Netball Sisters Face-Off In Round 2 Of ANZ Premiership

Sisters Lisa and Holly Mather will go head-to-head in Round 2 of the netball’s ANZ premiership, when the VIP Frames and Trusses Tactix take on the Go Media stars in Auckland this weekend.

Older sister Lisa (25) plays at wing defence and centre for the Stars with Holly (24) at centre in her first full ANZ Premiership contract for the Tactix.

Playing for the Comets in the National Netball League, Lisa was elevated from training partner with the Stars to injury cover in the midcourt in 2024, before signing with the Tactix for 2025.

This is the first time the Mather sisters have come up against each other professionally, and Holly expects some healthy sibling competition in the mid-court.

“Lisa and I have spoken about what it will be like to play against each other and we are really excited,” Mather said. “We joke around with Mum and Dad that one daughter will be happy and one will be sad after the game, but all-in-all we are really excited about it,” Mather said.

With the north versus south match held in Auckland, there is added excitement to play in front of family and friends from Auckland and Northland, who will be keeping a close eye on the midcourt duo.

“We are very professional and as sisters we are very competitive, who knows, if there are a couple of sparks on the court, there might be a couple of elbows in there!” Mather joked.

The Tactix debutant is pleased to have game one behind her, but said she always has nerves before any big match.

Similarly, Tactix head coach Donna Wilkins said it was a relief to win the first premiership game, but the team will not underestimate the Stars, who she expects to come out fighting on Sunday.

“The Stars have had injuries but we can't take them lightly. When a team loses players it’s hard but we expect them to come out fighting for the next game,” Wilkins said.

The second round match promises to be contentious between the teams as the Stars and Tactix have met 24 times in the ANZ Premiership, with both teams winning 12 matches each, and have not played each other since round 13 last season.

The Stars are coming off a 55-71 loss to the Mystics in Round 1, while The Tactix defeated the Steel 57-50, in a game that saw the team take little on-court risk, not banking on the two-point super shot to secure a win.

“I talked to the girls about understanding the momentum of the game, the Steel put up so many 2 pointer shots but they lost a lot of opportunities, whereas we will continue to use the two-point shots strategically and sparingly,” Wilkins said.

The Tactix take on the Stars, 4pm Sunday 18 May at Pulman Arena, Auckland with coverage on SKY Sport.

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