Wasps face worlds best

Wasps Netball will be testing themselves against some of the best teams in the world when they travel to New Zealand next month.

The two-time Vitality Netball Superleague champions will be competing in Super Club, a tournament organised by Netball New Zealand, from Sunday 8 December to Friday 13 December.

The tournament will feature New Zealand’s six ANZ Premiership teams along with Wasps Netball from England and Collingwood Magpies Netball from Melbourne, Australia.

It will mark the first competition the Black and Golds have competed in outside of the UK.

Mel Mansfield’s side will get the chance to test themselves against reigning ANZ Premiership champions Central Pulse.

The competition will see 20 games played over five days at the Trafalgar Centre in Nelson, culminating in the Grand Final on Friday 13 December.

Wasps Netball have been drawn in Pool A and will start their campaign against Invercargill’s Southern Steel on Sunday 8 December, before taking on Central Pulse the following day and facing Christchurch’s Mainland Tactix on Tuesday 10 December.

Wasps Netball Head Coach Mel Mansfield said: “We’ve had a very successful few years on the domestic level and this will be a great opportunity to test ourselves against some of the best teams in the world.

“To play against opposition of this calibre will be top preparation for the Vitality Netball Superleague season, which gets underway in February.

“There is a great buzz around netball in New Zealand at the moment, especially after they won the World Cup in Liverpool earlier this year and the ANZ Premiership is going from strength to strength.

“We’ve looked great in training so far this pre-season and the squad are working tirelessly to be in the best possible position to regain the Superleague title next year. The squad are excited to get out there to New Zealand, we know it will be a big challenge but it’s one we’re all looking forward to.”