The ANZ Premiership starts this Sunday, 13th March, in New Zealand, with 4 out of the 6 teams taking to court.
The season will celebrate 25 years of elite netball in New Zealand and will be played over 12 weeks, with a two-game Finals Series taking place in early June ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
In the opening weekend, Stars vs Pulse has been postponed under the league’s COVID-19 Match Postponement Policy and a new date for that fixture will be announced in the coming weeks.
The other two matches will go ahead with Magic opening the season against Mistics at the Global Arena in Hamilton, and then Trident Homes Tactix welcoming Steel for their first clash of the season at the Christchurch Arena.
There is also some good news for international fans, as the ANZ Premiership will be streaming the matches live on their website, here.
So, here’s just a few of the international stars you should look out for this season when watching the live stream:
Mystics
Firstly, back and defending their title it is Northern Mystics and they have an attacking line up that you will not want to miss watching. Australian midcourter, Claire O’Brien, will be one to look out for as she begins her first full season with the side after making a few very impressive appearances in 2021, including coming on in the tense Grand Final to make an incredible impact. Another two attacking stars to look out for in this side is New Zealand’s Filda Vui and Grace Nweke, who after an impressive 2021 season with Mystics have both been rewarded at an international level by the Silver Ferns, with Vui being selected for the 2021/2022 Development Squad and Nweke being selected for the 2021/22 Silver Ferns Squad.
Stars
Continuing the theme of star attackers to look out for this season, Robinhood Stars goal shooter Maia Wilson will definitely be one. Wilson was the youngest to captain at elite level last year in the ANZ and will be back this year for her 6th season with the Stars. Lots of international netball fans might remember Wilson’s standout performances for the Silver Ferns as she was part of the team that won the Nations Cup in England in 2020 and part of the New Zealand team in the 2021 Constellation Cup Series.
Pulse
Another Silver Fern to look out for the ANZ Premiership this season is Madeline Gordon. The mid-courter received the 2020 MVP award for her performance in the 2020 Grand Final and is known for her speed, skill and ability to split between the three midcourt positions: centre, wing attack and wing defence. On the international netball scene, Gordon has been part of the Silver Ferns squad since 2020 and has retained her position moving into the 2021/2022 season.
Tactix
Moving into the defensive end of the court, Karin Burger, is a force to be reckoned with as she always makes her defensive presence known in the circle. After securing the prestigious award of National League Player of the Year in 2016, Burger was called up into the Silver Ferns Squad, where she was part of the World Cup-winning side in Liverpool 2019. Since then Burger has won back-to-back ANZ Premiership titles with the Pulse in 2019 and 2020, before moving to Tactix.
Steel
England Rose shooter, George Fisher, will be taking to court for Southern Steel for A second season after previously making the move from the UK’s Vitality Netball Superleague. In 2021 Fisher shot at 91% in the ANZ Premiership and Steel will be hoping for more of the same from the Rose this season!
Magic
Keeping with the theme of star international shooters, Silver Fern Ameliaranne Ekenasio will be returning to Magic this season after missing the 2021 season due to pregnancy. Ekenasio was the Silver Ferns captain in 2020, and was a key part of their Liverpool 2019 World Cup-winning side. We can’t wait to see Ekenasio sinking long bomb shots again this season!
Good luck to all teams involved!
To find out more about the other elite domestic leagues going on around the world, visit our domestic leagues page here.