NZ Netball Team Arrive in Glasgow

It’s business time for the New Zealand Netball team, arriving overnight at the Athlete’s Village in Glasgow, welcomed by a haka from members of the New Zealand team.

Around 300 New Zealand athletes will make the Dalmarnock village home for the next two weeks with the Opening Ceremony for the Games starting at 8.00am Thursday morning (NZ time).

The NZ Netball team quickly settled in before being whisked away to the official NZ team function where Valerie Adams was named the NZ flag bearer for tomorrow’s Opening Ceremony.

With a few days to get familiar with the unique surroundings before their first match on Friday night (NZ time), captain Casey Kopua says it’s an unreal feeling to be amongst other top Kiwi athletes.

“The welcome to the village by other members of the NZ team was so humbling and sent shivers down my spine,” she said.

“Our girls have huge expectations and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform and win gold. To have the full backing of other Kiwi athletes who are going through the same thing is really incredible for us.”

The 700-house Dalmarnock village will host 4,500 competitors and another 2,300 support staff during the Games from 71 nations, so a real melting pot of cultures and nationalities.

The village has its own beauty salon, mini-hospital, pub, post office and shops with the dining hall featuring 2,000 different items on offer. With such a lot of people living in the Village, Kopua says it will be vital for the team to get some rest and recuperation time.

“It’s really important for us to make sure we have some ‘me’ time. There are places and time for that so it’s just making sure that everyone does it – that’s the key!”

As the NZ Netball team aren’t playing on the opening day of the Netball competition, they will be walking a lap of Celtic Park as part of the Kiwi contingent in the Opening Ceremony, something they’re looking forward to.

“It’s always such an honour to represent New Zealand and be a part of the wider NZ team at a Commonwealth Games and these are moments that I know I will cherish and remember forever.”

“To be surrounded by some of the best athletes in the world is just surreal.” 

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Live coverage of the Opening Ceremony at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games will be on SKY Sport 5 from 8.00am Thursday morning with the NZ Netball team playing their first match of the event on Friday evening.