Former Silver Fern defender Temalisi Fakahokotau has been confirmed to fill the void left by former NZ captain Katrina Rore with Central Pulse in the 2022 ANZ Premiership.
Fakahokotau turned out for Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic this season, after previous stints with Northern Mystics and Mainland Tactix, but will move to the capital, after Rore revealed she would not return to the franchise after missing its latest campaign through maternity leave.
First selected for the Ferns in 2014, Fakahokotau has made 22 appearances for New Zealand, but was part of their disastrous Gold Coast Commonwealth Games campaign, before a knee injury derailed her career in recent seasons.
She suffered the ACL rupture during Dame Noeline Taurua's first training session as national coach in 2018 and missed the entire 2019 season, including the Ferns' World Cup triumph at Liverpool.
Although she returned to the court for the Tactix last year and the bottom-placed Magic this season, Fakahokotau has not been named in any national squads and hopes a change of scenery will also boost her fortunes.
"I'm just really excited," she says. "The Pulse are a massive franchise who have been very successful with the programme they've got going on there.
"This season obviously did not go the way I wanted it to and going to the Pulse, my goals are definitely to get fit, faster and stronger, and I know that moving down there, their fitness is out the gate and that is a great prospect for me.
"They've got awesome defensive coaches, and I'm just looking forward to being in an environment that's able to push me and take me to the next level. At this stage of my career, I feel that the Pulse is the best place to be to offer me those opportunities."
Returning coach Yvette McCausland-Durie has also lost international shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio to the Magic, but has added promising young attacker Amelia Walmsley to a squad that includes current stalwarts Whitney Souness, Maddy Gordon, Paris Lokotui and Kelly Jury.
"We're delighted to have those four returning players back in the fold," says McCausland-Durie. "They are key figures from a performance perspective and add consistency to our mix for next season.
"Whitney and Maddy are dynamic midcourters, with their flair, creativity and ability to run all day, while Paris had a memorable debut season in 2021, which was rewarded with her selection in the Silver Ferns development squad.
"Kelly has added to her repertoire with the ability to now play both in-circle defensive positions and offers us a real point of difference. The same can be said for Amelia and Temalisi, who we believe will add variety and depth, and we're excited to welcome them on board."
2020 champions, but fifth this year, the Pulse have also welcomed young shooter Tiana Metuarau back from a season with Southern Steel, where her form earned a call-up to the national squad.
