Meet the Team
Alexanda Brown
(Goalkeeper)
“It means everything to be able to put on the black jersey and represent my country and each time is always better than the last. To try and make everyone who has got me here proud.”
Cameron Ross (Pivot)
“Handball is a sport that takes the best bits of other sports I like and puts them into one. It has a strong and tight knit community so you make good friends.”
James Cochrane (Wing)
“I am proud to be a New Zealander and representing my country in the sport I love is always so special and an honour!
Wearing the fern is a privilege that I never take for granted and it fills me with many emotions, but especially pride! With a group of people who feel the same, we can achieve something pretty special.”
Jun Burden (Back/Wing)
“Representing New Zealand is a huge honour and a privilege. It makes me proud and encourages me to push myself everyday.”
Leonardo Gatti (Back/Pivot)
“It is an honour and a huge responsibility to represent New Zealand and be part of this squad.”
Luke Naylor (Back/Wing)
“It's a delight and a privilege to be able to represent your country.”
Paul Ireland (Back)
“Handball is fast paced, lots of actions and satisfying when making a good shot/play.”
Willy Makea (Back/Wing)
“It's a fun and challenging sport that involves speed, agility, jumping, throwing so there's always something to work on.”
Aston Lang (Back)
“For me it's all about pride. Pride for representing my country and pride for the journey I've been on to get to the top of my game.”
Harry Ireland (Back/Wing)
James Nixon (Goalkeeper)
Karl Edward Fitzpatrick (Back/Wing)
“Handball is a combination of so many athletic skills, such as jumping, throwing, catching, and quick agile movements. It is fast paced, skillful, physical, and requires precise teamwork to be successful.”
Luke Ireland (Back/Wing)
“Representing your country is always an incredible privilege. Being able to showcase NZ on an international stage in playing the sport I love is something that brings me immense joy.”
Matt Cropp (Wing)
“It is an honour playing for the nation.”
Paul Pringot (Back)
“I love pushing myself to my limit physically and mentally. Handball gives me a way to do both of those simultaneously. I also feel like I am upholding a family tradition by playing handball, and there are important values associated with it that I want to pass. This includes skills such as communication, responsibility and resilience which are linked directly to the game itself but also social values which are present around the sport (in the "third half" of the game so to speak).”
Delegation
Roland van den Tillar (Coach)
“It is for me exciting to coach the NZ team, since it is a very motivated team that has a clear goal this year. My goal is that we are going to accomplish this goal and that we can show other countries that New Zealand is growing in handball.”
David Ireland
(Head of Delegation)