Two Ashburton men have been selected to represent Christchurch netball at a national tournament later this year.

James Love and James Van Schalkwyk were picked for the Christchurch A team and Under 20 team, respectively, and will battle the best in men’s netball this September.

“It was a bit of a shock for me,” 35-year old Love said.

“I haven’t played at that level for about 12, 13 years, and there were a lot of good calibre players [in the running]. So really humbling to be recognised.”

Van Schalkwyk was even more surprised, being relatively new to the sport.

“I was glad, I thought I might not make it.”

He began playing men’s netball after trying it out with a group of home-schooled students at sessions run by Mid Canterbury Netball.

“At first I was like 'oh, it’s a girl’s sport, why would I even play?’

“Then I started to get more into it.”

Love’s ‘love’ for the sport started 28 years ago.

“My mum played premier grade way back; I started playing when I was eight, in Marlborough.”

Now a Mid-Cantabrian, he umpires games in Ashburton and gets his fill of gameplay in the Christchurch men’s league.

Recruitment for the national teams is a networking process, he said, which is why he shoulder-tapped Van Schalkwyk earlier in the year.

“I originally approached this young fella way back in April, told him we played men’s in Christchurch.

“Pretty sure my words were ‘give me a few years and you can play for a rep team’, and [he] did it in his first year.”

The two James’ will head up to the Hawke’s Bay in September, and it’ll be a tough fight.

“Christchurch hasn't won the A grade title for a long period of time, since I last played, so in 2013.

“We’re in a rebuild stage, we’ve got quite a young team.”

But they’re keeping an optimistic outlook and working hard, Love putting Van Schalkwyk through his paces with personal training sessions.

Van Schalkwyk plays locally for an Allenton team, but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to continue with them next year.

Both the James’ hope their national selection, and maybe a win at the competition, will encourage other Ashburton men to give netball a try.

“If we can get enough of those young guys in, instead of travelling to Christchurch to play for Christchurch, we can play for Mid Canterbury,” Love said.

“That’s my ultimate goal.”

PHOTO AND WORDS SUPPLIED BY ANISHA SATYA, ASHBURTON GUARDIAN.

Article added: Friday 25 July 2025