Netball: Cathrine Tuivaiti links up with Central Pulse

Cathrine Tuivaiti will link up with the Central Pulse next season after nine years with the Northern Mystics. Photo/ Doug Sherring.

Silver Ferns shooter Cathrine Tuivaiti has been scooped up by the Central Pulse for next year's new ANZ elite league.

Tuivaiti, who missed selection in the New Zealand test side for this month's Quad Series, is hoping a change of scenery and personnel will reignite her career.

A foundation member of the Northern Mystics where she spent the entire nine years of the ANZ Championship, Tuivaiti has thrown caution to the wind, the new competition providing the perfect motivation to test herself in a fresh environment.

"I know that it's something I need to do to better myself and my netball," she said. "I am excited by it all but that is also measured with a sprinkling of nervousness."

"The time had just come where I needed to branch out and do something different with some different people. I'm hoping to learn some new things about netball and hopefully about myself, and I feel that here (the Pulse) is the place to do it."

The multi-skilled Tuivaiti, 29, grew up in the Far North before being lured to Auckland as a 14-year-old where she has been showcasing her netballing talents ever since.

During those years, Tuivaiti has gone on to forge a formidable shooting partnership at domestic and international level with Maria Tutaia but is excited by the prospect of teaming up with talented Pulse shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio (nee Wells) and building another equally forceful pairing.

"I'm really excited about the new challenge of not only playing netball in a different area of New Zealand and rekindling the passion, but also learning about myself away from family and friends," she said.

With the pair recently married, Tuivaiti's husband Jim has just returned to Italy where he will start his second season of professional rugby with the Calvisano club.

"It is a bit tough as we are newly-weds and it's hard being apart but we knew what we were getting ourselves into," she said.

"We don't want to give up our respective codes just yet as we both believe we've still got more in the tank."

That's a sentiment echoed by coach Yvette McCausland-Durie who is delighted to welcome the experience and ability Tuivaiti will provide the Pulse's attack end.

"Cathrine has one of the best accuracy rates in the business and a defining skill set which will prove invaluable," she said.

"She has an abundant natural talent which can only be enhanced and built on while her experience and leadership abilities will be great assets for our younger players to learn from."

Tuivaiti joins Sheridan Bignall, Karin Burger, Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Claire Kersten and Whitney Souness as confirmed signings for the 2017 edition of the Pulse.