Teen Netball Star Shines for Tonga | Christchurch News

Christchurch News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 2, 2026 · 1m

Nineteen-year-old Leila Tuinukuafe is set to make her senior international debut for Tonga at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, stepping into a new mid-court role despite being a goal attack for her club. Called up as a surprise, she’s balancing university studies in psychology with elite netball, driven by her netball dreams. Facing Australia in her opener — including idols like Courtney Bruce and Jamie-Lee Price — she embraces the challenge as a chance to get the toughest game out of the way early. Tonga’s tournament path includes back-to-back matches against South Africa and Northern…