Netball to make way for rugby

Liana Leota, the wife of Samoa centre Johnny Leota, will likely give up her international netball career to follow her partner overseas.

Johnny Leota has signed a two-year contract with Manchester-based club Sale Sharks and will leave for England at the end of Samoa's Rugby World Cup 2011 campaign in New Zealand.

It means wife Liana's career for the Silver Ferns is likely to be cut short, depending on the views of Netball New Zealand.

While 27-year-old Leota says his wife has been supportive of the move, he admits it will be tough for her to leave the national team after she plays the final five Tests of this year, against England and Australia.

"She tells me she's happy, but I know deep down inside she really wants to stay behind and play for the Silver Ferns," said Leota, who was not named in the 22-man squad for Samoa's

RWC 2011 opener against Namibia in Rotorua on Wednesday.

"But for our family at the moment, it's best that we're all together in the same house."

Time for stability

The couple, who wed in November, have an eight-year-old daughter, Brooklyn.

With Liana travelling much of the year for the Silver Ferns and Invercargill-based team Southern Steel in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, the family decided it was time for some stability.

And Johnny, who plays for Manawatu in New Zealand's domestic ITM Cup, did not want any regrets when he finally ended his rugby career.

"It's the first time I've been out of New Zealand since 2005," he said.

"I've been at Palmy (Palmerston North) all my life and I don't want to wake up when I'm 40 years old and still be there, not having done anything. Now's the right time to do it (play in England)."

On the bright side for Liana, her husband has a get-out clause in his Sale contract if the couple decide Manchester is not for them.

"The first year we'll see how we go," he said. "If she doesn't like it, we can always move back."