Youth And Experience Combine To Lead Pulse In 2026

The experience of silky-smooth shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio and vibrant passion of rising young defensive leader Parris Mason will join forces as co-captains of Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse for the 2026 ANZ Premiership netball season.

Having forged her career through the Netball Central pathways, home is hugely important to Mason and where she wants to grow and develop the next stages of her game.

First making the Pulse team straight out of school in 2021, the rangy and athletic defender stamped her mark with a standout 2024 season when she made the goal defence bib her own with a string of potent contributions, culminating in Silver Ferns selection.

Continuing to impose her on-court capabilities, the 23-year-old is relishing the opportunity to add leadership responsibilities to her credentials.

”This is an amazingly exciting opportunity for me,” she said. ”The Pulse is so deeply embedded in my identity. I live and breathe the Pulse and being able to lead in a capacity alongside Meels (Ekenasio) is just going to be amazing for me.

”I’ve always wanted to grow in the leadership space, this is a privilege, and what better way to learn to lead than doing it beside one of the best Silver Ferns captains that I’ve experienced.”

After switching her allegiance from Australia to New Zealand in 2014, Ekenasio, 35, made Wellington her home while going on to forge a stellar career with the Pulse between 2015 and 2020, across both the former trans-Tasman league and current ANZ Premiership.

That included winning the 2019 and 2020 titles with the Pulse before heading in a new direction and spending the last four years with the Magic.

And now she’s back, the mum of two savouring the comforts of having a permanent home base, the opportunity to enjoy a more relaxed family life and the extra time to concentrate on her own game.

In a slightly surreal turn of events, Ekenasio finds herself in familiar territory as a previous Pulse captain.

”It definitely is a full-circle moment,” she said. ”Initially, I didn’t think I’d see myself back in Pulse colours. It’s crazy how things work out and to be named co-captain alongside Mase is super, super special.

”I’ve seen her really flourish here at the Pulse and she is very passionate. This is her team 100 percent, she is the heart of the Pulse, so coming back to do it with her is very special. It’s a co-captaincy relationship that I am just really looking forward to.”

Following a review of the Silver Ferns selection policy by Netball New Zealand, the Pulse lost a large chunk of their core performers in the off-season to overseas leagues and along with the Tactix have the most changes of personnel for the upcoming season. Both teams have retained just three of their previous year’s players.

”The reason we’ve gone for co-captains is because we virtually have a brand new group,“ Pulse coach Anna Andrews-Tasola said.

”We’ve had to spend a lot of time connecting and that is a lot on one person’s shoulders, so having the opportunity to have someone like Ameliaranne, who brings immense experience, is a World Cup champion, a Silver Ferns captain, an awesome woman and just a great role model for the younger ones, is a real bonus.

”Having her share that responsibility with Parris, who has been part of our pathway for such a long time, is a real inspiration to our community and our younger ones, that if they want to play this sport at the highest level, that it can be done with the Pulse and through our pathways.

”Having the combined features of both while bringing their different strengths to the team, we’re very lucky to have them as our leaders.”

The Pulse open their season against the Magic, in Wellington, on April 11.

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