Tough competition awaits Mwawi in New Zealand
New EasiYo Tactix coach Sue Hawkins has made changes in her team’s attack next season, signing a New Zealand international Bailey Mes who plays the same position as Mwawi Kumwenda.
Mes, signed from Northern Mystics and plays as a goal shooter in the New Zealand national netball team, is expected to add stiff competition for the position.
According to Tactix website www.tactix.org.nz New Zealand netball coach Wai Taumaunu would love Mes to play as a goal shooter for Tactix ahead of next year’s world championships, but with Mwawi there, Mes’ chances seem slim.
But Hawkins made it clear that she will not bend down to Taumaunu’s demands.
“My role here is to make sure that all the players are ready to go, no matter what squad they are in. I want interaction between the two positions by all shooters. No one is just a shooter or a goal attack. I want both shooters putting up a steady volume of shots to keep the opposition on their toes,” Hawkins is quoted by the website as saying.
Tactix were heavily reliant on Mwawi to score the bulk of the goals this season. Hawkins wanted both shooters putting up a steady volume of shots to keep the opposition on their toes.
Mwawi shone in her first season in the Trans-Tasman Netball League with Tactix and that impressed the new coach.
With the athletic and unpredictable combination of Mwawi and Mes, Tactix will have one of the most intriguing shooting duos in the league.
Mes too spoke highly of Mwawi. “I’m really excited. She is [Mwawi] pretty amazing. There will be some good rebounding going on. It will be quite interesting because we are both quite aerial players. I will probably have to make some adjustments there,” Mes is quoted on the club website team news.
Except for Mwawi, who is still in the country, the Tactix squad has been training as a group since December 1. They will have a two-week break over the festive period before linking up again on January 5.
Mwawi said she has been training hard and is looking for another great season in New Zealand.
“I always put God first. He will help me to become a better player,” she said.
In her first season, Mwawi won the Best New Talent award. EasiYo Tactix CEO Brigit Hearn says she is thrilled to have Mwawi for next season.
“She is a huge asset to Tactix and is really starting to form great combinations within the team, especially with captain and goal attack Anna Thompson,” said Hearn.
“Although we have not come up with the winning results this year, we are heading in the right direction, playing quality netball on court that we can be proud of,” she said.
