Taranaki rose eyes national title

TONY ROGERS

ALLANAH ELLERTON: Taranaki's Rose of Tralee.

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Taranaki's new Rose of Tralee is aiming high.

Allanah Natasha Ellerton, 23, of New Plymouth, won the regional event at the well-attended Rose Ball at Stratford on Saturday night.

And should she win the national event in Lower Hutt in June, Ms Ellerton will wing her way to Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. There she will line up with 50 finalists from around the world at the 50th anniversary of the Rose of Tralee pageant.

"I'm going to give it my very best," Ms Ellerton said yesterday. "It would be awesome."

Rose of Tralee convenor Carol Julian, of Okato, said Ms Ellerton's chances were very good.

"In the past, four Taranaki girls have taken out the national title since the 1970s," she said.

Ms Ellerton works at Jeans West in New Plymouth and also does promotion work for Radio Hauraki and Radio Sport. Her connection to Ireland is through her great-grandmother from County Tipperary.

- © Fairfax NZ News