New Zealand Boys and Girls Development team results from the Friendship Games in Sydney.

Boys Results:
Game 1: v NSW Metro win 6-4
Game 2: v Australia Green loss 3-5

Girls Results:
Game 1: v New South Wales Country won 4-1
Game 2: v New South Wales Metro lost 1-5
Game 3: v Australia Green lost 3-2
Game 4: v USA Red lost 1-0
Game 5: v Sunstate won 5-3
Game 6: v Australia Gold loss 0-10
Game 7: v QAS loss 1-6
Game 8: v ACTAS loss 11-1

International Softball Academy (an additional team from New Zealand, not selected by SNZ)
Game 1: v NSW Country win 3-2
Game 2 v Australia Green win 2-1

Softball is still a priority for 30 players with their inclusion in the New Zealand Development team that will compete in the Friendship Games in Sydney in July.

The girl’s tournament is from July 5-8 and the boys from July 8-11 and will involve the Australian national teams, with two boys and two girls teams selected, and state sides. The venue is where softball was played at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

While the teams are made up of players under the age of 17 several of those players have already experienced the game at a senior level and have had success with Toni Toka and Dinah Luke both members of the Hutt Valley women’s team that won the national league title earlier this year. 

Included in the boy’s team is Auckland’s Campbell Enoka, who is the third member of his family to be selected in a national team this year with older brothers Thomas and Ben members of the Junior Black Sox team that will compete in their world championship in Canada also in July. However, Campbell is not the only member of the boy’s development team who has an older brother in the under-19 side with Wellington’s Beau Bishop’s brother Sam also in the team heading to Canada.

For the girls in the New Zealand Development team it will be an early opportunity for them to impress Venita Hokai, who last week was confirmed as the head coach for the under-19 national team that will compete at the 2011 world championship. Hokai is also coach of the side Development side.

“This is certainly going to be a good opportunity for those players,” she said.

The teams are:
Boys: Mathew Oxley, Campbell Enoka (Auckland), James Johnston (Canterbury), Joe Campbell (Counties Manukau), Hoani Crawford, Luke Woon (Hawke's Bay), Bo Watene, Joe Ferriso (Hutt Valley), Tamihana Nau (North Harbour), Ben Watts (Otago), Tauira Patterson (Southland),  Issac Hekenui (Taranaki), Jarrod McDonald, Beau Bishop, Josh Pettett (Wellington).

Girls: Anita Leeuw,Te Reo Powhiri Matautia, Emma Scowcroft (Auckland), Rome Collins-Cross, Courteney Brown (Canterbury), Jordan Leigh-Koni (Counties Manukau), Rita Hokianga, Kelly Huata-Hook (Hawke's Bay), Arahia Fowell, Toni Toka, Dinah Luke (Hutt Valley), Briar Tukaki (Western Bay of Plenty), Chance TeRina Warbrick (Manawatu), Danielle Taanoa; Charlotte Pointon (Wellington).