Premiership winning defender Rudi Ellis will return to Sydney to join the NSW Swifts for the 2027 Super Netball season.
The 29-year-old Ku-ring-gai junior began her elite netball journey with the Swifts in 2017 as a training partner, before relocating to Melbourne to join the Vixens program and continue her development.
Ellis made her Suncorp Super Netball debut with the Queensland Firebirds in 2020 before a stint with the West Coast Fever.
For the last three seasons, the 190cm defender has become a key part of the Vixens defensive unit and played an integral role in securing the 2025 Premiership.
Ellis said returning to Sydney and joining the Swifts was a full-circle moment in her career.
“It feels pretty surreal to be coming back to Sydney and signing with the Swifts,” she said.
“The Swifts were a part of the beginning of my journey. I was a training partner back in 2017 and I was still figuring out what my career could look like, so to be coming full circle is really humbling.
“I’ve lived in a few different places and had some incredible experiences along the way, and every club has played a huge part in shaping me as a player and a person.
“I know the standards of the Swifts and I know how much this Club means to the netball community in NSW, so I’m really excited to come back into that environment and hopefully contribute to what is a really exciting new chapter for the Club.
“I feel like I’ve got a lot more to give to the game, and I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learnt over the past few years back to Sydney.”
Head Coach Dylan Nexhip said Ellis’ return was a significant signing for the Club, with her team-first attitude and genuine care for her teammates standing out throughout the recruitment process.
“Rudi brings enormous presence defensively, but what really stood out to us was her intent to compete in every moment and cause havoc in and out of the circle,” he said.
“She has continued to adapt and evolve her game throughout her career, and the player she is now is a credit to the work she has put in over the last decade.
“We’re really looking forward to supporting her continued development and seeing how we can help her take her game to another level in our environment.
“To have Rudi back in Sydney, wearing the red again, is incredibly exciting. She understands what the Swifts mean to this state, and I know our Members and supporters will love seeing her back home.”
The Swifts will make further 2027 player announcements in due course.
Express your interest in a Membership to see Rudi in action in 2027!
