The championship aspirations of the Wollongong Roller Hawks will receive a further boost this weekend with Australian Roller Sam White joining the team in time for their Round 6 clash with the Queensland Spinning Bullets.

 

White has been playing for the last four seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a powerhouse in wheelchair basketball that has won 11 of the past 15 national championships including the last 3 straight.

 

The 2016 National Championship saw White’s Warhawks faced off against the University of Alabama which featured the Roller Hawks’ own Michael Auprince who approached White about playing for Wollongong.

 

“We would meet up at various tournaments through the course of the season and I thought he would be a great fit” said Auprince.

 

“He’s a true pro and he’s been very well coached over the last four seasons so I knew he’d be a great addition to the team.”

 

“Having Sammy in the side is going to be a real boost to our chances of winning the title” said Auprince, who along with White were both named Second Team All-American.

 

Prior to playing in the US, White played in the NWBL for the Red Dust Heelers and South Australia.

 

White will have little time to get to know his new teammates as he is set to arrive in Australia on Friday before suiting up to play the Spinning Bullets on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Round 6 is the start of a busy schedule for the Roller Hawks who host the defending champions Kilsyth in Round 7 before 5 members of the side then travel to Canberra for a training camp with the Australian Rollers.

 

Brett Stibners, Luke Pople, Tim Markcrow along with Auprince and White were named in an 18-man squad that will meet as part of a 3 day training camp in preparation for the Paralympics.

 

“It’s a great opportunity to show what we can do at a national league level and take it to an international stage” said Auprince.

 

The Roller Hawks’ Sunday game is a Family Fun Day with free entry, face painting, balloon animals, and the return of team mascot Squawky the Hawky!

Saturday May 21: ROLLER HAWKS vs QLD SPINNING BULLETS - 5pm @ Shellharbour City Stadium

 

Sunday May 22: ROLLER HAWKS vs QLD SPINNING BULLETS - 12pm @ Shellharbour City Stadium