Raylene ready for national championships

KNYSNA NEWS - Young netball star Raylene Rhode is all kitted out and ready to represent Knysna and the Western Cape at the national championships next week. Rhode, who is a Grade 8 learner at Knysna Secondary School, qualified and was selected for the U14 Western Cape team after various rounds of trials.

She went through a number of Eden District trials to go through to the trials for the Western Cape team in May.

Schoolgirls from around the province converged on Oudtshoorn for the final round of trials, which was organised by Western Cape Schools Netball and the Western Cape Provincial Sports Confederation and held at Oudtshoorn High School.

Raylene - who also plays club netball for the Knysna Loeries - was the only player among several Knysna and Plettenberg Bay representatives who qualified for the provincial team.

Raylene received her Western Cape kit last week and will be jetting off to Johannesburg on Sunday for the national championships which take place next week.

Raylene Rhode stands proud in her Western Cape tracksuit.

Her mother, Laurieka, expressed her pride in her daughter and thanked those who made the trip possible for her.

"So many people have contributed and provided help with funding or even equipment to make it possible for her to travel to Johannesburg, and we are very very grateful for their help," she said.

"I am so very proud and I just know she will do well."

Raylene Rhode sits proud in her Western Cape tracksuit. Photos: Blake Linder