2022 has been a ground-breaking year for Nelson Netball and for the first time in over 10 years, we are once again being treated to the spectacle of an all male team out on court, every Thursday night...... And what an AMAZING display of netball we have seen so far!!

The Fitzgerald Construction Nelson Men's Team (FCL Men) have been included into the NBS Premier Netball Competition as an invitational team for the 2022 season. Previous New Zealand Men's players Jamie Brown & Jared Lock, regular and long-time Nelson players Wayne Hippolite, Jason Smith, Rob Boomer, Ricky Fry & Matt Davies, along with new players Jaxon Chadwick, AJ Binns and Simon Duncan have combined to showcase what mens netball is all about. 

Each week the team continue to develop structure, learn from the previous week and better themselves through training opportunities and the consistent game time they are seeing each week. Coach Kent Perry said "We have a good mix of old and new in the team and to date it’s been working fantastic. Coaching is still very new for me but as the season has progressed I have started to enjoy it more and more. Learning new ways to coach certain things is a challenge but one I’m really having fun with. For us we don’t see ourselves as a mens team playing in the league, we see us as just another team wanting to compete and raise the level of competition here in our region. It is a huge honour for us to be included in this league and we work hard on and off the court to prove we have what it takes to succeed. Our goal to maintain a high level of professionalism is something we pride ourselves on. To us, winning takes second place behind putting out a technically perfect game on court week after week". 

The feedback across the board has been really positive, including:

1. The opposition are exposed to a different style and speed of game that requires adaptability
2. The umpires and officials are challenged to view the game differently and develop their skills
3. The coaches are challenged to expand their players 'toolbox' to combat the different style of play
4. The spectators - well they are treated to fast, strong netball with a little flair
5. AND, the men have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be out on court every week, against Nelson's top netballers

Make sure you pop along to Saxton Stadium on a Thursday evening to see this team in action, along with all the other talented teams in the NBS Premier Competition.