Silver Ferns international Kayla Cullen will complete the NSW Swifts’ 2020 roster after signing on for next season’s Suncorp Super Netball competition.
The 27-year-old, who has 47 Test caps for New Zealand, joined the Swifts in 2019 as a temporary replacement player for Rounds 10 and 11 of their Premiership-winning campaign, making her debut against the West Coast Fever in Perth.
Cullen has been playing elite netball since 2010, having previously represented the Northern Mystics in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship and, more recently, the Northern Stars in New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership.
She won a silver medal with the Silver Ferns at the 2015 Netball World Cup in Sydney and won gold in two Fast5 World Series.
Head coach Briony Akle said she was delighted to have Cullen join for the 2020 season, and her roster complete for next year’s title defence.
“Kayla is a world class player and to have almost 50 international caps to her name at her age is a testament to this,” Akle said.
“She did a fantastic job for us in Perth last year and fitted in very well despite not having much netball played in the run-up.
“With Kate Eddy moving to the Vixens and Katrina Rore back in New Zealand we needed a top class operator to come into our defensive end, and Kayla has a massive body of work behind her so fits that bill perfectly.
“Everything resets next year and come Round 1 we won’t be champions anymore so it’s great to have our main roster locked in and be in a good place for pre-season.”
Cullen, who now resides in Sydney with fiancée and Cronulla Sharks player Shaun Johnson, said she was ready to test herself fully in Super Netball.
“I am really happy to have this opportunity to play with a club as welcoming and successful as the Swifts,” she said.
“I love living in Sydney and buy into the vision Briony and her team have. They’ve had an amazing 2019 and I know they want to go better again in 2020, which makes me very excited.
“I was lucky enough to play out in Perth last year but can’t wait to run out in front of a packed arena in Sydney.
“I’ve done that with New Zealand, but this time the majority of the fans will be cheering for my team, which will be awesome.”
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