Globe-trotting netballer joins Pulse

ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post

NET GAINS: Ama Agbeze says her constant travelling "does get quite wearing" but she is looking to further her claims for a place in the England team while with the Pulse.

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Globe-trotting England netballer Ama Agbeze is in unfamiliar territory again.

Three years ago in February, Agbeze was acclimatising in Perth as she prepared for the inaugural season of the trans-Tasman championships when she played for the West Coast Fever.

Last February, the Londoner headed back to Australia, that time to Melbourne. The Vixens won the title last year, but Agbeze found herself on the bench.

This year, Agbeze is contracted to a New Zealand team for the first time, the 27-year-old joining Australian shooter Jane Altschwager as the Pulse's second import player.

Agbeze admits it can be difficult to start each year in a foreign city, with new living conditions, new team-mates and unfamiliar streets.

"It's not as easy it seems," Agbeze said.

"The girls are obviously all nice girls but it's still a new city and accommodation, and that sort of thing. It does get quite wearing."

On court, she wants to form a strong partnership with Silver Fern defender Katrina Grant. While Agbeze can cover wing defence, she prefers goal defence or goal keep.

Her main concern is being in the starting team.

"Katrina was having a conversation with me if I prefer goal defence or goal keeper, but I think the coaching staff are just going to play it week to week," Agbeze said.

At the Pulse, she expects to train hard under the team's hard-nosed technical director Waimarama Taumaunu, who was performance director for the England team when Agbeze started her international career as a goal shoot.

Agbeze has recently spoken to England coach Sue Hawkins about what she has to do to reclaim her place in the England team in time for the Commonwealth Games in October.

She has gone against Hawkins' wishes by coming to New Zealand.

"I need to put my hand up to the England selectors," she said.

"Initially she [Hawkins] didn't want people to come out and play because she wanted people to prepare in England. I think she is still that way inclined.

"But she was very supportive and said there is a new player agreement that says you have to play in the England domestic competition to represent England.

"I wasn't going to play in England this year, but I played three matches for Leeds Carnegie. I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything in the way."

As the holder of a law degree and with a masters degree in finance from the University of Leicester, Agbeze hopes to find some part-time work in Wellington.

Last year, the Vixens team budget stretched to her own apartment. In Wellington, she will flat with team-mates Altschwager and Paula Griffin.

The Pulse will play warmup tournaments in Queenstown and Sydney before their opening trans-Tasman game against the Canterbury Tactix in Christchurch on March 22.

The Pulse play their first home game in the second round, hosting the Mystics in Wellington a week later.

- © Fairfax NZ News