Kiwi 19-year-old ready for Netball World Youth Cup

Being named in the NZU21 Team for the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 meant the world to Ella Southby, after a serious knee injury threatened to derail the once in a lifetime opportunity.

The build-up to the pinnacle event started two years ago.

Southby was then added to the NZU21 squad in July last year off the back of an impressive National Netball League (NNL) campaign.

But disaster struck when the 19-year-old tore her ACL last August.

"I did it during a camp for under 21s and I kind of knew straight away it was bad and the main thing was trying to get back on court, and then obviously if I could do it before trials and World Cup," Southby said.

Naturally, Southby was worried that she was going to run out of time to push her case for selection.

The injury meant she wasn't available for two key series as part of the squad's build-up to the 2025 World Youth Cup (NWYC). The squad played a series in Fiji last August and a tri-series in Australia early this year against the hosts and England.

Southby couldn't take part in this year's National Netball League (NNL), but was able to return to court in July.

"I was able to play some club games, which I have been really grateful to University Albion to let me come in halfway through the season and get some game time under my belt before the U21 trials at the end of July."

Early last month - a year after the devastating injury - she was named in the team to represent New Zealand at the World Youth Cup in Gibraltar, which starts on the 19th September.

"It was massive to me... to be part of the group for a wee bit and then being able to be selected this year was just amazing for me, such a huge honour."

Southby said the U21 management team made her feel included the whole time she was going through the rehabilitation process.

"Julie Seymour (head coach), the physio, and our strength and conditioning coach have just been an amazing support, and assistant coach Te Aroha Keenan has been amazing support throughout my rehab.

"I've been able to go to the camps, even when I couldn't fully partake, so that's been really cool, just to keep in contact with the group and definitely wouldn't be here without them."

She has a strong connection to the Netball World Youth Cup through her mum Janine Southby, who was head coach of the NZU21 team from 2010-2013. The team won the 2013 edition in Glasgow.

Ella was seven at the time so doesn't remember much.

"I remember her going away but I don't really remember much about the actual event, but I just think it's so cool that she was able to do that and now that I'm in the same group, just really proud to be here."

Ella's parents and her sister Grace will be travelling to Gibraltar to support the team, as they look to defend its title.

A former Otago Rebels player Janine Southby took on the head coach role in 2006-2007 in the old National Bank Cup era.

She then coached the Southern Steel for four year's from 2012, before being appointed Silver Ferns coach in 2015 for three years.

Ella said she and her sister had benefited hugely from having such an experienced netball coach from day one.

"She coached me and Grace through high school and then she's also been doing a little bit of club coaching, which is so cool, just to be able to soak up all her knowledge and she's been a massive part of my support system, both my parents have."

Both sisters play GA, WA, and GS and their Mum was also a wing attack/goal attack slide in her playing days.

There will be a second mother-daughter link in Gibraltar with former Silver Fern Julie Seymour the head coach and her daughter Josie Seymour in the team.

"I think it's a really cool legacy actually, I know it's really special when Mum's coaching me, so I know that will be really special for Josie as well to have her mum there and coaching her too."

Seymour was the assistant coach of the NZU21 team which won the title in 2017 in Botswana - the last time the Netball World Youth Cup was contested.

Growing up in Dunedin, Ella attended St Hilda's Collegiate School and made the 2023 New Zealand Secondary Schools team. Now in her second year out of high school, Ella is studying international business at Otago University.

She played for the Southern Blast in last year's NNL and was a training partner for the Southern Steel, making her ANZ Premiership debut in Round 8 last year, when the Steel were struggling with injuries.

Her older sister Grace also made her ANZ Premiership debut when she played for the Steel in Round 1 last year and the 21-year-old was a training partner for the Steel again this year.

The Southby sisters became the seventh set of sisters to take the court in the ANZ Premiership - "That was really cool to be able to debut for the Steel and represent the region we've grown up in."

Attending a Youth World Cup, which only comes around once every four year, is precious.

Eight Youth World Cups have taken place since the inaugural edition in 1988 and New Zealand and Australia have won four events each.

New Zealand have won the last two Youth World Cups. They beat Australia in the final in Botswana in 2017.

World Netball had to pull the pin on the last Youth World Cup, which was scheduled to take place in Fiji in 2021, due to the Covid pandemic.

"I'm so excited for it for the netball, but also it's just such a cool experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity and just so grateful to be able to go and experience that and experience different cultures in Gibraltar."

For players with Silver Ferns aspirations, competing against teams like England, Jamaica and Australia early in a career is a big opportunity to be exposed to other top netball nations.

Several players from the 2017 Youth World Cup later went on to play for the Silver Ferns including Kelly Jackson, Mila Reuelu-Buchanan, Tiana Metuarau, Kimiora Poi and Maia Wilson.

A full contract with an ANZ Premiership team was Southby's first goal.

"To be able to play netball for as long as I can and to get to as higher level as I can, playing in the ANZ Premiership consistently would be so cool, so we'll see where that goes."

The NZU21 team, which departs for the World Cup this weekend, are in the same pool as Gibraltar, Zambia, Cook Islands and Malaysia.

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