Netball grading at Howick Pakarangua netball centre

New Zealand regularly leads the World Netball rankings despite coming up against countries with far bigger populations to draw from. Netball is serious stuff in Auckland and today Ellie competed in her first Netball match. It is the start of the season so she has a series of games to grade the team she is so that it can be put into the most appropriate league. The grading takes place at the Howick Pakarangua Netball centre a short drive from St Heliers.

There are 30 + teams  involved and the  centre has dozens of netball courts all of which are in use with the start and end of  matches synchronised by a hooter with games starting at 08.00! With netball on this industrial sale (and Howick Pakarangua Netball centre is on e of several in Auckland and not the biggest) it its not surprising that New Zealand eeks out every ounce of netball talent from its population.

Ellie’s team lost both grading games on the Saturday but won their two games on Sunday placing them in the 2nd of division in their age group and signing us up to early morning starts each Saturday for the foreseeable.