Queensland Firebirds are an Australian professional netball team based in Brisbane, Queensland. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they played in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Firebirds were the most successful team during the ANZ Championship era, playing in five grand finals and winning three premierships, in 2011, 2015 and 2016. They were the only team to win back to back ANZ Championship titles.
Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian professional netball team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they played in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Thunderbirds have won five premierships. They won their first two premierships in 1998 and 1999 during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era, their third and fourth in 2010 and 2013 during ANZ Championship era, and their sixth in 2023, 2024 during the suncorp netball era. Historically, Thunderbirds are one of Australia's most successful netball teams. Between 1997 and 2010 they finished in the top three of every regular season, and are the first and only team to win a Trophy at all 3 eras.
The ANZ Championship, also known as the Trans-Tasman Netball League, is a former netball league featuring teams from both Australia and New Zealand. Between 2008 and 2016, it was the top-level league in both countries. The competition was owned and administered by Trans-Tasman Netball League Ltd (TTNL), a joint venture between Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand. It was effectively a merger of Australia's Commonwealth Bank Trophy and New Zealand's National Bank Cup. Its main sponsor was the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.
Solonaima Maria Folau is a retired New Zealand netball player. She played regularly for the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns.
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are a New Zealand netball team based in Hamilton. The team were formed in 1998, following the merger of Waikato Wildcats and Bay of Plenty Magic. In 1997, Wildcats and Magic had been founder members of the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Between 1999 and 2007, the new team continued to play in the league. Magic are the only team from the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era to have retained their original name. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017, Magic have represented Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty in the ANZ Premiership. Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty is the governing body that represents the North Island regions of Waikato and Bay of Plenty. During the National Bank Cup era, Magic were premiers in 2005 and 2006. During the ANZ Championship era, Magic were the most successful New Zealand team. In 2008 they were minor premiers and they were grand finalists in 2008 and 2010 before winning the overall title in 2012. They were the only New Zealand team to win the ANZ Championship.
Leana de Bruin is a South African and New Zealand international netball player. De Bruin played 34 tests for South Africa before moving to New Zealand in 2000. She made her on-court debut for the Silver Ferns in 2003, and has gone on to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games and Netball World Championships, playing in the goal defence and goal keeper positions. In 2009, she pulled out of the team due to pregnancy, before returning the following year.
Sharni Norder is a retired Australian sportsperson, known for her top level careers in netball and Australian rules football. Over fifteen years Norder played for six netball clubs in multiple elite competitions, and was a dual premiership player for the Adelaide Thunderbirds. She earned 46 caps for the Australia national netball team, won two gold medals at the Netball World Cup and one gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, and was captain of the team in 2017.
Peta Scholz, also known as Peta Squire, is a former Australia netball international. She was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medals at the 1999 World Netball Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the silver medal at the 2003 World Netball Championships. Between 1997 and 2007, Scholz made 169 appearances for Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. She was a prominent member of the Thunderbirds teams that won five successive minor premierships between 1997 and 2001. She also played in six successive grand finals between 1997 and 2002, helping Thunderbirds win premierships in 1998 and 1999. In 2010 and 2011, Scholz played for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the ANZ Championship.
Jade Bridget Clarke is an English netball player. Primarily a midcourt defender, Clarke was selected for the England national netball team in 2002, making her senior debut the following year against New Zealand. During her international career, she has competed at six Netball World Cups/Championships, four Commonwealth Games, and the 2009 and 2011 World Netball Series.
Chelsea Pitman is an Australian-born netball player who represented the England National Netball Team internationally until 18 September 2023. In 2024 she was contracted as a training partner and temporary replacement player for the GIANTS Netball playing in the Suncorp Super Netball competition in Australia and announced her retirement during round 9 from all levels of competition. She predominantly played wing attack, but also played goal attack.
Karla Pretorius is a South African netball player, and has represented her country with the South Africa national netball team. She plays in the positions of Goal Defence (GD) and Wing Defence (WD).
Karyn Bailey is a former Australian netball player who played for the Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide Thunderbirds. and played for the Surrey Storm (UK) from 2018 - 2021. After Storm's final game on Monday 21st June 2021, she retired from domestic netball after 17 years of playing top-flight netball.
The 2013 ANZ Championship season was the sixth season of the ANZ Championship. The 2013 season began on 24 March and concluded on 14 July. With a team captained by Natalie von Bertouch and featuring Erin Bell, Carla Borrego, Renae Hallinan, Rebecca Bulley and Sharni Layton, the Adelaide Thunderbirds won both the minor premiership and the overall championship. Having previously won the 2010 ANZ Championship, the Thunderbirds became the first team to win a second championship. The Thunderbirds secured the minor premiership with a 64–48 win over Northern Mystics in Round 13. They subsequently defeated Melbourne Vixens 49–39 in the major semi-final and Queensland Firebirds 50–48 in the grand final to win the championship.
The 2016 ANZ Championship season was the ninth and last season of the ANZ Championship. The season began on 1 April 2016 and concluded on 4 July 2016. Southern Steel were minor premiers. However they subsequently lost the New Zealand Conference Final to Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and were defeated in the semi-finals by Queensland Firebirds. With a team coached by Roselee Jencke, captained by Laura Geitz and featuring Romelda Aiken, Clare McMeniman and Kim Ravaillion, Firebirds won the Australian Conference, the Challenge Trophy and the overall championship. Firebirds became the first and only team to retain the title. In a repeat of 2015, Firebirds defeated New South Wales Swifts in both the Australian Conference Final and the Grand Final.
Abigail Latu-Meafou is a New Zealand-born Australian netball player in the ANZ Premiership, playing for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.
Kate Walsh is an Australian netball player, most recently in the Suncorp Super Netball league, playing for the Sunshine Coast Lightning. In August 2019, Jess Thirlby the new England Roses Coach announced Shimmin would join the full time England Roses programme.
The 2019 ANZ Premiership season was the third season of Netball New Zealand's ANZ Premiership. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, captained by Katrina Grant and featuring Karin Burger, Aliyah Dunn, Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Sulu Fitzpatrick, Central Pulse finished the regular season as minor premiers. In the grand final, Pulse defeated Northern Stars 52–48, winning their first premiership.
Shadine van der Merwe is a South Africa netball international. She has represented South Africa at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 and 2023 Netball World Cups. In South Africa, she played for UP Tuks in Varsity Netball and for Gauteng Jaguars in the Brutal Fruit Netball Cup. In 2017 she captained both teams to national titles. She has since played for Surrey Storm, Manchester Thunder and Loughborough Lightning in the Netball Superleague and for Adelaide Thunderbirds in Suncorp Super Netball.
Malysha Kelly is a Jamaican netball player, who has made over 50 appearances for the national side, and is a former captain. At club level, she most recently played for Severn Stars in the Netball Superleague.
The 2013 Adelaide Thunderbirds season saw Adelaide Thunderbirds compete in the 2013 ANZ Championship. With a team captained by Natalie von Bertouch and featuring Erin Bell, Carla Borrego, Renae Hallinan, Rebecca Bulley and Sharni Layton, Adelaide Thunderbirds won both the minor premiership and the overall championship. Having previously won the 2010 ANZ Championship, Thunderbirds became the first team to win a second championship. Thunderbirds secured the minor premiership with a 64–48 win over Northern Mystics in Round 13. They subsequently defeated Melbourne Vixens 49–39 in the major semi-final and Queensland Firebirds 50–48 in the grand final to win the championship.
