This weekend the Joblink Plus swimming squad is in Sydney for the NSW Country Winter Championships at the Sydney Aquatic Centre, Homebush.

On Monday the silver members of the Joblink Plus NIAS squad – Kaitlyn Brunsdon and Sheridan Connor (Armidale), Laura Tumbers (Gunnedah), Anthony Pages (Inverell) and Toby Turnham (Tamworth) – begin a three-day camp with coaches Di Gray and Merryn Pepper as well as Kootingal’s Greg Poetschka and Gunnedah’s Pat McAdam.

NIAS athlete services manager Michelle Thomson said the swimmers and coaches would be training and working with three Sydney coaches as well as having a session with the NSW Institute of Sport.

“They’ll have access to high technology equipment as well as above and under water video. They don’t have access to any of that up here.”

The Carlo’s IGA/Armidale City Bowling Club NIAS Netball Squad will travel to Maitland on Tuesday to compete at the annual NIB Games.

The games will be hosted by Hunter Academy of Sport, with 11 regional academies and Sydney metro squads also attending. 11 players from the Tier 1 NIAS Squad will compete at the three-day Games.

The NIAS players include: Courtney Byrne, Jessica Stapleton (Glen Innes), Amee Cameron (Narrabri), Jamie Fisher, Natahlia Green (Tamworth), Maddi Gardner (Gunnedah), Alex Kentish, Lilian Morgan (Armidale), Taylah Shearer (Moree), Samantha Maunder (Attunga), Lauren Watkins (Inverell).

Head coach Rochelle Joyce said the Tier 1 squad had been training hard, with regional training days around the region, as well as recently competing in the Northern Inland State League.

The team finished fourth in Division one of the State League competition, playing commendable netball, she said.

The Carlo’s IGA/Armidale City Bowling Club NIAS Netball program has an intensive program for the remainder of the

season.

There will be three more regional training days to continue building on the development and refinement of netball skills and to continue building on their

fitness.

For all the younger netball players in the region, NIAS will hold selection trials for a 15yrs side (Tier 2) which will be selected especially to compete at the Netball NSW 15yrs Development Tournament in September this year.

Those trials will be held on Sunday July 20 at the Carter Street Tamworth Netball Courts from 10am to 3pm.

To find out more about the selection trials and to download a nomination form, please log onto the NIAS website www.nias.org.au