LockerRoom: Mystic connection – Rookie steps up for her injured idol
If there's one player in world netball right now who Sophia Lafaiali'i looks up to, it's Australian
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Paris Lokotui looks to pass during the ANZ Premiership grand final. The Tactix have now lost half of their title-winning team, with up-and-coming wing defence Paris Lokotui the latest to announce her departure. Lokotui was a key part of the line-up that overcame the defending champion Mystics last month to win the franchise's first domestic netball title. The 23-year-old was very unlucky to miss out on a place in the Silver Ferns squad last week. Lokotui would have been in the conversation but there wasn't space in a stacked midcourt. RNZ understands that the multi-talented sportswoman is considering a switch to rugby, a sport which runs in the family. Lokotui's father is former Tongan lock Lua Lokotui, who went to two Rugby World Cups. Lokotui dabbled in rugby sevens while she was at high school. By the time she left school Lokotui had already represented New Zealand in three sports - netball (NZ Secondary Schools), basketball (Junior Tall Ferns) and water polo (New Zealand U16). Lokotui, who started her domestic career at the Pulse, also played in the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league as recently as 2023. New Zealand's top netballers have had to live with a lot of uncertainty this year. Late last month a new broadcast deal was finally signed off for the 2026 domestic competition but it seems inevitable that players will face pay cuts. The Tactix thanked Lokotui for three outstanding seasons. "Paris has been a strong and commanding presence in our midcourt, and it's been a pleasure to watch as she's grown into the player she is today. This year she has reached over 50 ANZ Premiership matches - a milestone that reflects her talent and dedication to the game. "We wish her all the best as she takes on her next journey - once a Tactix, always a Tactix." The Tactix have lost three players to the Australian league - Karin Burger, Jane Watson, and shooter Te Paea Selby-Rickit. Burger, Watson, and Lokotui formed one of the ANZ Premierships best defensive lines. With strike shooter Ellie Bird retiring, the tally is at five but that could grow with captain Erikana Pedersen another one who could hang up her bib. The 31-year-old Tactix stalwart was very much undecided about her future following her side's drought-breaking victory. Who's playing in Australia? Queensland Firebirds - Kelly Jackson, Maddy Gordon, Te Paea Selby-Rickit Sunshine Coast Lightning - Karin Burger Giants - Jane Watson, Whitney Souness NSW Swifts - Grace Nweke Adelaide Thunderbirds - Kate Heffernan
