Vanuatu tomorrow morning and Handley expected the preliminary rounds to contain just as much close, hard-fought netball as the play-offs - if not more.

"There's a lot riding on this for us," she said. "We desperately want to break back into the top 10, like most of the unseeded teams, and if that happens we'll have a done a great deal for Welsh netball, not least in regard to funding.

"If we can beat Vanuatu - and Scotland beat the Cayman Islands - that'll set up a game between Scotland and Wales, with the winner to progress through to the top pool. What a match that would be ..."

And while Wales already has a small link to New Zealand through Kiwi-born physiotherapist Lisa Evans (who also works for the Glamorgan County Cricket Club and the Bridgend Rugby club), the connection is about to become a lot stronger.

The union has just secured the services of former Silver Ferns coach Leigh Gibbs as national performance director, following England's similar move to recruit former New Zealand captain Waimarama Taumaunu.

Gibbs will fly to Christchurch from Gisborne today to meet the Welsh squad, and is scheduled to depart New Zealand on October 14 to take up her new job.

Meanwhile, despite delays beyond mortal control, all 27 squads have arrived in the Garden City, with many attending a service at Christchurch Cathedral yesterday, before moving into full tournament mode.

The Silver Ferns opted out of church and practised instead.

Jamaica and the United States were held up for a day by Hurricane Floyd, and Hong Kong's travel plans were disrupted by Typhoon York.