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Grace Nweke
Personal information
Born (2002-02-07) 7 February 2002 (age 22)
Auckland, New Zealand
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
School Avondale College, ACG Sunderland
University University of Auckland
Netball career
Playing position(s): GS
Years Club team(s) Apps
2019–present Northern Mystics
Years National team(s) Caps
2021–present New Zealand 31
Medal record
Representing   New Zealand
Women's netball
Netball at the Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Team

Grace Nweke (born February 7, 2002) is a New Zealand netball international. She first competed for New Zealand in September 2021, becoming the first black woman to do so.

Early life

Grace Nweke was born in Auckland on 7 February 2002, to parents who emigrated to New Zealand from Nigeria. She has a twin brother and four other siblings. Her parents initially left Nigeria to go to South Korea, before settling in Auckland in the 1990s. [1] She attended ACG Sunderland from years 9 to 10 then transferred to Avondale College. At Avondale College she competed in high jump events as well as netball. Nweke is studying for a Bachelor of Commerce degree in information systems and marketing at the University of Auckland. [2] [3]

Playing career

Northern Mystics

Nweke joined the Northern Mystics for the 2019 ANZ Premiership season, while she was still at school. Initially recruited to be a training partner she was rapidly promoted to being a full-time member of the Mystics squad. In 2021 she set a new ANZ Premiership scoring record, scoring 852 goals from 951 attempts and scoring 50 or more goals in 12 of the Mystics' 16 games. Her performances inevitably brought her to the attention of the national selectors, who selected her initially for the Under-21 side and then for the full 2021-22 New Zealand squad. Nweke missed four matches of the 2022 ANZ Premiership season due to an ankle injury; she was cleared to play the Grand Final but the Northern Mystics were defeated by the Northern Stars [4]

New Zealand

Despite her 2019 performance in the ANZ Premiership, Nweke was not selected for the 2019 Netball World Cup by Noeline Taurua, who cited fitness issues and her age. [5] Nweke made her national debut on 22 September 2021 against England in a 2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series match but this ended in disappointment as the team lost 55-45. [6] [7] [8] In 2021 she was nominated at the Halberg Awards for the Emerging Talent Award but lost out to swimmer Erika Fairweather. [9] Nweke was selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and was noted as having a standout performance in the Bronze medal final against England, when New Zealand won 55-48. [10] Nweke's stellar performance was again followed up in the 2022 Constellation Cup against the Australian Diamonds having never come up against Australian players her shooting form was noted as being flawless, despite this, the Silver Ferns ended up losing the tournament 2-2 to the Australian Diamonds. [11] Nweke was selected for the 2023 Netball Quad Series in Cape Town and was the only player of the Silver Ferns team to play four full games, however the Silver Ferns lost to the Australian Diamonds in the final 56-50. [12] Further recognition and praise was gained when she won the best shooter and overall player of the series. [13] Nweke was selected for the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town, [14] however she obtained a patella tear during a game against Singapore and was ruled out for the rest of the contest. [15] [16] Nweke was cleared to play on managed time for the last two games of the 2023 Constellation Cup her game play was attributed to the Silver Ferns winning the last two games of the series. [17]

Honours

New Zealand

Northern Mystics

Personal Honours

At the 2022 Netball awards Nweke was awarded the Dame Lois Muir Supreme Award shared with fellow Silver Ferns player Kelly Jury, as well as the Silver Ferns Player of the Year . [18]

References

  1. ^ "Grace Nweke never thought becoming a Silver Fern would be possible". RNZ. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Grace Nweke could go from five weeks in lockdown to Silver Ferns debut". Stuff. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Grace NWEKE". World Athletics. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Mystics goal shoot Grace Nweke fit to play in ANZ Premiership eli mination final". 7 June 2022.
  5. ^ "'It's so precious to me': Silver Ferns' star Grace Nweke eager to visit Nigeria for first time". January 2023.
  6. ^ "Grace Nweke". ANZ Premiership. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Grace Nweke". Silver Ferns. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Silver Ferns v England: Grace Nweke's dream debut turns to disappointment". www.newshub.co.nz. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Halberg Awards | Sportzhub". 24 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Grace Nweke shines as Silver Ferns snare Commonwealth Games bronze". 7 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Perfect Grace Nweke drives Silver Ferns past Diamonds". 16 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Silver Ferns fade in second half to lose Quad Series decider to Australia". 26 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Australia retain Quad Series title and SA miss out on bronze".
  14. ^ "Silver Ferns announce squad for World Cup title defence". 23 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Injured Nweke ruled out of Netball World Cup". silverferns.co.nz. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  16. ^ Egan, Brendon (31 July 2023). "Silver Ferns' star Grace Nweke to miss rest of World Cup with knee injury". stuff.co.nz. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  17. ^ "The Post".
  18. ^ "Winners • New Zealand Netball Awards 2021".
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