Welcome Return For Tenacious Pulse Midcourter

Perseverance has paid off for rejuvenated Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse midcourter Emma Thompson who is all set to make the most of an unexpected lifeline when the 2026 ANZ Premiership netball season kicks off this weekend.

The Pulse will play the Magic in the season-opener in Wellington on Saturday, and for Thompson, a return to top-flight netball, which at times seemed well out of reach, can’t come quick enough.

``Basically, I just want to enjoy my netball again,’’ she said. ``It was such a long, hard slog for a long time and I didn’t know if I would get back, so I just want to enjoy it and do the best that I can and hopefully contribute everything I can to this amazing group of girls.’’

After gaining a full contract with the Stars in 2024, a serious pre-season concussion ruled Thompson out for weeks and shortly after returning to the action a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) put the stamp on a harrowing season.

``After my concussion and then my knee and then another surgery on the same knee, I kind of got to the point where I was just hoping to have a normal quality of life,’’ the versatile midcourter said.

``And then, I got the call to come to the Pulse and was just super grateful to be able to compete at this level again.’’

Perhaps appropriately, a fresh start for Thompson coincides with a completely new-look Pulse, who lost many of their core group to off-shore leagues in the off-season. One of seven newcomers, Thompson is buoyed by the spirit, energy and collective response from all involved in helping to reshape the Pulse for the upcoming campaign.

``I think it’s exciting,’’ she said. ``We all bring something different and we’ve all had a unique set of experiences, which I think gives us a really good opportunity to put together something new, but also relying on the strong fundamentals that Pulse have always had.

``And you can see that coming through in our structures, so we’ve got the ability to give a little bit of flair to an otherwise strong set of foundations.

``It’s all super positive. Training is fun in a good way and people push each other to the limit. There’s always those people who are driving everyone to be better and the whole culture of the club really drives you to be better, so it’s a really cool environment to be a part of.’’

With several of New Zealand’s frontline players missing from this year’s league, there is a sense of the unknown heading into the opening rounds with plenty of new personnel emerging across most teams.

Alongside Lili Gorman-Brown, Thompson, 30, adds a strong Australian flavour to a potent Pulse midcourt which also includes the flair of homegrown duo Ainsleyana Puleiata and Erana Ngarimu.

Hoping to put an early season marker in the ground, there is certainly an air of excited anticipation surrounding the Pulse but also a deal of uncertainty that comes with building a new team.

The Magic have a reasonably settled core and have the advantage of familiarity but have lost the experience of top shot Ameliaranne Ekenasio, who has re-joined the Pulse after several years away, solid midcourter Claire O’Brien and well-performed defender Georgia Tong.

``Obviously putting out a good performance is key,’’ Thompson said ``But our group is new and it’s fresh, so I don’t think that people really know what to expect with us, which is exciting and it’s a cool place to be.

``We’ve got strong foundations so if we can put in a good 60 minutes of consistent netball, I’m pretty excited to see where this bunch of girls can go.’’

Born in Australia to New Zealand parents, Thompson, who is a dual-passport holder, has had several previous stints on this side of the Tasman and has strong connections to her Kiwi heritage with plenty of extended family on hand for support.

And she’s also sharing a special piece of netball history with her mum. Before she was married and moved to Australia, her mother Carol Brymer, a midcourter, played in New Zealand’s original club league, the Swiss Maid National League in the early 1990s alongside former Silver Fern Julie Townsend at College Rifles in Auckland.

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