Best of 2024: D'Arcy Waldegrave - Grace Nweke's move is a punch in the face to Netball NZ

Grace Nweke has punched Netball NZ in the face. 

The superstar Silver Fern shooter is off to the Aussie comp, and as a result she will not wear the famed black dress in 2025.  

She’ll return to the Kiwi comp and the Ferns after a year of testing herself in the more confrontational Australian Super Netball League. Which technically isn’t a league and labours under the tired ‘Super’ prefix – you’d think after decades of pro sport, the marketing departments across all sports could come up with something better than ‘super’. Whoops, digression. 

In essence, Grace is indulging in a sabbatical. More strength to her arm. As a young person, the experience of leaving our shores will be massive, not only for her game, but for her as a human being.  

There is nothing inherently wrong with what she is doing. NZ Netball can’t stop her, and she will gain more than she will lose for the experience. Sure, some test caps will go down the gurgler, but her skill base will broaden playing in a more robust competition. Unlike rugby players, who flee the hard knocks of our comps to feather their nest in the limp Japanese set up.  

So how does this equate to a punch in the face? Words. The Pen is mightier than the sword etc. The most telling part of her reasoning is this.  “I didn’t see any other club in New Zealand being able to tick those boxes for me in terms of growing my game and developing...” and “[I’ve] done all that I can at the club and I just really wanted to challenge myself to grow and be a better netballer at the international level to really add to my skill set. A move would be beneficial to me across the board.” 

She’s outgrown the game here. She needs better, to become better. 

The moves to upgrade, upskill and reinvent the way Netball NZ manage their competition have been lethargic, if this step from one of the game’s MVPs doesn’t hasten meaningful change, I’m not sure what will.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildegrave from Newstalk sb SO.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Grace Wiki has punched New Zealand netball in the face.
The Superstar Silver Fern Shooters off to the Australian camp
and as a result, she will not wear the feigned
black dress. In twenty twenty five, she'll return to the
Kiwi comp and the Ferns after a year of testing
herself in the more confrontational Australian Super Netball League, which

(00:34):
tendically is in the league and labor's under the tired
super prefix. You'd think after decades of pro sport, the
marketing departments across all sports can come with something better
than super stop it, whoops, aggression, Sorry, back I go.
In essence, Grace is indulging in a sabbatical more strength
to her arm as a young person. The experience of

(00:54):
leaving our shaws will be massive, not only for her game,
but more importantly for her as a human being. There's
nothing inherently wrong with what she's doing. This z ill
Netball can't stop it and you will gain more than
she will lose for the experience. Some test caps will
go down the gurgler, but her skill base will broaden
playing in a more robust competition, unlike rugby players who

(01:17):
flee the hard knocks of our comps to further their
nest in the limp Japanese setup. So how does this
equate to a punch in the face? Words, the pen
is mightier than the sword, techa. The most taling part
of her reasoning is this, and I quote, I didn't
see any other club in New Zealand be able to
tick those boxes for me in terms of growing my

(01:39):
game and developing. And I've done all that I can
at the club, and I just really wanted to challenge
myself to grow and be a better netballer at the
international level to really add to my skill set. A
move would be more beneficial to me across the board.
She's outgrown the game here, she needs better to become better.

(02:04):
The move to upgrade made upskill and reinvent the way
netball New Zealand manage their competition. Will There's been lethargic
if this move from one of New Zealand's MVPs doesn't
hasten meaningful change, I'm not sure what will it'll do.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
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