Third for NSWIS in netball’s NZ Super Club

NSW Institute of Sport came third place in the inaugural Super Club competition in Nelson, New Zealand from 2-7 July 2017.

Hosted by Netball New Zealand, the NSWIS team consisted of athletes from Netball NSW who competed against the three top New Zealand teams, the Gauteng Jaguars from the Republic of South Africa, Marama Vou from Fiji, University of Trinidad & Tobago and the Celtic Flames from Wales.

Coached by NSWIS Netball Head Coach Briony Akle the team was selected to purposely provide Junior Netball NSW elite players with an opportunity to compete at an international level and gain experience against quality sides.

Akle said the Super Club competition has been a great opportunity for our athletes to build on their netball skills and compete against world-class athletes.

“The week has been a strong learning curve for some of our more junior players.

“I’m really pleased with the level of competition and the challenge it has provided.

“I believe each player has developed their unique skillset during the week.

“It was a great event to be apart of, it’s a real advantage for our athletes to compete against other teams with different styles of play,” said Akle.

GIANTS Head Coach Julie Fitzgerald and NSW Swifts Head Coach Rob Wright accompanied the team to provide mentoring throughout the competition.

“Having Julie and Rob’s presence and assistance throughout the week was fantastic.

“They brought so much knowledge and experience to the court, the players and myself really benefited from their knowledge,” said Akle.

NSWIS had a convincing 28 goal win over the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) in their Round one clash. With a strong performance from NSWIS’s defensive players Lauren Moore, Maddy Turner, Toni Anderson and Sarah Klau, shutting down UTT’s attacking end looked effortless.

The second game of the tournament was against the South African Gauteng Jaguars in which NSWIS’s strong mid court fed the ball magnificently for a 74 – 45 win.

NSWIS’s winning streak came to an end in their Round three game against reigning ANZ Premiership champions Southern Steel, 77-61. Going into the game both teams had two wins under their belts, however, Steel’s strong defensive unit held off NSWIS’s young attacking front to capitalise on the win.

NSWIS then played off for a berth in the Grand final against the Northern Mystics. Unfortunately, the Mystics impressive shooting duo fended NSWIS off for a close three-quarter and then powered home to win 66-48.

NSWIS now had to play-off for third place against New Zealand’s Central Pulse. NSWIS played an extraordinaire game to come from eight behind to win by two goals, 48-46. Successfully claiming third place at the inaugural Super Club competition at the Trafalgar Centre, Nelson on Friday 7 July.

Netball NSW would like to acknowledge NSWIS and thank them for their partnership for the 2017 Super Club tournament.

NSWIS Super Club Team

Toni ANDERSON (Sutherland Shire), Kristina BRICE (St George District), Taylah DAVIES (Eastwood Ryde), Tayla FRASER (St George District, Angela FRKETIC (Baulkham Hills Shire), Sophie GARBIN, Sarah KLAU (Grafton), Georgia MARSHALL (Manly-Warringah), Lauren MOORE (Northern Suburbs), Amy PARMENTER (St George District), Maddy PROUD (Northern Suburbs), Maddy TURNER (Mudgee District).

Head Coach: Briony Akle, Mentor Coaches: Julie Fitzgerald & Rob Wright
Team Manager: Nikki Welsford

Results
Round 1: NSWIS 74 d 46 University of Trinidad and Tobago
Round 2: NSWIS 74 d 45 Gauteng Jaguars
Round 3: Southern Steel 77 d 61 NSWIS
Semi Final: Northern Mystics 66 d 48 NSWIS
3rd Place play-off: NSWIS 48 d 46 Central Pulse

More statistics here