Five Northern umpires took their place on the national secondary schools stage last week, with two NZ B Award upgrades and appointments to the tournament’s deciding matches adding to a memorable week.
Niamh Galligan (North Harbour), Natasha Mouat (Howick Pakuranga and Auckland), Emily Stringer (Whangārei), Olivia Wilson-Sharp (North Harbour) and Keyle Brown (North Harbour) were selected by Netball NZ among the 16 umpires attending the NZ Secondary Schools Netball Championships at Auckland Netball Centre from 6–9 October.
The championships provided an opportunity to test their skills in a national tournament environment, learn from umpire coaches and continue developing alongside officials from across the country.
Natasha and Keyle both achieved upgrades to their NZ B Award during the week. Their tournament also finished with significant appointments: Natasha officiated the third-place playoff between Scots College and Columba College, while Keyle took the whistle for the final.
That title-decider brought together two Northern schools, with Saint Kentigern defeating Mount Albert Grammar School 30–25 to claim their first national title in 10 years. Both schools had progressed through a competitive top eight that also included Westlake Girls’ High School and St Mary’s College, Auckland.
For Natasha, the week marked another step forward in a season of progress. When we shared her story in August, she had umpired the national U18 men’s final and was hoping to earn a place at the secondary schools championships. She has now added that appointment, an NZ B Award and a third-place playoff to her achievements.
Congratulations to all five umpires on their selection and mahi, and to Natasha and Keyle on reaching an exciting milestone in their umpiring journeys.
Read Natasha’s earlier story: Five tournaments deep and still climbing.
