Rainey back in black

Emma Rainey

Whanganui's standout hockey junior Emma Rainey has retained her place in the national set up after she was named in the large 2016/17 Junior Black Sticks squad this week.

Rainey, 17, is one of 18 midfielders in the large women's squad, however she will have the inside track after debuting for the New Zealand Under 19 team as the youngest player in the side for their tour of Australia back in January.

Her team defeated the other New Zealand side, as well as the Australian and Japanese Under 19 teams, before losing to the Australian Under 21's.

Rainey has been on a break since wrapping up her domestic commitments with the winter school tournament for her Whanganui High School squad.

However, word will soon come of the training commitments and squad assembly times to make sure she gets another run in the black singlet over the summer.

"It's just going to be a squad and we'll all have to trial, and from there they'll cut it down to teams."

Last year's trials were held in Auckland, and Rainey was looking forward to seeing a lot of the players again, as well as the new ones as with an international campaign under her belt she won't be considered the youngster anymore.

"I'm happy with my progress this year. When I made the Central Under 21's, I guess [the selectors] got to watch me there, as well as the Under 18's.

"It's another learning curve. Hopefully next year I go up another tier."

Rainey had a strong national under 18 tournament for Central, scoring six goals as her team finished runnerup to Auckland following a shoot out in the final.

Locally, her WHS First XI team made the Manawatu division 1 final, but were narrowly beaten by Waiopehu College.