Age group kiwi swimmers take on Australia’s best
New Zealand’s age group talent are set for a demanding week of non-stop racing against the best in Australia this week.
The 20-strong team will take part in the annual three-test series for emerging talent, with two tests in the New South Wales – in Woy Woy and Wagga Wagga – with the final test at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
Each test includes two sessions with identical formats.
New Zealand will be hoping to emulate their feats of last year when they finished only one win away from claiming the overall honours for the first time.
Team leader Trevor Nicholls has developed a domestic series to better prepare a national team to take on the powerful Australians, who have a world-class age group system which is the feeder to their international programme.
The first session begins in Woy Woy on the Central Coast tomorrow evening with the second session on Tuesday morning before the trip to Wagga Wagga in the south west for the start of the second test on Wednesday and Thursday. The final test takes place in Canberra on Friday and Saturday.
The New Zealand team is:
Male:
Jack Nash (Jasi), Ewan Jackson (Howick Pakuranga), Gareth Kean (Capital), Thomas McEwan (Central City), Mitchell Donaldson (North Shore), Starn Simpson (West Auckland Aquatics), Benjamin Stark (North Shore), Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (Bell Block), Nielson Varoy (Metro), Neil Van Wijk (Masterton).
Female:
Anamaria Clarke (West Auckland Aquatics), Hannah Jones (Greendale), Samantha Lee (Capital), Samantha Lucie-Smith (Karori Pirates), Emma Lowther (Howick Pakuranga), Ashley Rupapera (Stratford), Laura Baker (Kiwi West), Clair Benson (Napier Sundevils), Bianca Rowley (Coast), Katie Kenneally (Taieri).
Team leader: Trevor Nicholls
Team Manager: Kay Alexander
Coaches: Simon Mayne, Gary Hollywood
