# Northern Stars

Northern Stars are a New Zealand netball team based in South Auckland. Since 2017 they have competed in the ANZ Premiership. The team was named after the Matariki star cluster which is also featured on the team's logo. They were grand finalists in 2019 and 2021.

## History
### Formation

After Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand announced that the ANZ Championship would be discontinued after the 2016 season, Netball New Zealand subsequently replaced it with the ANZ Premiership. The founding members of the ANZ Premiership included the five former New Zealand ANZ Championship teams – Central Pulse, Mainland Tactix, Northern Mystics, Southern Steel and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic – plus a brand new franchise, the South Auckland-based Northern Stars. The team was named after the Matariki star cluster which is also featured on the team's logo. Former Melbourne Vixens head coach, Julie Hoornweg, was named Stars inaugural head coach and Leana de Bruin became their first captain. Other members of the inaugural squad included vice captain Courtney Tairi plus Kayla Cullen, Maia Wilson, Malia Paseka and Sulu Fitzpatrick.

### ANZ Premiership

Since 2017, Stars have played in the ANZ Premiership. They were grand finalists in 2019. In 2022, Stars were grand finalists for a second time.

#### Regular season statistics

| Season | Position | Won | Lost |
| 2017 | 5th | 4 | 11 |
| 2018 | 6th | 4 | 11 |
| 2019 | 3rd | 6 | 9 |
| 2020 | 4th | 5 | 7 |
| 2021 | 4th | 9 | 6 |
| 2022 | 2nd | 11 | 4 |
| 2023 | 3rd | 9 | 6 |
Grand finalists

## Grand finals
### ANZ Premiership

| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up | Venue |
| 2019 | Central Pulse | 52–48 | Northern Stars | Te Rauparaha Arena |
| 2022 | Central Pulse | 56–37 | Northern Stars | TSB Bank Arena |
| 2023 | Northern Mystics | 74–56 | Northern Stars | Globox Arena |

## Home venues

Since 2018, Stars main home venue has been Takanini's Pulman Arena.
| | Years |
| Pulman Arena, Takanini | 2018– |
| Vodafone Events Centre | 2017 |
| ASB Kohimarama, Auckland | 2017 |

## Notable players
### Internationals
#### New Zealand

| Temepara Bailey Leana de Bruin Gina Crampton Monica Falkner Sulu Fitzpatrick Ellen Halpenny | Anna Harrison Jamie Hume Kayla Johnson Grace Kara Storm Purvis Elle Temu | Anna Thompson Courtney Tairi Mila Reuelu-Buchanan Malia Vaka Maia Wilson Katrina Rore |

#### England

* Ama Agbeze

#### Fiji

* Kelera Nawai-Caucau
* Afa Rusivakula

#### Samoa

* Julianna Naoupu

#### South Africa

* Leana de Bruin

#### Tonga

* Vika Koloto

#### Trinidad and Tobago

* Daystar Swift

### Captains

| | Years |
| Leana de Bruin | 2017, 2019 |
| Grace Kara | 2018, 2020 |
| Maia Wilson | 2021– |

## Coaches
### Head coaches

| Coach | Years |
| Julie Hoornweg | 2016–2017 |
| Kiri Wills | 2017– |

### Assistant coaches

| Coach | Years |
| Temepara Bailey | 2017–2020 |
| Paula Smith | 2021– |

## Main sponsors

| Sponsors | Seasons |
| Robinhood | c. 2020– |

## Reserve team

Since 2017, Northern Comets have competed in the National Netball League. They are effectively the reserve team of Northern Stars. Comets were originally governed and managed by Netball Northern. However in November 2019, Northern Stars began to directly manage the team. In 2019, Temepara Bailey was appointed Comets head coach. In 2021 she guided Comets to the NNL grand final.

## Honours

* ANZ Premiership
** Runners Up: 2019, 2022, 2023