Celtic Flames Ready To Turn Up The Heat In New Zealand

Celtic Flames are ready for their first big Netball Super Club challenge in New Zealand.

The newly-formed team from Wales play Kiwi club Te Wananga o Raukawa Pulse in their first fixture and the match will be shown live on Sky Sport 4 television (Sunday, 3am UK time).

The top three New Zealand teams from the ANZ Premiership (Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel, Te Wananga o Raukawa Pulse and SKYCITY Mystics) play in the tournament along with Gauteng Jaguars from South Africa, Australia’s NSWIS, Fijians Marama Vou, University of Trinidad & Tobago and Flames.

Kiwi players Anna Thompson and Temalisi Fakahokotau, both from the Silvermoon Tactix club, have joined Flames’ squad of 12 for the Super Club event at the 1,662-seat capacity Trafalgar Centre in Nelson, New Zealand.

All games are being broadcast live on SKY.

Flames face a tough opening group match in Sunday’s clash with Pulse, who were runners-up to champions Southern Steel in the ANZ Premiership final.

The Flames players are in Nelson preparing for the tournament and they gathered to watch British Lions win their second Test match against the All Blacks.

Pulse will be without rising young stars Tiana Metuarau, a 16-year-old who had a standout first season at elite level, plus training partners Kimiora Poi and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan to the New Zealand under-21 World Youth Cup team.

Their places will be taken by another trio of emerging talent in Jermaine Howard-Vallance, Eseta Autagavaia and Renee Savaiinaea from Central’s triumphant Beko Netball League winning team.

Celtic Flames play their first Super Club match this Sunday, while they also take on Marama Vou and Sky City Mystics in their group.

The three group matches for Flames are this Sunday v Te Wananga o Raukawa Central Pulse (2pm local time, 3am BST); Monday, July 3 v Marama Vou (4.50pm local time, 5.50am BST); Wednesday, July 5 v SkyCity Mystics (6.40pm local time, 7.40am BST).