Crampton becomes third former Silver Fern to sign to 2024 Australian comp

Former Silver Ferns captain Gina Crampton has joined the Sydney based Giants as a training partner for the 2024 Super Netball season in Australia.

It makes her the third former Silver Fern to sign with an Australian franchise for this season, along with Sam Winders and Elle Temu.

Winders is a full member of the Giants, coached by Julie Fitzgerald, who had a three-year coaching stint in New Zealand at the Magic between 2013 and 2016.

Crampton announced in June last year that she would be taking a break from the Silver Ferns and the ANZ Premiership competition in 2024 to be with her partner in New York, who plays professional rugby.

Following a relocation to Sydney, the 32-year-old reached out to the Giants to see what opportunities there were for her to join the squad.

The livewire midcourter has 70 international caps to her name and will add a wealth of experience to the Giants environment.

Defender Elle Temu, who has four test caps for New Zealand, has been named as a training partner for the New South Wales Swifts.

Temu moved to Australia to join her partner, Wests Tigers NRL star Isaiah Papali'i, in Sydney.

The Sydney based Swifts are coached by Briony Akle, who has just finished a specialist coaching stint with the Silver Ferns for their series in England.

Underpinning the main rostered squad of 10, training partners train most days with the senior team and can be called into the main playing group as injury replacements.

Under Netball NZ policy Winders, Temu, and Crampton won't be eligible for selection in the Silver Ferns this year as players must be signed with an ANZ Premiership team.

Just a handful of New Zealand players have played in the Super Netball competition since its inception in 2017.

The last was Silver Fern legend Laura Langman, who retired at the end of her final season with the Sunshine Coast Lightning in 2020.