Grace Nweke never thought becoming a Silver Fern would be possible

Grace Nweke’s journey to becoming a Silver Fern has been an education for the whole Nweke family.

Maia Wilson looks on as Grace Nweke warms up before the Cadbury Netball Series in Palmerston North, October 2020.
Photo: Photosport

When Nweke made her much-anticipated debut in Christchurch in September last year, she became the first Silver Fern of African descent.

Nweke was born in Auckland; her Nigerian parents immigrated to New Zealand in the late 1990s.

The 20-year-old’s debut was a huge moment of pride for her family but Auckland was in lock-down so father Fortune and mother Chidinma could not be in the stands because of travel restrictions.

It looked like her parents might miss that chance again after the series against Jamaica was in doubt but that moment will finally come tonight when the Silver Ferns play the Sunshine Girls.

“They haven’t actually seen me represent New Zealand for a Test so it’s a very exciting for the opportunity for them to come and watch …it will be so special to have them there.

“And hopefully we can get some of my friends and others who have supported my journey to come along and see me play as well.”

It’s fair to say Fortune and Chidinma Nweke knew very little about netball before their daughter got involved in a sport that has a strong traditional hold in New Zealand.

“Netball was definitely introduced to them in New Zealand. I don’t think it would ever have crossed their radar in Nigeria and it’s so cool for them I think to have me here playing for New Zealand, having Nigerian heritage it means a lot and I think it’s just so cool that that’s now part of our story.

“And I teach them still, they think that they know more than me, like I’ll come home and they’ll say like ‘you need to get the shots in’ and I’m like ‘no kidding – that’s literally why I’m here’,” she laughs.

“They mean really well but they don’t know very much about it. They’ve learnt a lot over the past couple of years of seeing me play and so they think they know but they probably won’t understand as much as you know the next guy would.”

Grace Nweke made her debut during last year’s series against England.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Her parents had to place a lot of trust in the coaches and mentors that have nurtured Nweke over the years.

“It’s been a massive journey, coming through school netball and club netball, there were key figures in my journey who really helped me and supported me to get to that level where you can get seen by national selectors.

“Because it is a long pathway before you get up to ANZ or that kind of realm.

“I’ve been massively supported by a community of netball in Auckland that has really helped my journey.”

Nweke said her wider Nigerian based family have managed to watch her play via livestreams.

“So funny we’ve got this family WhatsApp group chat and they were all watching the Silver Ferns’ Commonwealth Games matches and talking about it and they were so proud and so excited.

“A lot of them I haven’t met and don’t know very well so I think to have netball be a connector is so cool and they definitely got into it and backing team New Zealand.”

Shooter Grace Nweke shapes as having a long term future in the Silver Ferns as the side’s re-builds after their world championship success in Liverpool in 2019.
Photo: Photosport

Nweke, who has a twin brother and four other siblings, said a trip to Nigeria would be amazing.

“I haven’t been back home and I really really want to go. I think it would just be such an opportunity to really understand who I am.

“When people ask me where I’m from I say I’m from New Zealand, I’m a Kiwi because I am but I feel like there’s this huge side of me that I don’t know and so I really want to go back sooner rather than later.”

Nweke said becoming the first player of African descent to represent the Silver Ferns was bigger than just her family.

“I just never thought that this would be possible for me.

“I think it’s more special to me and my family to give other migrant girls and other migrant people an opportunity to see that they can do it too and you can represent New Zealand, no matter what you look like and where you’ve come from.

“And you come here and there’s this connection of all being proud Kiwis and being able to represent where you’re from. It’s more than just me and playing netball as the first African but also what it means for everyone else.”

At home in the black dress

The Commonwealth Games were a massive learning curve for Nweke.

She went to Birmingham with just four Test caps to her name and none of those had been full games.

“I think the biggest take away was the lessons and just the opportunity to have that experience at a pinnacle event and I think I’m definitely better for it.”

Nweke had her best game in the black dress in the bronze medal match – shooting 44 at 92 percent – against veteran England defender Geva Mentor.

The contrast was like night and day to when she came up against Mentor three days prior when England beat New Zealand in pool play.

It was just a matter of time before Nweke would get the better of a world class defender and it gave her a a big confidence boost.

“Yeah definitely, coming off that initial game we played against them I knew there was room for me to grow and improve and I just wanted to go out there and be better.

“And that game meant so much for the whole team and obviously it was an opportunity to get bronze and I’m really happy with I guess knowing that I can match up against some of the worlds best defenders.”

Grace Nweke made her debut during last year’s series against England.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The pressure of being a goal shooter on the international stage is immense and Nweke said it had taken a while for her to figure out what works for her.

“I’ve just learnt to leave absolutely everything on the court in terms of what gets given to me.

“You know I’ll take the hits, I’m happy to be the guy they want to beat up but that’s okay and just know that when you get the kitchen sink thrown at you, they’ve got nothing else to give.

“I’ve really learnt to just be present in the moment, focus on what I’m good at and what my strengths are and let all the other things just happen.”

Earlier this year, Nweke found herself in a race against time to get over a foot injury so she could bib up for the Mystics in the finals of the ANZ Premiership, and also be fit in time for the Commonwealth Games.

“I look back on it now and I think I really struggled actually. I was juggling university on top of it, and then the question of how bad was the ankle and not wanting to re-injure it and it was actually really challenging.

“A lot was said about the team that wasn’t very nice and it was a hard place for the whole team I think.

“It’s been such a big lesson and I’ve learnt to give more than just what I can on the court, like being a better team-mate. Hats off to people who struggle with injuries because even just being out for four or five weeks was such a challenge.”

New Zealand netball fans will delight at the prospect of Nweke pairing up with Ameliaranne Ekenasio, who’s back captaining the side after 18 months.

One of Ekenasio’s strengths at goal attack is her ability to look after her goal shooter and it could prove to be a fruitful combination.

Tonight’s game at Auckland’s Eventfinda Stadium starts at 7:30pm. The second test is in South Auckland tomorrow.