Frew to retire at season's end

Southern Steel captain Wendy Frew has announced her retirement after 16 years of domestic and international netball.

Frew said yesterday she will retire from playing netball at the end of the Southern Steel’s 2018 campaign.

• This story was first published by RNZ

Frew (33) has spent her entire domestic netball career in the deep South — first with the Southern Sting in 2002 while she was still attend­ing high school.

It changed to the Southern Steel in 2008.

The mid-courter became vice-captain of the Steel in 2013 along with former team-mate Liana Leota.

‘‘I know the time is right for me so I just want to get on with the season now and do as much as I can to get the title and go back-to-back,’’ Frew said.

‘‘People are still playing past 33 but I know for me I’ve always wanted to finish my career still on the court, not sitting on the bench.

‘‘I’ve always been pretty big on that and, while I could keep chipping away for the next couple of years, I feel like I’m going out on my own terms.’’

The Southern Steel, along with other franchises, is secur­ing contracts for 2019 so Frew considered it important to let officials know her plans now.

Frew, who was recently named ILT Southland Sport­sperson of the Year, has fea­tured in 16 national cam­paigns for the southern franchise and racked up an impressive 170 elite-level games.

Frew’s return to the court has been inspirational.

She sustained injuries which required more than 70 stitches when the Steel’s van crashed in June last year and then ruptured her Achilles tendon just a month later.

‘‘If I’d retired last season, I [would have] felt like the Achilles injury would have defined my career and I wasn’t going to let that happen.

"It’s been hard yards but totally worth it,’’ she said.

"As a parent, there’s times when I am away a lot and in and out the door. It’s just something we’ve lived with but it will be nice to be 100% committed to them as a mum and wife.’’

Steel chief executive Lana Winders said it had been an ‘‘enormous privilege’’ to work alongside Frew.

‘‘Wendy is the epitome of everything that is strong and good about the Southern Steel — a shrewd inter­preter of the game, a complete leader and a generous giver of her heart, know­ledge and wisdom on and off the court to the players, the franchise and our fans,’’ Win­ders said.

‘‘Our focus now will be working with Wendy to deter­mine her future involvement with the Steel in a support role.’’