Spirited Start For Welsh Club Celtic Flames In New Zealand

Te Wananga o Raukawa Central Pulse 65, Celtic Flames 41

Celtic Flames produced a spirited performance in their opening Super Club Netball match in Nelson, New Zealand.

The Welsh club took on a Pulse team who were runners-up to Southern Steel in the ANZ Premiership, finishing their season last week.

Pulse went into the match against Flames having had a series of tough matches in the Premiership and the Kiwi players were fully prepared for this opening fixture of the tournament.

Flames were playing their first match together and can reflect on a team display which was full of character and there are a lot of positives to take into their second match against Marama Vou from Fiji on Monday.

Pulse had an 84 per cent shooting average (65/77), while Flames scored 41 from 56 (73 per cent).

Flames endured a difficult second quarter, but fought back to earn a 14-14 return from the third.

Guest Kiwi players Anna Thompson and Temalisi Fakahokotau, both from the Silvermoon Tactix club, were in the Flames starting line-up.

Flames: Suzy Drane, Bethan Dyke, Kyra Jones, Chelsea Lewis, Temalisi Fakahokotau, Anna Thompson, Nia Jones.

Quarter scores (Pulse first): 18-11; 21-8 (39-19); 14-14 (53-33); 12-8 (65-41).

The match was shown live on Sky Sport 4 television during the early hours of this morning.

The top three New Zealand teams from the ANZ Premiership (Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel, 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.

The Super Club event is being held at the 1,662-seat capacity Trafalgar Centre in Nelson, New Zealand and all games are being broadcast live on SKY.

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: Te Wananga o Raukawa Central Pulse 65, Celtic Flame 41.

Remaining fixtures: 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).

Super Club group results on day one: Pulse 65, Celtic Flames 41; SKYCITY Mystics 92, Marama Vou 43; NSWIS 74, University of Trinidad & Tobago 46; Southern Steel 81, Jaguars 37.

Celtic Flames squad: Anna Thompson, Temalisi Fakahokotau, Suzy Drane (supported by MSG Tours), Bethan Dyke (supported by Torfaen Leisure Trust), Clare Jones (supported by TPHS Limited), Kyra Jones (supported by Glamorgan Telecom), Nia Jones (supported by Chester Chain), Chelsea Lewis (supported by Islwyn Pugh Construction/GW Flooring Contract Services), Kelly Morgan (supported by Andy Lamb Media), Lois Rideout (supported by Balance Fitness), Eleanor Roberts (supported by Fostering Matters), Georgia Rowe (supported by Miller Medical Supplies).

Flames management team includes head coach Trish Wilcox (supported by Pro Steel Engineering), assistant coach Mel Tuckwell (supported by USW Sport) and team manager Donna Crossman (supported by Falconry Services Ltd).