Mix of stability and youthful energy for Magic
Armed with a stable core, a healthy influx of rising young talent and a commitment to establishing viable player pathways, AVIS Magic enter the 2026 ANZ Premiership with a fresh outlook
After losing some experienced campaigners, Magic coach Mary-Jane Araroa is relishing the opportunity to build a team on the back of a loyal backbone while also introducing a cast of youngsters in determining the future direction of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty franchise.
"I am really happy with the mix I’ve got,’’ Araroa said. "The girls that have come in really complement the players that we have retained, especially the ones who went to Gibraltar with the NZ U21s. That experience for them at an international level really puts them into a good space around what it takes to be an elite athlete.
"They’re a neat bunch of kids and with them coming into our fold, they bring a good vibe, good energy and will really complement our core group of players.’’
Alongside an established stable of shooter Saviour Tui, midcourters Ariana Cable-Dixon, Georgia Edgecombe and Ali Wilshier, and defenders Oceane Mahi and Erena Mikaere, Araroa also has a quality line-up of up-and-coming talent in the form of Kate Taylor (shooter), Sarah Guiney (shooter) and defender Losa Fifita (defender) who were part of the NZ U21 silver medal-winning team at last year’s Netball World Youth Cup.
A fourth fellow U21 team member Kaiya Kepa was also originally named in the team but has been ruled out of the season with a serious knee injury and replaced by former training partner and NZU21 trialist Brooklyn Murray.
Taylor was a part of last year’s Magic team but is likely to see more game time this year while her fellow U21 team-mates can expect to push the more established players for court time.
As part of the High Performance Sport NZ programme, Te Hāpaitanga, a holistic coach development initiative enabling more females to pursue and maintain careers in high performance coaching in New Zealand, Araroa was delighted with the opportunity to have some personal development time with the West Tigers NRL team and coach Benji Marshall in Sydney during the pre-season.
"It was an outstanding experience,’’ Araroa said. ``Benji is also from Whakatane and he’s had a similar journey to mine, where both our franchises have struggled financially, and as coaches we’ve had to really rebuild our organisations.
"I wanted to learn from him how to separate the issues, how you stay in the performance mode when you’re so deep in trying to rebuild and the other thing was around the concept of momentum shifts with the team.’’
The time spent with Marshall, his staff and the team were invaluable for Araroa, who has been invited back into the environment when the Tigers play the Warriors in Auckland on March 27 where she will observe the entire lead-in to the game.
Connections, growth and commitment are the three pillars the Magic are building their 2026 campaign on.
"If we keep stepping forward with those key principles, it will be a very enjoyable season,’’ Araroa said.
"And that’s what I want to do too, I want to enjoy it because it’s been really tough trying to pull a franchise out of administration. You can very easily end up in a rut and forget about enjoying what we actually do. And so far, it’s been very enjoyable.
"With those older players who have gone over to Australia to play or have retired, it has opened the door for these young ones and focussed on the pathways we have within Waikato Bay of Plenty.
"We’re really stoked that we now have an opportunity that we can facilitate that a bit more and these girls who have diligently been working away, now get an opportunity.’’