Former captain axed from Silver Ferns squad
Katrina Rore has been dropped from the Silver Ferns for next month’s Quad Series in England, with consistency the clincher for coach Noeline Taurua.
Rore (nee Grant), a former captain, was one of six players cut from the squad that lost to the Australian Diamonds in the Constellation Cup in October, with Michaela SokolichBeatson and Te Paea Selby-Rickit two other high-profile omissions.
Taurua said there wasn’t much between the likes of Rore and those who did make the cut at the defensive end – Karin Burger, Casey Kopua, Erena Mikaere and Jane Watson – but individual performances during this week’s camp in Auckland were at the forefront of her thinking.
‘‘Just because someone’s named in the Silver Ferns, it doesn’t mean they’re any better than anybody else, or vice versa. It means at this moment in time you’re able to put more consistent performances out there, both on and off the court, and you’re able to do your job, not one day, but all the days. The ones we did select, to be honest, selected themselves.’’
Kopua was named in a Ferns squad for the first time since 2015, having come out of retirement earlier this year once it became clear Taurua was going to come on board as coach.
Rore and Kopua are close friends and were room-mates this week. Kopua was emotional speaking to media and said Rore’s absence was part of the reason why.
‘‘Having one of your best friends not with you is going to be tough, but I love her no matter what, whether she’s in or out. Just because she isn’t here now doesn’t mean she can’t be here later.’’
Taurua said it was hard telling Rore, one of seven Silver Ferns centurions, she wasn’t in the squad, but that she took it ‘‘amazingly’’.
Mikaere, who will play for the Northern Mystics next year after four seasons in Australia, is one of two uncapped players in the squad, joined by Mainland Tactix midcourter Kimiora Poi.
Burger, shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio and midcourter Whitney Souness are the others included who didn’t play in the Constellation Cup.
As well as Grant, Selby-Rickit and Sokolich-Beatson, fringe squad members Aliyah Dunn, Erikana Pedersen and Sulu Fitzpatrick weren’t selected.
The raft of changes come at the end of a week when a wider squad of 25 have been put through the ringer by Taurua, the first chance she’s had to really examine them since taking charge in August.
‘‘It’s been tough, physically, emotionally and mentally. It was set up like that, with the purpose of pushing them to the extreme and seeing how they’re able to deliver under pressure in many ways.’’
With the ANZ Premiership to come after the Quad Series in February before the international season resumes in June, Taurua stressed the door is not closed with regard to July’s World Cup.
‘‘Even though there will be people who are disappointed, I still think everybody will go away feeling quite inspired knowing they all have contributed.
‘‘It is a new start for us in some respects and I need people who can perform and who can consistently perform. Those ones who have been selected performed over this week.’’
The Ferns will hold a vote to determine their captain and vicecaptain once they arrive in England in the new year. Laura Langman was the incumbent captain, with Rore the vice-captain.