Bruce Earns Big Call-Up

Perth schoolgirl and Western Australian Institute of Sport athlete Courtney Bruce has this week been named as the replacement player for the injured Josie Janz (WAIS) and will travel to New Zealand with the West Coast Fever to play against the Northern Mystics.

Bruce represented Western Australia at the Netball Underage National Championships that were held in Adelaide in April this year and is a current Smarter Than Smoking State Netball League player with the ladder leading Midland Brick Demons.

Courtney is currently a student at Kelmscott Senior High School where she is completing her Year 12 studies, but will put school on hold to attend an exclusive invitation to the Australian Institute of Sport talent camp in July.

The 188cm defender is excited about her upcoming Fever opportunity and can’t wait to get on the plane for the trip to Auckland Thursday morning.

Bruce has been training with the Fever in recent weeks, and has shown coach Jane Searle she has the maturity to make her mark at the top level.

“Courtney has been great over the past few weeks with her training ethic and willingness to improve. This is a great opportunity for her and we hope she will take it with two hands.”

It’s been a fast transition for the talented teenager, after being spotted at the Southern Districts Netball Association by local talent scout Bev Gallagher just three years ago.

Since that day, Bruce spent a year in juniors and hasn’t looked back, rapidly rising through the State netball ranks.

Bruce has a busy schedule juggling both netball and athletics commitments, but no-one will question her priority this week as she heads across the Tasman for her first taste of ANZ Championship action.

The announcement adds to what has already been a sensational year for the WAIS netball program, after it was awarded the WAIS Sports Program of the Year at the recent 2010 WAIS Champions Breakfast.

– with Netball WA