NNZ NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS

Netball WBOP Zone Athletes are continuing to make themselves known in the National sphere.  We had 15 Secondary School players from our Zone invited to NNZ National Development Camps (NDC)in January.  Our focus for this group of players over the last three years has been Fitter, Sharper, Stronger players.  Fitter in conditioning, sharper in their skill sets and stronger in their conditioning and mindset. The top five athletes in the YOYO test at the Auckland NDC camp were all WBOP Zone athletes!

We had athletes then invited to trial for NZSS (NZ Secondary Schools Team) who will be touring to Australia in July.  Those athletes were:

• Ariana Dawson (Whakatane)
• Caitlin Gabel (Hamilton City)
• Khiaarah Wilson (Hamilton City)

WBOP MATARAU TRIALLISTS AND WBOP EMERGING TALENT GROUP VS VIS

At the end of January, we had a visit from our friends across the ditch to play us in two games over a weekend. On Saturday VIS played our Matarau triallists and Sunday against our Waibop Emerging Talent Squad.  The WBOP Zone Emerging Talent Squad has been set up to offer opportunities to those players newly left from school that are not quite at NNL level. Both games were great with our youngies on Sunday being in the lead for the first half.  It’s always a positive experience playing against the athleticism of the Australian players.

WBOP MATARAU

End of March saw our Matarau trials held in Matamata, in which it was exciting to see our up and coming players mixed with our experienced ones.  Much deliberation and discussion was had by the Panel of 4 selectors, Helena Hoult (Matarau Head Coach), MJ Araroa (Magic Head Coach), Rachel Davis (WBOP Zone PPL) and Nicky Cattermoul (NNZ PPL) after which they named the following players in Matarau 2026 Team:

• Amelia Burton (Hamilton City)
• Jasmine     Davis (Tauranga)
• Reeghan de Bono (Tauranga)
• Jess Jennings (Hamilton City)
• Bayleigh Johnson (Tauranga)
• Jade Kawhe (Tauranga)
• Demi Moana (Hamilton City)
• Anika Pihema (Tauranga)
• Sophie Reeves (Tauranga)
• Brooke Rooney (Hamilton City)
• Kenza Taele (Tauranga)
• Grace Walsh (Hamilton City)

Training Partners:

• Poppy Kilworth (Tauranga)
• Mya Meadows (Hamilton)
• Kaziah Riley-Rata (Hamilton)
• WBOP Hinemaioha Rolleston-Gabel (Hamilton)

The team has just begun their preseason program for 6 weeks before their competition starts.

PATHWAYS SPOTTING

I am currently in the process of confirming the Centre Pathways Spotters from our WBOP Zone Centres so am looking forward to finalising those personnel.

I am pleased to announce our confirmed dates and venues for our two Magic in the Making (MIM) development sessions.  After thoughtful consideration we have shifted these sessions to be closer to the finish of UNISS but then have shifted the Advance Camp away from the very busy time of Opens, Aims, Men’s Nationals and NZSS so appreciate it will be a full part of the netball calendar.

MIM Development Sessions

• 19 September – venue tbc
• 20 September – venue tbc

Advance MIM

• 18 October – Open Country Stadium, Matamata

Article added: Wednesday 22 April 2026
Article by: Rachel Davis, Netball WBOP Zone Player Pathways Lead