The ANZ Premiership (ANZP) returned this weekend with all six teams taking to court in Round 1, live and on demand on NetballPass* for the international Netball Family.
Each round this season we will be bringing you our International Player Watch articles and social media videos, showcasing just some of the international stars that have impressed.
Here is our first International Player Watch of the season:
Pulse vs Magic
Pulse vs Magic was the first game of the ANZP’s 10th season, and it did not disappoint.
Pulse entered 2026 with a new look young side, having only retained three of last year’s cohort, keeping their sold-out home crowd full of anticipation ahed of the first whistle.
There was nothing to worry about for the Wellington based side though, as they dominated the game and were able to utilise all 10 of the players whilst doing so, showcasing just what is to come from them this season.
Two debutants that stood out for Pulse were South African SPAR Protea Ine-Marí Venter, who looked right at home as she scored 32 goals in 50 minutes and New Zealand U20 Holly Comyns, who is the youngest player in the league, and made four gains, two interceptions and four deflections on her debut.
Magic had a stronger second half, but it was too little too late as Pulse took the win 53 – 45.
You can catch up on this match on NetballPass*, here.
Tactix vs Steel
Tactix title defence season got off to the best possible start, as they proved too strong for Steel winning 55 – 42.
There were a few nerves for the home side at the first whistle, but once they settled into the game they dominated throughout court.
Australians Charlie Bell and Ashlee Barnett were key at either end of the court for Tactix, with Bell on form in the circle scoring 41/51 of her shots, whilst Barnett was solid in defence making four interceptions – more than any other player on court.
You can catch up on this match on NetballPass*, here.
Stars vs Mystics
The final match of the first round was the closest of them all, with Stars and Mystics putting on a nail-biter for all those tuning in on NetballPass and TVNZ.
The two teams took a quarter each in the first half, leaving the score 29 – 30 to Mystics going into the main break, however, Stars shot into the second half keen to break their seven-game losing streak.
At one point in the penultimate quarter Stars had managed to get themselves ahead by six goals, thanks to pin perfect feeds into the circle from Silver Fern Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and a dominant defensive display from fellow Silver Fern Kate Burley, who finished the game with five intercepts.
Mystics responded again in the closing minutes of the quarter to bring the score back to 47-47, leaving it all still to play for in the final 15.
It was Stars that shone in quarter four, winning the 15 minutes 16 -12 and the game 63-59.
You can catch up on this match on NetballPass*, here.
Head to NetballPass* now to catch up on all the action ahead of Round 2 which starts on Saturday 18th April.
To view all the fixtures, results, where to watch information and more visit our ANZP page, here.
*Restrictions are in place – viewers New Zealand should head to TVNZ to watch the matches live and on demand.