Netballing trio out to impress

Three former Marlborough players will be out to impress in this year's Louis Muir Challenge netball competition when it gets underway in Auckland this weekend.

Kirby Heath, who played for the SMOG club and represented the Tasman senior women's team last season, is now attending university in Christchurch and will line up for Canterbury this season.

Fellow former SMOG and Tasman players Jaimee Power and Nadia Roselli will represent Otago and Cook Strait respectively. Power will be joined in the Otago team by former Motueka High School and Tasman standout Shannon Francois.

The Lois Muir Challenge aims to give aspiring players, coaches and management the opportunity to press their case for higher level netball through developing their skills and knowledge of the game.

Tasman players and coaches have had a strong affiliation with the competition since it began in 2008.

Power played for the Otago team that won the inaugural competition in 2008 and represented the province again last season.

Francois was a member of the 2008 Cook Strait team – which features players from the Wellington and Tasman regions – while Marlborough's Bek Scherp was an apprentice coach.

Last season Motueka's Nic Kelly was an apprentice coach for Cook Strait.

The competition begins with two days of matches at the Auckland Netball Centre this weekend.

Rounds follow on March 28 and April 11 with finals weekend in Palmerston North on April 17 and 18.

Cook Strait have a tough weekend to open the competition with matches against Counties Manukau and North on Saturday before backing up against Auckland Waitakere and Waikato on Sunday.

Otago face Auckland Waitakere, Waikato and Bay of Plenty while Canterbury play Counties Manukau and Waikato.

- The Marlborough Express