Silver Fern Maria Folau granted exemption

The Netball New Zealand Board has granted 128-Test Silver Fern Maria Folau a 12-month exemption, deeming her eligible to play for the Silver Ferns in 2019 despite no longer being contracted to a New Zealand ANZ Premiership team.

The 31-year-old has been residing in Sydney since marrying Australian rugby player Israel Folau last year but travelled between the countries this season to play for the SKYCITY Mystics in the ANZ Premiership.

NNZ Board Chair Allison Ferguson said Folau’s long and dedicated career as a Silver Fern, her personal circumstances, and her loyalty to the game here led to the exemption being granted.

“She has shown an unquestionable loyalty to Netball in New Zealand including both the Silver Ferns and SKYCITY Mystics,” Ferguson said.

“It has been a tough season for Maria this year, now that she and her family live in Australia, travelling between the two countries to continue playing the game she has dedicated much of her life to.

“Maria’s experience is really important to this young Silver Ferns squad moving forward.  The NNZ Board believed granting her a 12-month exemption to be eligible for the Silver Ferns despite not being contracted to a NZ ANZ Premiership team would enable Maria to continue representing her country and mentor those new Silver Fern players coming through.”

Folau made her Silver Ferns debut in 2005 under coach Ruth Aitken and it was not long before her trademark long range shooting made her one of the best in the game.

The naturally gifted shooter has since played in four Commonwealth Games, including winning two gold medals, and three Netball World Cups. She was also part of the NZU21 team which won the Netball World Youth Cup in Miami in 2005.

She played domestic netball for the Auckland Diamonds during the National Bank Cup before a brief stint with the Waikato-BOP Magic in the ANZ Championship and then moving home to join the Northern Mystics where she has been a regular ever since.

Folau is part of the Silver Ferns squad to play Australian Diamonds, South Africa’s Proteas and England’s Roses in next month’s Netball Quad Series, starting on September 15 in Auckland.