Silver Ferns star Grace Nweke awaits Netball NZ eligibility decision

RNZ News

4 hours ago

Grace Nweke can't play for the Silver Ferns, after choosing to contest the Aussie Super Netball competition.
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Netball NZ says it will soon decide on any changes to its eligibility policy, so players can weigh up their options for 2026.
That decision can't come soon enough for star shooter Grace Nweke, whose decision to play in the Australian competition ruled her out of playing for the Silver Ferns this year.
Chief executive Jennie Wyllie said the NNZ board was reviewing the policy.
"That's something that goes hand in hand with a lot of our moving parts at the moment, but it's under consideration and we've made good progress on a direction of travel there," she said.
"Still a bit too early to talk to that, we have a lot of stakeholders that we need to work with in the first instance."
Time is of the essence, with just four rounds left in both the Australia's Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) and the ANZ Premiership regular seasons.
Wyllie said any decision made by the board on eligibility rules would be timely enough for players to make decisions about next year.
"Our board understand that, to give our players certainty for the coming year across our system, we need to be able to do this before we go into player contracting, post ANZ Premiership.
"The board are taking it under consideration, the timeframes will be conducive to allow clarity for everyone that needs it, when they are making contracting decisions for 2026."
Grace Nweke needs to know her options for 2026.
Photo:
Jason McCawley / Getty Images
Nweke said any change could have a big impact on her decision-making and she needed to know where she stood.
"Absolutely, there's so many cards on the table in terms of possibilities and options and opportunities, so being able to make an informed decision has been the biggest thing for me," Nweke said.
"Since I made my informed decision around this time last year to play here, I haven't really had any more information about the future, so just waiting to know what my options are and what I guess the implications of option A, B, C, D would look like for me is kind of key."
The current policy is designed to encourage the country's top netballers to play in the New Zealand league, so it remains strong. If the criteria does not change and Nweke opts to stay in Australia, she would miss next year's Commonwealth Games.
The 23-year-old will have to make a decision soon.
"It's getting about that time where you think about what you're doing the following season, so definitely looking forward to hearing whatever comes out of Netball New Zealand."
Typically, clubs can already re-sign current contracted players in the SSN, before a contracting window opens after the Grand Final to approach players from other clubs.
New Zealand is similar, with the added complication that Netball NZ is still finalising a broadcast deal - its current Sky agreement is expiring at the end of the year.
The bargaining process for a new 2026 collective agreement between the Players' Association and Netball New Zealand will be delayed, until the national body reaches an agreement on broadcast rights.
NNZ has already confirmed that a six-team domestic competition will continue in 2026.
"It will be visible to our fans, but we're just working through that detail," Wyllie said.
Nweke said she could feel the growth she had made since joining SSN, and had learnt a lot from playing against a range of international defenders from Jamaica, England and Australia.
"Each week, teams are working on ways to combat our attacking unit, so there are moments where I genuinely feel quite stumped or really challenged, and I go to the bench, and ask for coaching and advice. The opportunity to learn in the moment has been awesome."
Casey Kopua has come out of retirement to fulfill her Super Netball ambition.
Photo:
Brendon Thorne
Silver Fern centurion Casey Kopua made a shock return to netball, when she came out of retirement three weeks ago to help the injury-depleted Giants, halfway through the SSN season.
Kopua, 40, retired from elite netball, after helping the Silver Ferns win the 2019 Netball World Cup, but had always wanted to play in the SSN.
She will
mark Nweke when her side plays the Swifts
on Sunday and said she could understand the appeal for players who wanted to test themselves across the Tasman.
Kopua said she missed the former trans-Tasman competition, when it ended after the 2016 season.
"I was a big advocate for that to carry on," she said. "I loved coming up against the Aussies, and you could test yourself and see where you were at.
"Also, I guess, it kept you at that international level, so when you played them internationally, it wasn't so much of a shock. I was all for that, playing them week in and week out."
The eligibility issue first came to the forefront when teammate Laura Langman wanted to play in Australia. She was eventually given an exemption and captained the Silver Ferns to the 2019 World Cup victory.
While she could see both sides of the debate, Kopua said playing in the SSN could only be a good thing for Nweke's game.
"She's going to be learning a whole lot more skills and tools that she can bring back. If it makes her a better person and a better player, then why not?
"She's an outstanding player and I think that New Zealand Netball need her."
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