Fiji international Kelera Nawai-Caucau is returning to familiar territory after signing on to play for the Mainland Tactix in next year's ANZ Premiership netball league.
Kelera Nawai-Caucau impressed for the Pulse in 2021. Photo: Supplied/PhotoWellington
The 23 year-old defender impressed for the Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse in her debut season in the top flight, snaffling 25 intercepts, 22 rebounds and causing 51 deflections across 15 appearances in 2021.
Nawai-Caucau will have plenty of competition in the defensive end, with captain Jane Watson and Karin Burger both New Zealand internationals.
But Tactix head coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek was keen to see what Nawai-Caucau could add to the mix.
"It's been really important to work with and give opportunities to players from our Mainland region and it's also about looking towards the future with these signings," she said.
Nawai-Caucau was born in Fiji and selected for the Pearls national team while still at school.
She first came to New Zealand on a scholarship to St Andrews College in Christchurch in 2014 and has been involved in netball in Canterbury for a number of years.
She was a member of the 2017 Mainland Beko team and was also a training partner for the Tactix the same year.
The Fiji Peals international married in 2018 and had a baby boy before returning to New Zealand the following year to join her husband, who was working in South Canterbury.
