Ainsleyana Puleiata (born 23 July 2000) [1] is a Samoan New Zealander netball player who has represented Samoa internationally. She plays for the Central Pulse.
Puleiata is from Porirua and was educated at Windley School and St Mary's College, Wellington. [2] She later studied at Victoria University of Wellington, and in 2021 was named their Pasifika Sportsperson of the Year. [3]
Puleiata played both rugby and netball at school, [2] and in 2017 signed for netball team Central Manawa. [4] In January 2018 she was selected to be part of the rugby sevens training squad for 2018 Summer Youth Olympics. [5] In 2018 she suffered a knee injury while playing rugby which ruled her out for the entire year. [4] In November 2018 she was named captain of the Central Manawa team for the 2019 season, but damaged the same knee in a pre-season match, requiring further time off. [2]
In September 2020 she was named to the New Zealand under-21 netball training squad for the 2021 Netball World Youth Cup. [2] [6] She was also named to the 2021 Central Manawa team. [7] In June 2022 she was selected for the Central Pulse. [8]
In July 2022 she was selected to the Samoa national netball team for the 2023 Netball World Cup Oceania qualifiers. [9] On July 18 2022 she was named team captain. [10]
Central Pulse are a New Zealand netball team based in Wellington. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball Central in the ANZ Premiership. Netball Central is the governing body that represents the Hawke's Bay, Manawatū-Whanganui, Taranaki and Wellington Regions. Pulse were 2019, 2020 and 2022 ANZ Premiership winners. They also won the 2018 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament.
Katrina Rore is a New Zealand international netball player. Rore is a previous captain of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and plays for the Central Pulse in the ANZ Championship. Rore signed to the New South Wales swifts in the suncorp super netball league in the latter half of the 2018–2019 season following the netball World Cup.
Ellen Halpenny is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand team that were silver medalists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. During the ANZ Championship era, Halpenny played for Canterbury Tactix and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. She subsequently played for Scottish Sirens during the 2017 Netball Superleague season. During the ANZ Premiership era, she played for Northern Stars and Southern Steel.
Sulu Fitzpatrick, also known as Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick, is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand team that won the 2021 Constellation Cup and represented New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She captained New Zealand when they won the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series and again during the 2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series. During the ANZ Championship era, Fitzpatrick played for Northern Mystics, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and Southern Steel. During the ANZ Premiership era, she played for Mystics, Northern Stars and Central Pulse. During her career, she played for every ANZ Premiership team except Mainland Tactix. She was a member of four premiership winning teams – the 2012 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, the 2019 Central Pulse, the 2021 Northern Mystics and the 2023 Northern Mystics. She captained Mystics when they won both premierships. In 2021, Fitzpatrick received the Dame Lois Muir Supreme Award. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Maia Wilson is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup and the 2021 Constellation Cup. She also represented New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Wilson made her senior league debut with Central Pulse during the 2016 ANZ Championship season. Since 2017, she has played for Northern Stars in the ANZ Premiership. In both 2018 and 2019, she was the ANZ Premiership top goal scorer. Wilson was a prominent member of the 2019 and 2022 Northern Stars teams that were ANZ Premiership grand finalists. Ahead of the 2021 season, she was appointed Stars captain. Wilson is also a former New Zealand women's basketball international.
Ameliaranne Ekenasio, previously known as Ameliaranne Wells, is a New Zealand netball international. In 2010 and 2011, Wells represented Australia at under-19 and under-21 levels. In 2014 she switched allegiances to New Zealand. She represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and was a prominent member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019 Netball World Cup. She captained New Zealand when they won the 2021 Constellation Cup.
Gina Crampton is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2019 Netball World Cup and the 2021 Constellation Cup. Crampton was also a member of the Southern Steel teams that won the 2017 and 2018 ANZ Premierships. She was named the 2016 New Zealand ANZ Championship Player of the Year and the 2019 ANZ Premiership Player of the Year. Crampton has captained both Southern Steel and New Zealand. Since 2021 she has played for Northern Stars.
Kimiora Poi is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup, the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series and the 2021 Constellation Cup. Since 2018, Poi has played for Mainland Tactix in the ANZ Premiership. Poi was a prominent member of the 2020 and 2021 Mainland Tactix teams that played in two successive grand finals. Ahead of the 2022 season, Poi was appointed Tactix captain.
Karin Burger is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2019 Netball World Cup and the 2021 Constellation Cup. Burger has also played for both Central Pulse and Mainland Tactix in the ANZ Premiership. She was a member of the Pulse teams that won 2019 and 2020 ANZ Premiership titles. While playing for Tactix, she was named 2021 ANZ Premiership Player of the Year.
Tiana Metuarau is a New Zealand netball international. Between 2017 and 2020, she was a prominent member of the Central Pulse team that won the 2018 Super Club title and the 2019 and 2020 ANZ Premiership titles. In 2022, Metuarau was co-captain of the Pulse team that won a third ANZ Premiership title.
The National Netball League is a New Zealand netball league. Since 2016 it has served as a second-level league, initially below the ANZ Championship and later below the ANZ Premiership. It is organised by Netball New Zealand. Between 2016 and 2020, due to sponsorship and naming rights arrangements, the NNL was known as the Beko Netball League. Since 2022, the league has been sponsored by Synergy Hair and, as a result, it is also known as the Synergy Hair National League. The teams in the competition are effectively the reserve teams of ANZ Premiership teams. Netball South won the inaugural title in 2016. Central Zone/Central Manawa have been the league's most successful team, winning three titles in a row between 2017 and 2019. A limited number of matches are broadcast live on Sky Sport.
Saviour Tui is a Samoa netball international. Tui was a member of three title winning teams in New Zealand's National Netball League. In 2018 and 2019, Tui won titles with Central Zone/Central Manawa. In 2021 she won a third title with Northern Marvels. She was also a member of the Central Pulse team that won the 2018 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. She was a fringe member of the 2021 Northern Mystics team that were ANZ Premiership champions. Since 2022, she has played for Southern Steel in the ANZ Premiership.
The 2017 Central Pulse season saw the Central Pulse netball team compete in the 2017 ANZ Premiership and the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, captained by Katrina Grant and featuring Cathrine Tuivaiti, Pulse finished the 2017 ANZ Premiership season as grand finalists and runners-up. In the grand final they lost 69–53 to Southern Steel. In the inaugural Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament, Pulse finished fourth.
The 2018 Central Pulse season saw the Central Pulse netball team compete in the 2018 ANZ Premiership and the 2018 Netball New Zealand Super Club. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, captained by Katrina Grant and featuring Karin Burger, Aliyah Dunn, Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Sulu Fitzpatrick and Claire Kersten, Central Pulse finished the regular season as minor premiers. However, in the grand final Southern Steel defeated Pulse 54–53. However, Pulse subsequently won the 2018 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament, defeating Mainland Tactix 61–56 in the final.
The 2019 Central Pulse season saw the Central Pulse netball team compete in the 2019 ANZ Premiership. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, captained by Katrina Rore and featuring Karin Burger, Aliyah Dunn, Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Sulu Fitzpatrick, Pulse finished the regular season as minor premiers. In the grand final, Pulse defeated Northern Stars 52–48, winning their first premiership.
Aliyah Dunn is a New Zealand netball international. Dunn was a prominent member of the Central Pulse teams that won the 2019, 2020 and 2022 ANZ Premiership titles. She was also a fringe member of the 2017 Southern Steel team that won the inaugural ANZ Premiership title. Dunn was also a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup and the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series. Between 2015 and 2017, Dunn also represented the New Zealand women's national basketball team at under-17 and under-19 levels. In 2022 she played for Tokomanawa Queens in the new Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league.
Erikana Pedersen is a former New Zealand netball international. She began her senior netball playing career with Northern Mystics during the ANZ Championship era. Between 2015 and 2021, Pedersen played for Mainland Tactix. In both 2020 and 2021, she was a prominent member of the Tactix teams that finished as ANZ Premiership runners up and grand finalists. In 2022 she was a member of the Central Pulse team that were ANZ Premiership champions. As a result, between 2020 and 2022, Pedersen played in three successive ANZ Premiership grand finals.
The 2022 Central Pulse season saw the Central Pulse netball team compete in the 2022 ANZ Premiership. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, co-captained by Kelly Jury and Tiana Metuarau and featuring Aliyah Dunn, Erikana Pedersen and Whitney Souness, Central Pulse won their third title. Pulse finished the regular season as minor premiers, finishing above Northern Stars and Northern Mystics. Pulse defeated Stars 56–37 in the Grand final.
Central Manawa are a New Zealand netball team based in Wellington. Since 2016 they have represented Netball Central in the National Netball League. Netball Central is the governing body that represents the Hawke's Bay, Manawatū-Whanganui, Taranaki and Wellington Regions. They are effectively the reserve team of Central Pulse. Between 2016 and 2018 they played as Central Zone. Since 2019, they have played as Central Manawa. Between 2017 and 2019, Central Zone/Central Manawa won three successive NNL titles. In 2022, Central Manawa won a fourth title.
The 2023 Central Pulse season saw the Central Pulse netball team compete in the 2023 ANZ Premiership. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, co-captained by Kelly Jury and Tiana Metuarau and featuring Maddy Gordon, Whitney Souness and Amelia Walmsley, Central Pulse, finished the regular season in second place behind Northern Mystics. Overall, Pulse finished third after losing 53–52 to Northern Stars and in the Elimination final.