Rival captains keep one eye on the prize

The rival captains have come together at ILT Stadium Southland ahead of Wednesday night’s ANZ Premiership Grand Final.

Wendy Frew (Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel) and Katrina Grant (Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse) both keeping one eye on the glistening trophy.

For Grant, the Pulse come into the match as the underdogs but they’re riding a high since making Club history with their first finals appearance.

“We’re pretty pumped. It’s a short turnaround for us, but it just means you’re on the high and you carry it on for a couple of days. We just want to get into it,” Grant said.

“There’s a lot of belief in our team; winning the Elimination Final and coming to Invercargill – we’ve got nothing to lose and that’s dangerous.”

On the other side of the equation is Frew – captain of the undefeated Steel and with the home court advantage.

“There’s lots of excitement, we can’t wait to get out there. We’ve worked really hard to be in the position we’re in, there’s excitement and a wee bit of nerves but that’s normal when you come into a big match,” Frew said.

“We’re just so grateful for our fans – they’ve been wishing us well, there’s houses decorated. It’s special to be a part of and we’ll be aiming to deliver a good performance for them.”

The Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel and Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse will contest the ANZ Premiership Grand Final on Wednesday night at ILT Stadium Southland. NZ-based fans can catch all the action live on SKY Sport 1 and Radio Sport from 730pm. International fans (outside NZ) can tune in via the ANZ Premiership Facebook page.