NZ duties and training for 2

High performance netball umpire Punanga Kaveao is on her way to Hamilton this weekend to umpire at the New Zealand under 17 schools championships.

Kaveao will be joined by local umpire assessor and Netball Cook Islands development manager Jannette Browne.

Kaveao will umpire up to 2 netball games a day over the 4 days of the tournament that will include 30 of New Zealands top secondary school netball teams.

Im really looking forward to officiating because of the high level of games that will be on at the tournament, says Kaveao.

Kaveao currently holds an Oceania regional umpires badges and is planning to continue to develop her umpiring skills.

She now joins the ranks of top local umpires including Jackie Newnham (nee Tuara) and the late Mamia Tunui-Savage.

She hopes to one day gain a New Zealand and Australian umpires badge and umpire games there as well as umpire games at the Commonwealth or World Championships level.

Browne will be assessing umpires at the tournament and attending a couple of up-skilling workshops.

Both will return home and share their experience as it is Netball Cook Islands desire and plan to start recruiting keen young netball umpires for next season as the lack of umpires this season made it difficult to run the weekly games.

Browne says that the Cook Islands umpires association has undergone restructuring with more robust pathway programmes for budding umpires.

Browne also explains that with the increased funding being poured into netball across the region they are obliged to return home with new skills to share with local netballers and umpires.

The pair returns next Thursday where plans will begin for umpire courses for local netballers.