Mustered from near and far, Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse have unveiled a diverse roster for their 2026 ANZ Premiership netball campaign while ensuring their defining essence remains on-point.

Confined to a short recruitment window, the Pulse have landed with a varied compilation of talent while staying true to their over-riding goals of developing talent from within, after losing multiple players in the off-season.

Losing a host of seasoned campaigners has resulted in a rebuild for the Pulse and the importance of recruiting some senior and experienced personnel.

``We took our time a bit and have been very strategic about our new team because we knew how important it was, and I’m really pleased with the team that we have pulled together,’’ Pulse coach Anna Andrews-Tasola said.

``We’ve farewelled some really amazing young women and it’s sad to see them go but with change comes a lot of opportunities, and that’s what I’m most excited about.

``It does mark a new era for the Pulse but we’re not starting from scratch, we’re building on a foundation of excellence and a strong kaupapa (values, principles) and that’s a really exciting place to be.’’

While there is now a very different look, retaining a strong local flavour at the Pulse is always an important component, and despite the raft of departures, half of next year’s team will have come through the Netball Central programme.

Winners on five occasions, Central Manawa have set the benchmark in the National Netball League with many of those players going on to higher honours, and others being picked up elsewhere. That is set to continue with midcourter Erana Ngarimu and defender Madi Thomas gaining their first fulltime contracts and elevation to next year’s Pulse team.

``We have a proven track record of developing local talent and we’re very strong in that space,’’ Andrews-Tasola said.

``Our Centres and our community do a great job of identifying talent and helping them get through the next stages. And I have to acknowledge the Manawa programme and Ngarama (Milner-Olsen, coach) and all the work she does to get these athletes ready for a high performance environment and smoothing out the transition, so that they’re ready for the next level.’’

From a purely coaching perspective, Andrews-Tasola now has the ultimate challenge of pulling all the varied pieces together and making it work for the Pulse in 2026.

``It’s been a massive puzzle to be honest to get to this point but I’m really confident,’’ she said. ``We’ve consistently shown that we provide a really great environment for athletes to be at their best and I believe that we have the coaching and performance staff to help them do that as well.

``The biggest challenge will be to bring this diverse group together really quickly, that’s going to be critical and I’m looking forward to all of us getting into our work.’’

Pulse 2026:
Shooters: Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Ine-Marí Venter (import), Khiarna Williams
Midcourt: Lili Gorman-Brown (import), Erana Ngarimu, Ainsleyana Puleiata, Emma Thompson
Defenders: Holly Comyns, Parris Mason, Madi Thomas
 

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