By Stephanie Smarrelli
The last couple of years on the netball court were supposed to be Jane Watson’s last.
But at the age of 35, Watson, arguably one of the best defenders to ever pull on the black dress, is among a group of New Zealanders crossing the ditch.
After a stellar season with New Zealand’s Tactix, she had planned to step away from the sport, but then she received an opportunity too good to turn down.
“The GIANTS reached out right before my finals with Tactix,” she recalled.
“I put it on hold then had a chat with them after our final.
“After lots of discussions with my whānau (family) we decided we could make it work and it would be a really exciting opportunity.”
At the centre of those conversations was her daughter Tia.
Jane and her partner Santana welcomed Tia to the world in 2022 and with Santana’s strong connection to his Māori roots, the couple have been raising Tia to speak primarily in the Māori language.
“There are no kōhanga reo in Sydney, which is a daycare for children who speak Māori,” Watson said.
“Taking her away from that even though we'd still be speaking to her in Māori was a big part of our decision around how long my family will come over for.
Watson thought carefully about moving to the GIANTS before making the decision.“They're going to come around March for a few months, and then I'll go back there for short stints.
“The GIANTS were really supportive of that while working through my contract.”
While Watson is still new to the Māori language herself, she has thrown herself into learning and teaching it.
“I've been a registered teacher for years,” she said.
“I stopped teaching for about eight years and just played netball but after I made myself unavailable for Ferns, I started teaching again.
“I love it and have been teaching this year.
“I just started learning the language last year and even though the children are just five or six years old, teaching them in full immersion te reo Māori is always a learning and a challenge.”
Reflecting on her international career, Watson said she learned that netball’s lessons extend far beyond the court.
Watson comes to the GIANTS from the reigning champions in the ANZ Premiership."In professional sport you're in this fishbowl,” she said.
“Everybody can see when you’re performing or not performing but what's more important is knowing yourself.
"Netball teaches many things, it's not just playing for your country it's how you show up in your day-to-day life from your time management to discipline and everyday routine.
“If you don’t have those in place then you’re not going to be able to perform at your best.”
Returning to elite sport after having Tia has been one of her biggest challenges.
"Coming back from a baby and playing international netball was hard,” she said.
“My mind was there, but my body wasn't where I needed it to be.
Watson confessed going back to international netball after giving birth was challenging.“I've got it all back in the last couple of years but coming back from giving birth and going straight to that was challenging.”
As one of the newest GIANTS, Watson admitted she always hoped she’d be able to play in the world’s best league.
“I've always wanted to play at least a season in Aus,” she said.
“The opportunity hasn’t come for me before, so now the timing feels right.
"Everything happens for a reason.”
With experience and perspective on her side, the defender hopes to elevate those around her.
“I'm hoping I can add value to the team’s game,” she said.
"I'm not here to be the superstar I'm here to help.
“I’m excited to join the team and do my part whether that’s on or off the court.”
Since arriving in Sydney, she’s been relishing the new environment.
Watson feels now is the right time for her to tackle SSN.“After playing for so long having something fresh and challenging is scary but exciting and that's what I love about it,” she said.
"Meeting everybody new, having new training sessions and new coaches.
"Next year every team will be new which I'm super excited for.”
Watson had a warm welcome to Sydney with two of her teammates ensuring she felt part of the team from the get-go.
“Everybody’s been super nice,” she said.
“Matisse and Hope came and picked me up for my first training session which was really cool.”
While Watson’s career has been full of ups and downs, there’s no doubt she’s ready for the next chapter.
“It’s been a long journey, but it feels really fresh,” she said.
“I want to finish my career on a high, we’ll see how long I’ve got left.”
