Aussie Stingers to host New Zealand National Women’s team

The Aussie Stingers will host the New Zealand national team for a week long training camp.

The NZ team will join the Aussie Stingers at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) from Monday 9 December to Saturday 14 December 2019.

The Aussie Stingers will take on their trans-tasman rivals in three official games throughout the week, on Tuesday 10, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 December.

Aussie Stingers Head Coach Predrag Mihailovic said that his team will never shy away from a game against their Oceania counterparts.

“We are really happy to be able to host New Zealand for this camp at the AIS,” Mihailovic said.

“It is a great opportunity for us to play some international test matches at this stage of our Olympic preparation and to see how we are tracking as a team so far.”

Rio Olympian Hannah Buckling said the squad will welcome the opportunity to train against another international side.

“We’ve been training at the AIS by ourselves for just over two months now, so to be able to host the New Zealand team will be an invaluable experience to put into play what we’ve been practicing,” Buckling said.

“The AIS has been so wonderful having all the resources in one spot, and to round out our camp with some international experience will be a crucial part of our Olympic preparations.”

New Zealand Water Polo High Performance Manager Kurt Goldsworthy said the opportunity to train with and play against one of the best women’s teams in the world is priceless.

“The Aussie Stingers are a powerhouse team in the women’s competition, as demonstrated by their recent bronze medal at the 2019 FINA World Championships,” Goldworthy said.

New Zealand Senior Women’s Captain and Goalkeeper, Jess Milicich echoed Goldsworthy’s comments saying the squad are thoroughly looking forward to the invaluable opportunity.

“Having three official test matches will be a good indication of where we’re at as a squad,” Milicich said.

“We’ll be welcoming back the athletes that have been playing overseason as have the chance to solidify as a squad in a high performance environment, so we’re all thoroughly looking forward to the week in Canberra.”

The week long camp will complete the Stingers three month residential block at the AIS, which has been a vital part of their preparation ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The three games will be open to the public.