Pulse coach Anna Andrews-Tasola is kick-starting the pre-season formalities with a trans-Tasman match-up. Photo: PhotoWellington
Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse will open their pre-season preparations with matches against the GIANTS and GIANTS Academy teams in Sydney on March 24-25 ahead of the 2025 ANZ Premiership netball league.
With the New Zealand season starting five weeks (May 10) after the start of Australia’s super league opener, the Pulse will be coming up against a well-prepared GIANTS team sprinkled with international talent and coached by the highly regarded Julie Fitzgerald.
``We’ve just kicked off week one of our season on Monday (March 3) and it will be week-three by the time we get over there, so, we’re very realistic around where we’re at in our pre-season,’’ Pulse coach Anna Andrews-Tasola said.
``It’s a good opportunity for us to test a few things out against some quality opposition. The GIANTS are coming off a couple of really good pre-season tournaments where they would have rapidly evolved connections and strategies, so for us to go over there after they’ve got that experience under their belts is going to help set us up really well in terms of our own growth.
``We just need to focus our discipline on winning certain moments rather than looking at the overall score.’’
Both games will be played under Australian rules with the two-point (super) shot, implemented during the last five minutes of each quarter, being a feature.
The games will be hosted at Netball Central at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush, the GIANTS home base and will be played under regular match-play conditions involving four 15-minute quarters and open to spectators.
``Playing against the Australian style offers diversity for us, to help with our growth while also playing against the variety of players they have which includes international players from not only Australia but Jamaica and England as well, will be invaluable experience,’’ Andrews-Tasola said.
``With some new players coming into our team and some familiar faces returning it’s a perfect opportunity to look at combinations and see what they can all do.’’
The Pulse will travel with a team of 12 which includes their two training partners Madi Thomas (defender) and Olivia Dijkstra (shooter).
``It’s a time for us to test ourselves out but also learn from them because they have come off a series of pre-season games already and will have grown a lot in that time. So, we appreciate the opportunity to be able to play them quite close to the start of their season,’’ Andrews-Tasola said.
``The other thing I’m really excited about is that the GIANTS coaches Julie Fitzgerald and (assistant) Nerida Stewart are extremely experienced and have been in the game for a very long time, so it is an honour and privilege to be able to coach against them but also learn from them as well. We really appreciate them fitting us into their schedule.’’
The GIANTS are welcoming the upcoming fixture as they look to add the polish to the backend of their pre-season.
“This will be a great test and something different for our girls,” Fitzgerald said.
“We aren’t as familiar with the Pulse as we are with our fellow Suncorp Super Netball sides so it will provide us with a great opportunity to measure our progress in both attack and defence.
“The Pulse are a top-tier team with a strong track record, so we’re really looking forward to seeing how we match up against them and their style of play – it's always important to play against different styles and this will definitely give us a fresh challenge before the season kicks off on April 6.”
Pulse team:
Tiana Metuarau, Amelia Walmsley, Khiarna Williams, Maddy Gordon, Fa’amu Ioane, Ainsleyana Puleiata, Whitney Souness, Laura Balmer, Kelly Jackson, Parris Mason, Madi Thomas, Olivia Dijkstra.
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