The defending champion VIP Frames & Trusses Tactix have been forced to dig deep to maintain their unbeaten status after claiming a seven-goal thriller over the Avis Magic in Hamilton.
Round 3 of the ANZ Premiership sees early-season momentum begin to take shape, with one unbeaten side, one still searching for its first win, and several evenly matched contenders looking to settle into the competition.
Defending champions VIP Frames & Trusses Mainland Tactix put their marker in the ground to remain unbeaten after posting a gritty 53-48 win over Te Wānanga o Raukawa Central Pulse in Christchurch on Sunday.
Round 2 of the 2026 ANZ Premiership is set to deliver a compelling weekend of elite domestic netball, with historic rivalries, milestone moments and early-season momentum on the line.
Based in Christchurch and representing the Canterbury region, the Tactix were formed in 2008 after playing in the Coca-Cola/National Bank Cup national leagues as the Canterbury Flames.
The Tactix were one of the founding teams at the start of the semi-professional era for netball which heralded the introduction of the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship in 2008. When that competition ended in 2016, they became one of the six teams to form the standalone elite New Zealand domestic league, the ANZ Premiership.
The Tactix struggled throughout the ANZ Championship but during the ANZ Premiership era have emerged as real challengers, going on to finish runners-up in the 2020 and 2021 Grand Finals.
Helen Mahon-Stroud was appointed the Tactix first head coach in 2008 while Julie Seymour was the team’s first captain.
The Tactix playing strip is in the traditional Canterbury colours of red and black. The team’s main home venues are Christchurch Arena, MainPower Stadium Rangiora and Cowles Stadium, Christchurch.
