NEW ZEALAND WHITE SOX WORLD CUP QUEST BEGINS – ON MĀORI+
Written by Softball NZ on July 20th, 2023.
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The White Sox are set to take on Olympic champions Japan in the opening game of the Group C competition.
White Sox Team Manager Lunn-Hing Matai says the team are mentally prepared and determined to ‘leave everything out on the diamond.’
“We know we have a big job ahead of us, and we are going to have to produce something special to make the top two, but on the day this team is capable of producing great things,” says Lunn-Hing.
Softball New Zealand have also entered an agreement for post-game interviews and analysis to be provided by popular softball personality Jason ‘Chopper’ Gerbes, who says the Group C action, where NZ will battle it out on the diamond, will be hot and fast with the world’s best international teams in the middle of some of the hottest weather Italy has experienced.
“The great thing is that New Zealand has a mixture of youth and experience that make them an unknown quantity,” says Gerbes.
“Third base woman, Lara Andrews, now in her 18th year with the national team, while Katrina Nukunuku, playing her fifth World Cup, will provide pivotal guidance,” he says.
“Throw into the mix the youth of exciting power-hitter Shyah Hale on debut and New Zealand should be ‘tutti bene’.”
This historic hosting of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup, is the first time we have seen this two-stage format, where 18 nations are competing for the title of World Champion through three Group Stages.
Group C includes Japan (2), Canada (5), Italy (8), Venezuela (22), Philippines (26), and New Zealand (29).
Australia and the United States have already won through to the WBSC Women’s World Cup finals by winning their Group A competition. The Group B competition is currently being played in Barcelona.
The White Sox will play five round robin games, with the top four teams then qualifying for the playoffs. The top two from each group, plus two wild cards will qualify for the 2024 World Cup finals, also to be played in Italy.
NEW ZEALAND WHITE SOX:
Amy Begg
Loran Parker
Tyla Morrison
Tyneesha Houkamau
Otila Tavite
Emma Francis
Rebecca Bromhead
Katrina Nukunuku
Shyah Hale
Lara Andrews
Pallas Potter
Mikayla Werahiko
Nerissa McDowell
Brooke Whiteman
Meeki Cooper-Nicola
Erin Blackmore
Schedule: NZT
SUNDAY 23 JULY AT 12.00 AM: New Zealand v Japan
SUNDAY 23 JULY 9.00 PM: Italy v New Zealand
TUESDAY 25 JULY AT 03.00 AM: Venezuela v New Zealand
WEDNESDAY 26 JULY AT 9.00 PM: New Zealand v Canada
WEDNESDAY 26 JULY AT 3.00 AM: Philippines V New Zealand
The playoffs will commence from Thursday 27 July.
To watch click on the following link:
https://www.maoriplus.co.nz/details/TV_SHOW/collection/6331502782112/wsbc-womens-softball-world-cup-group-c
White Sox Team Manager Lunn-Hing Matai says the team are mentally prepared and determined to ‘leave everything out on the diamond.’
“We know we have a big job ahead of us, and we are going to have to produce something special to make the top two, but on the day this team is capable of producing great things,” says Lunn-Hing.
Softball New Zealand have also entered an agreement for post-game interviews and analysis to be provided by popular softball personality Jason ‘Chopper’ Gerbes, who says the Group C action, where NZ will battle it out on the diamond, will be hot and fast with the world’s best international teams in the middle of some of the hottest weather Italy has experienced.
“The great thing is that New Zealand has a mixture of youth and experience that make them an unknown quantity,” says Gerbes.
“Third base woman, Lara Andrews, now in her 18th year with the national team, while Katrina Nukunuku, playing her fifth World Cup, will provide pivotal guidance,” he says.
“Throw into the mix the youth of exciting power-hitter Shyah Hale on debut and New Zealand should be ‘tutti bene’.”
This historic hosting of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup, is the first time we have seen this two-stage format, where 18 nations are competing for the title of World Champion through three Group Stages.
Group C includes Japan (2), Canada (5), Italy (8), Venezuela (22), Philippines (26), and New Zealand (29).
Australia and the United States have already won through to the WBSC Women’s World Cup finals by winning their Group A competition. The Group B competition is currently being played in Barcelona.
The White Sox will play five round robin games, with the top four teams then qualifying for the playoffs. The top two from each group, plus two wild cards will qualify for the 2024 World Cup finals, also to be played in Italy.
NEW ZEALAND WHITE SOX:
Amy Begg
Loran Parker
Tyla Morrison
Tyneesha Houkamau
Otila Tavite
Emma Francis
Rebecca Bromhead
Katrina Nukunuku
Shyah Hale
Lara Andrews
Pallas Potter
Mikayla Werahiko
Nerissa McDowell
Brooke Whiteman
Meeki Cooper-Nicola
Erin Blackmore
Schedule: NZT
SUNDAY 23 JULY AT 12.00 AM: New Zealand v Japan
SUNDAY 23 JULY 9.00 PM: Italy v New Zealand
TUESDAY 25 JULY AT 03.00 AM: Venezuela v New Zealand
WEDNESDAY 26 JULY AT 9.00 PM: New Zealand v Canada
WEDNESDAY 26 JULY AT 3.00 AM: Philippines V New Zealand
The playoffs will commence from Thursday 27 July.
To watch click on the following link:
https://www.maoriplus.co.nz/details/TV_SHOW/collection/6331502782112/wsbc-womens-softball-world-cup-group-c
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