The ADF netball team wants its trophy back

Team line-up

Pte Shay Curtis – 15 Tpt Sqn AB Sarah Jackett – Defence Plaza Sydney Pte Jo Read – 4CSSB Cpl Emma Yeo – 3CSSB Cpl Ngari Cannons – 92 Wg AVCIS Smn Julie Fairchild – HMAS Harman Flt-Lt Kate Dixon – HQDFR Tpr Rachael Stonestreet – 5 Avn Regt Capt Lynne Oldfield – HQ TC-A LCpl J. Morgan-French – 3CSSB Capt Kate Rippon – DFSS EW Wing Capt Erica Rayward – HQ 2 Div

Team Staff

Coach WO2 Elizabeth Matthews, ALTC Manager Cpl Owen Rose, DGTA AMB Trainer Sgt Scott Bredden, SFTC Women’s Coord LS Elizabeth Saunders, HMAS Cerberus Umpire Margaret Loorham

For any details of the tour contact LS Liz Saunders (03) 5950 7244 and WO2 Liz Matthews (02) 6055 4330

By Capt Lynne Oldfield

THE ADF Netball team is about to slip on their Ugg boots and head for the hills of Auckland for the battle of the best with the New Zealand Defence Force Combined Services Netball Team in the Anzac Cup challenge.

The competition first began when a NZ Airforce women’s team competed in the ADF National Netball Carnival held at HMAS Albatross in 1995.

They were a competitive side who finished in the top four.

In 1998, the ADFNA women’s team made the trek to NZ to compete in the NZDF Netball carnival.

They defeated teams from the NZ Army, Airforce and Navy and then played a combined NZDF team in a series of matches.

Again, the ADF team was undefeated and returned to Australia with the Anzac Cup.

The Anazc Cup stood proudly in the trophy cabinet at the HQ Victorian RSL until August 2003.

The cup itself was kindly donated by the Victorian RSL in 1998.

The Kiwis returned to Australia with a full-strength, experienced NZDF team hell bent on revenge for 1998.

The Challenge was played as a curtain raiser to the ADF National Carnival conducted at HMAS Cerberus.

NZ gave our inexperienced and younger team a lesson on how to play hard, fast and determined netball.

They went on to deliver to each state a sound defeat and ended the carnival undefeated and returned across the Tasman with the cup in their possession.

We aren’t going to wait five years to reclaim the cup.

The ADF team has taken up the challenge issued by the cheeky Kiwis and will return to Auckland in July this year with a team who is now better prepared and eager to bring the cup back to its original resting place.

The team will meet in Sydney for a training camp from July 6 to 9 and will tour NZ July 10 to 18.