Sports · 2026-10-28 · Afternoon briefing

Netball: Australia denies New Zealand a Constellation Cup sweep

Australia’s Diamonds defeated New Zealand’s Silver Ferns 68-58 in the final match of the Constellation Cup, in front of a sold-out crowd of 9,471 in Melbourne. The victory prevented a 4-0 series clean sweep for New Zealand, though the Silver Ferns still claimed the trophy with a 3-1 overall series win.

The win was built on consistency. Australia fielded an unchanged lineup for the entire 60 minutes, a stark contrast to New Zealand's coach Noeline Taurua, who made 19 substitutions in an attempt to disrupt the Australian attack. Georgie Horjus, named Player of the Match, was pivotal for the Diamonds, scoring 26 goals.

While New Zealand took home the cup, Australia maintained a local dominance, extending its 11-year undefeated record against the Silver Ferns in Melbourne. In a sign of her series-long impact, New Zealand’s Grace Nweke was named the inaugural recipient of the Plummer-Aitken Medal as the tournament's standout player.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• Netball: Silver Ferns denied clean sweep of Australian Diamonds in Constellation Cup
• Netball fans divided after Diamonds dudded in controversial moment against New Zealand
• Diamonds name Sarah Klau in Constellation Cup squad to face Silver Ferns
• 'Remorseful' Klau in Diamonds' Constellation Cup squad

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