Round 3 of the ANZ Premiership sees early-season momentum begin to take shape, with one unbeaten side, one still searching for its first win, and several evenly matched contenders looking to settle into the competition.
In a stunning form turnaround, the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel upset the well-performed Stars Netball side to cement a thrilling 69-60 win on their home court in Invercargill on Saturday.
Round 2 of the 2026 ANZ Premiership is set to deliver a compelling weekend of elite domestic netball, with historic rivalries, milestone moments and early-season momentum on the line.
The reigning ANZ Premiership champions have made a statement in their first game of the 2026 season, the VIP Frame & Trusses Mainland Tactix beating the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel 55-42 in a high energy match in Christchurch.
Based in Invercargill, the Steel were formed in 2007 and represent the Netball South Zone which embraces Southland and Otago.
The Steel resulted from the merger between two former National Bank Cup teams, the Southern Sting and Otago Rebels. The Steel subsequently becoming a founding team when netball launched into the semi-professional era with the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship in 2008.
Robyn Broughton was appointed the team’s first coach with Jenny-May Coffin and Megan Hutton named as co-captains.
The Steel had their best season in the final year of the ANZ Championship in 2016 when they won the minor premiership but subsequently lost the New Zealand Conference Final.
The Steel celebrated the introduction of the new elite ANZ Premiership domestic league in 2017 in style when claiming the inaugural title, completing a 16-match season unbeaten. They retained the title in 2018.
The Steel’s playing strip contains a mix of the burgundy/cerise and blue colours of Southland and Otago. The team’s home venues are ILT Stadium Southland, in Invercargill and the Edgar Centre, in Dunedin.
