13 Jan 2015

Sport: World Cup places on the line for Fiji netballers

12:09 pm on 13 January 2015

Fiji netball coach Kate Carpenter says next week's Oceania Tri Series is the start of a six-month selection process in the countdown to the World Cup later in the year.

12 players have been selected for the Pearls matches against New Zealand and Samoa in Suva, including new caps Kelera Nawai and Episaki Kahatoka.

Kate Carpenter says that team will have the first chance to press for places but there are a number of opportunities coming up.

"This team has been selected based on what we think is needed against both the [Silver] Ferns and Samoa. We're saying to the girls that this is about developing a whole squad. We've got 19 athletes in our national squad and there will be opportunities along the way. There are about six teams selection so this is the start and that will all be based on performance, form and a good positional mix of players. I imagine there will be some athletes that play in all those teams and there will be some who don't get any of those opportunities but would be looking to the future".