After weeks of training and trials a group of fourteen talented players have been selected for the Western Netball's Lois Muir Challenge Squad as they prepare for the 2010 Lois Muir Challenge.

The Lois Muir Challenge features ten of the top regional teams in the country and stretches over three weekends, starting on March 20th in Auckland and culminating in a finals weekend to be held in Palmerston North on April 17-18th.

The Lois Muir Challenge, like the ANZ Championships, started in 2008 as a tier below the professional competition and is a critical pathway for New Zealand players to have the opportunity to move up to the next level.  This is the second year that Western has competed in this competition and the squad hopes to improve on the third place they achieved in 2009.

The squad members have been working hard over the summer as part of Western Netball's off-season training programme and co-coaches Nicole Dryden and Annette Pearce are excited about their prospects.  The squad is a mix of youth and experience as the competition is seen as an excellent development opportunity for young players.

At the shooting end of the court Amber Bellringer returns to the team with the support of Miriama Selby-Rickit and two newcomers Jess Grinlinton, who has moved north from Wellington and Renee Matoe who was part of Manawatu's U19 team in 2009.

The midcourters bring with them a depth of experience and talent with four players returning from the 2009 Western team who competed at the Perry Foundation National Championships. They are Lauren Burgess, Sam Durie-Aranga, Jodi Hikuroa and Kylee Webb. They are joined by New Zealand Secondary School's captain Sheridan Bignall.

In the defensive end New Zealand U21 Squad member Jodi Beaumont with Chrisy Longstaff and Sam Burkhart return after convincing performances in the Perry Foundation National Championships. Manawatu U19 player Whitney Cassidy and New Zealand Secondary Schools Team member Greer Patterson join them in the circle.

The Western Squad will also be looking forward to hosting nine regional teams for the final round of the Lois Muir Challenge, in Palmerston North, at Arena Manawatu on April 17th-18th.  It should be a feast of netball with a total of fourteen games played over the two days, with some of New Zealand's top talent in action.

The full Western Lois Muir Challenge squad list is: