New Zealand U21 coach Julie Seymour is sharpening her focus on the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup in naming her first NZU21 squad for the year. 

The first steps to the NWYC, to be hosted by Gibraltar, have commenced with Netball New Zealand’s Emerging Talent Panel and Seymour confirming a 16-strong NZU21 squad who will come together for the first of two camps next month. 

The squad will meet in Wellington from October 20-23 with a second camp to be held in early February. 

The NZU21 squad features new Silver Fern shooter Amelia Walmsley along with six New Zealand Secondary Schools team members including Year 12 schoolgirl Phoenix Schwalger who was a standout in Central Manawa’s defence of their Synergy Hair Netball League title.

There are 10 players who played in this year’s SHNNL. 

Seymour says it's exciting to be able to confirm a squad and turn their focus to the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup after it had been missing from the international calendar since 2017. 

“The national U21 programme plays a critical part of the performance pathway to the Silver Ferns and the World Youth Cup is the pinnacle event for these elite age-group netballers.

“To be able to name a squad and take these first steps in our preparation for this event is something that we’ve all been looking forward to. 

“There has been a lot of talent that we’ve watched at various levels, and it has been a robust process in getting to this point, but we’re delighted to be able to bring this group together to begin our journey to Gibraltar.” 

The Emerging Talent Panel and Seymour observed a number of players from various events this season including the ANZ Premiership, SHNL, New Zealand Secondary Schools trials and team, as well as both the U18 and Open National Championships. 

They have elected to name a smaller squad size in the first instance but have another list of identified players that they will continue to monitor with the option to further add to the squad at any stage. 

“We have the opportunity to observe these netballers at the New Zealand Secondary School Championships and next year’s National Netball League and have the ability to add to our squad,” says Seymour.

New Zealand will be vying for a third straight Netball World Youth Cup crown after winning the events in Botswana in 2017 and Scotland in 2013.

There was no World Youth Cup in 2021 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. 

New Zealand Under 21 Squad: 

Laura Balmer (South) 
Taiana Day (Mainland) 
Serina Daunakamakama (Northern) 
Sarah Guiney (Central) 
Kaiya Kepa (WBOP) 
Caitlin Lafaele (Central) 
Charlotte Manley (Northern) 
Shaquaylah Mahakitau-Monschau (WBOP) 
Khanye-Lii Munro-Nonoa (Northern) 
Rachel Price (Central) 
Kate Taylor (WBOP) 
Summer Temu (Northern) 
Madison Thomas (Central) 
Lili Tokaduadua (Northern) 
Phoenix Schwalger (Central) 
Amelia Walmsley (Central)