Silver Ferns come up short in Constellation Cup decider for the ages, but gap has been closed on Australia
Thursday, 30 October 2025
At Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch: Silver Ferns 62 (Grace Nweke: 56/59, Georgia Heffernan: 4/4, Amelia Walmsley: 1/2, Martina Salmon: 1/1) Australia 57 (Sophie Garbin: 29/35, Kiera Austin: 22/28, Sophie Dwyer: 5/5, Georgie Horjus: 1/2) 1Q: 12-17, HT: 26-33, 3Q: 43-46, FT: 62-57. (Australia win extra-time 12-11).
The Silver Ferns will jump on a plane to the United Kingdom next week, knowing they are a much-changed side to the one that started the Constellation Cup.
In a netball contest for the ages, New Zealand almost pulled off a remarkable Constellation Cup comeback on Wednesday in Christchurch, only to be edged in ‘series decider time’. At the end of 74 minutes, a goal with four seconds left from Australia’s Sophie Garbin decided it.
The Ferns did what was required of them, overcoming Australia 62-57 in test four to level the series at two wins, forcing two seven-minute halves to decide who took out the trophy.
Australia edged the Ferns 12-11, rattling off more than 30 passes to bleed the clock and deny New Zealand the ball in the final minute.
It was a wild extra-time with Ferns midcourters Maddy Gordon and Kate Heffernan both forced to leave the court with cramping. Interim Ferns coach Yvette McCausland-Durie brought some comic relief to a tense time, remarking “Anyone got any ideas on cramping?” in the brief halftime break for extra-time.
Heffernan returned to team up with Mila Reuelu-Buchanan for a crucial turnover, which helped the Ferns claw it back and tie the score. Then, just as Australia clinched victory in extra-time, defender Sunday Aryang collapsed to the floor in agony, appearing to badly injure her knee while tussling for possession with Grace Nweke.
To think the Ferns were hammered by 17 goals in back-to-back games to open the Constellation Cup in Australia.
Seven days on, they came within a whisker of defending the Constellation Cup, a barely believable scenario given how poorly they started the series.
Just nine months out from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Ferns will know little separates them and Australia. On any given day, any side can topple the other.
Add in a hellish seven weeks for the players and management amid the Dame Noeline Taurua coaching saga, which was finally resolved on Saturday, and netball has served up its share of box office.
Taurua, who was reinstated as head coach after an ugly 45-day stand-off with Netball New Zealand around the high performance environment, will not travel with the side on its Northern tour next week. McCausland-Durie will continue to oversee the side on that trip to minimise disruption for the playing group before Taurua returns to the sideline in 2026.
The Ferns’ squad for the Northern tour, which includes two games against Scotland, starting on November 9, followed by three matches against England, will be announced on Friday. It is expected to closely mirror the 14-player squad named for the Constellation Cup.
After a 68-51 thumping in the second test in Sydney last Wednesday, the Ferns appeared close to rock bottom, down 2-0 in the Constellation Cup. How things can change in a week.
McCausland-Durie was proud as punch of where the group had come from and the progress they had made. With two impressive home victories over Australia, she believed they were tracking in the right direction ahead of 2026. The matches to finish the year, especially the three against England, will be a true test of where they sit, leading into next year’s Commonwealth Games.
“Incredibly proud. It’s hard, isn’t it, because we’ve lost that last bit, so you feel that, but we won a test match and I think that’s a really important thing to celebrate,” McCausland-Durie said.
“To force ourselves to get into that position [of series decider time] we knew we were going to have to go deep. Incredibly proud. We learned a lot about each other and we’ve learned a lot over the last few weeks about how much depth we do have.”
There will be some tired and sore bodies in the Silver Ferns camp after a cracking Constellation Cup series, where Australia seemed to be cruising towards the silverware after two games.
A turbulent chapter for the sport in New Zealand was briefly eased by a committed and courageous Silver Ferns side, who fought back into the contest after trailing by seven at halftime in Christchurch.
“Massive, showing us what we’re capable of. Especially looking at where we’ve come from. Two games prior to that how quickly we were able to make those shifts,” captain Karin Burger said.
There was a lot to like about the Ferns’ play, best summed up by 21-year-old defender Catherine Hall, in just her second series, making quite the impact in the second half. Hall was undaunted marking up against the formidable Australian shooters and won some critical ball alongside Kelly Jackson.
Hall and Jackson gave a glimpse into the future, showing what they could do as a combination with the versatile Burger just as outstanding after moving to wing defence in the second half.
Despite losing the series, the Ferns might walk away from the Constellation Cup feeling brighter about their future than the Diamonds.