Nelson Hockey is celebrating the selection of three homegrown players to the New Zealand Under 21 women’s team.
Nelson natives Clara Gardiner, Penelope Taulafo and Julia Kersten have been named in the national women’s squad, marking the start of the 2026–27 international selection cycle.
The programme feeds directly into Junior World Cup selection, with qualifiers to be held later this year.
New Zealand Hockey performance and pathways lead Dane Lett says selection into the squad is a significant milestone.
“It’s an exciting step in each athlete’s hockey journey. This is a period of opportunity, but also growth and challenge,” Dane says.
Former Nelson College for Girls student Clara is excited by the chance to test herself against the best in the world. Now based in Hamilton, she is looking forward to the upcoming training camps.
“Being able to play and train with amazing players within the squad is really cool. We have a big training camp in July, which is essentially a trial for the World Cup qualifiers,” she says.
The Junior World Cup venue has yet to be announced, but the tournament is traditionally played in December.
