Poster girls: MAGS’ own Grace Jale (centre) and Malia Steinmetz feature on the NZ Under 20 World Cup poster.
Alosi Bloomfield
Grace Jale
Nicole Mettam
Jacqui Hand
Deven Jackson
Malia Steinmetz
Samantha Tawharu
Seven current and former First XI Girls players have been selected for the New Zealand Women’s Football Under 20 squad aiming for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in France.
Year 13 students Grace Jale, ‘Alosi Bloomfield and Nicole Mettam will reunite with former team-mates Jacqui Hand, Deven Jackson, Malia Steinmetz and Samantha Tawharu for the Oceania Under 19 Women’s Championship in July. Winning the tournament will qualify New Zealand for the World Cup.
The 20-member squad will enter the tournament as both the home nation and the favourites, taking on Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa and Tonga in a round-robin format at Ngahue Reserve in Auckland from July 11 to 24.
Grace, Malia and Jacqui also represented New Zealand last year at the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Papua New Guinea, and all have played for the NZ Under 17 team. They have all been part of MAGS’ First XI teams that have won the NZSS Championship for the past four consecutive years.