The ANZ Premiership has returned for another season, with last year's minor premiers, the Wellington Pulse, facing off against the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic over the weekend.

The 2024 finalists kicked off their 2025 season with a convincing 57-44 victory over the Magic. They set the tone for the match by outscoring the Magic 15-6 in the first quarter, which laid the groundwork for their success.

Magic captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio made some impressive shots under the new two-point rule, but it wasn't enough to close the gap.

Pulse shooter Amelia Walmsley had an outstanding game, scoring 39 goals at 95 per cent accuracy. Saviour Tui converted two of her 10 attempts, while injury replacement Amorangi Malesala scored four from six and played a crucial role in the last five minutes of each quarter when the double-scoring zone was in effect.

Pulse goal attack Tiana Metuarau celebrated her remarkable milestone of 100 games with the Pulse, skilfully working the ball into Walmsley. The defensive performance was exceptional, with Parris Mason making several crucial intercepts.

Pulse captain Kelly Jackson says they were lucky to have such talented shooters in the circle, adding that she was pleased her team maintained a significant lead.

"Amorangi is a huge asset to our team and thankful that we've been able to bring in someone with such experience and confidence out wide, and she just complements our game style well," Jackson told RNZ Sport.

"We knew that those shots are Ameliaranne's strengths, and it was a focus of ours to be able to just continue to put up the ones and keep the scoreboard ticking over because we know they are a team that can hunt down a scoreline.

"We surprised everyone else. We have had a very unsettled pre-season with various injuries and illnesses, but the best thing about our environment is that when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and we work our way through it," Jackson says.

Ekenasio reflected on her team's performance: "We just weren't good enough; we didn't show up. We prepped well, so we're disappointed in what we put out in comparison to what we've been consistently putting out in training every week. We'll go back and we'll train hard and take on the next game, I think it's a real humbling reality check for us.

"Have to give it to Pulse, they are always a quality team, and that's what we were expecting; however, we definitely did this one to ourselves, we didn't take on the game right from the start."

Maddy Gordon and Whitney Souness both received court time as they approach full fitness. Australian netballer Gabi Simpson also provided injury cover for the Pulse and impressed during her three quarters at centre.

New Pulse netball coach Anna Andrews-Tasola, who was appointed in 2024 to lead Te Wānanga o Raukawa, says her first year in top-level competition has been challenging.

In an interview with Susnation Seta on PMN Cook Islands ahead of the season opener on Saturday, the former Cook Islands netball player and coach discussed her inaugural coaching season with the Pulse since taking over from Yvette McCausland-Durie.

Watch Anna Andrews-Tasola's full interview below.

Wellington Pulse head coach Anna Andrews-Tasola. Photo/WellingtonPulse

Andrews-Tasola, who was the Pulse's assistant coach for two seasons and specialist shooting coach for 2020 and 2021, has since made a stellar start to her first season as head coach.

Despite the challenges, the Pulse managed to host a grand final but lost by one point, which was disappointing for the community.

"We had multiple injuries, unfortunately, at the beginning of the season where pretty much our whole attacking lineup sustained like freakish injuries, nothing that could have been managed or anything like that," Andrews-Tasola says.

"The team had to dig deep and we had players come in and help us out and through all of that we were able to get through to hosting a grand final being premieres after the round robin, which is an amazing achievement and having grand final at home, but unfortunately we lost just at the end there by one.

"We're pretty heartbroken about it, to be honest. We wanted to get that win for our community as well in the central zone in Wellington. It's inspired us a lot to be able to get back out there this year."

Pulse centre Maddy Gordon wins possession against the Magic. Photo/photosport

Andrews-Tasola's coaching focus is on winning and preparing players for international competition while also upholding team values and serving as role models in the community.

"We had a plan D, E, F, and G to be honest, but like full credit to the team, they're amazing young women who I'm super proud of. They understood that we could only do this together, so anyone who did come into our environment, they wrapped their arms around them, supported them to make sure that they could be the best that they could be.

"We had seven debutantes as well that came in and proud of the way that they took on the challenge and also that they thrived in our environment. That's full credit to the athletes, them as individuals, our wider team, but also to our performance staff as well, who made sure that they were the best that they could possibly be.

"The ones who were returning from their injuries worked really, really hard and made sure that they were competing as well when they were healthy. Something to be proud of, but disappointed to not get over the line for that final win."

Looking ahead, Andrews-Tasola says that while their pre-season started with some injuries, the team is excited about new game rules, including a two-point rule in the last five minutes of each quarter.

Watch Anna Andrews-Tasola's full interview below.

Who is Anna Andrews-Tasola?

She was Pulse's assistant coach for the past two seasons and worked as a specialist shooting coach in 2020 and 2021.

She was involved with the Pulse feeder team, Central Manawa, for six years, including three years as the head coach. In 2022, she was honoured as the National Netball League Coach of the Year while also serving as Pulse's assistant.

Born in Porirua, Andrews-Tasola completed her education in Sydney before returning to Wellington at the age of 17. As a goal shooter, she played two seasons in the previous national league during the early 2000s - first with the Capital Shakers, where she played alongside New Zealand and South African netball legends Irene van Dyk and Jodi Brown, and later with the Western Flyers.

Andrews-Tasola's coaching journey started 15 years ago when the coach of her Convent Old Girls' premier side in the Hutt Valley competition was unavailable one Saturday. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mystics v Stars. Photo/northernmystics.co.nz/file

In other Round One results, the defending champions, the Northern Mystics, defeated the Northern Stars 71-55, and the Canterbury Tactix overcame the Southern Steel from Invercargill 57-50.

In Round Two: The Mystics face the Pulse on Saturday, the Stars take on the Tactix on Sunday, and the Magic and Steel will battle it out on Monday.