27-07-2025
Queen's HS pupil ‘excited' to be representing NZ
You can chase your dreams from anywhere.
Charlotte Summers is proof of that.
The gun footballer is the only player from the South Island to be selected in the New Zealand team to compete at the OFC under-16 women's championship in Samoa next month.
"I'm very excited," Summers said.
The Apia tournament is a qualifying event for the Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco later this year — that tournament is now being held annually — and New Zealand are out to defend their title.
New Zealand, coached by Alana Gunn, who previously spent six seasons as head coach of the Canterbury Pride, have been drawn in group B alongside American Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga.
Summers, 16, is part of an 18-strong squad, featuring 14 domestic players and four based in Australia and the Netherlands, and looks forward to testing herself.
"I'm excited to get to know all the girls better and obviously playing football with them will be great," Summers said.
"I'm excited to play the other countries. I think that'll be really cool."
Summers, a striker or attacking midfielder, started kicking a football around at 7 when she joined Melchester Rovers, playing in a "wee boys team" that her father, David, helped coach.
Melchester later amalgamated with several Dunedin clubs to form the Dunedin City Royals, where she now plays for the women's reserves team.
Summers also plays representative football for the Southern United youth side, and represents the Queen's High School First XI, coached by Royals and Southern United defender Hannah Mackay-Wright, who is a teacher at the school.
Mackay-Wright and Queen's director of sport Tessa Nicol both played representative football for New Zealand growing up and were great mentors.
"It's great for us because they have some great experience," Summers said.
Dunedin goalkeeping coach Tom Stevens, who has been an assistant with Southern United in the national league for several years, is part of the coaching team heading to Samoa.
New Zealand kick off their title defence against Tonga on August 2.
It will be a busy August for Summers, who will jump off the plane back home to head straight to Taupō for the girls premier tournament with Queen's for winter tournament week.
