T&T women's netball team goal-keep/goal-defence Daystar Swift has signed to play for Northern Stars in the 2020 Trans-Tasman Netball League (ANZ) Premiership series in New Zealand, joining fellow national Kalifa Mc Collin in the six-team competition.
Standing at 1.91 metres tall, Swift, 27, has represented T&T 41 times, made her World Cup debut in 2015 in Australia and is also part of the team which left earlier this week for the 2019 Netball World in Liverpool, England, which starts next week.
Reached for comment, Swift said, "I'm excited about getting an opportunity to learn a different culture, meet new people and most importantly play netball at a higher level."
However, the soft-spoken Swift admitted it wasn't an easy decision for her.
"It was not an easy decision for me to accept this country considering I have a young daughter. However, having the support system that I have was definitely a contributing factor for me to accept the contract and I intend on making everyone proud," she said.
Northern Stars coach Kiri Wills says Swift will bring some much-needed height into the defensive circle, noting this is key to being competitive in the modern era.
Focusing in on this, Swift said it was important that T&T also adjusts its own coaching programmes and game plans to counter what is being done internationally.
“The continued preference for teams both nationally and internationally to contract and develop taller and taller shooters requires a similar response and we need to be able to counteract that.”
For next season, the Northern Stars have re-signed Maia Wilson, Mila Reuelu-Buchanan, Storm Purvis and Kate Burley from the side who went down to the Central Pulse by four goals in the 2019 ANZ Premiership grand final.
Last month, Mc Collin also signed with the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel for the ANZ Premiership season from Celtic Dragons of the Vitality Netball League in England.
The six-team ANZ Championship also includes WBOP Magic, Mainland Tactic and Northern Mystics.