In the face of challenging times for Netball Central’s high performance teams, well-travelled midcourter Jazz Scott struck all the right notes when helping achieve a smooth start to the season for both.
With Covid having a decimating effect, Central’s sister teams, Manawa and Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse had their seasons delayed, but showed the close connections between the pair when a combined effort resulted in successful strikes to open their respective campaigns.
Either side of helping Manawa secure a handsome 57-46 first-up win over Waikato Bay of Plenty in the Synergy Hair Netball League, Scott was one of several of her team-mates included as bench cover for the Pulse’s double-header. And she ended up with some decent minutes in the higher echelon.
``We play against them (Pulse) often in training. They’re a really good group and just make you feel comfortable immediately,’’ Scott said.
``While it was great to get the opportunity, it also felt very comfortable taking the court with them. They just do their jobs out there, so it made it easy for me coming on.’’
Originally from the picturesque city of Bath in south west England, Scott is in her second year with Manawa after arriving in New Zealand nearly four years ago. She spent the first two years cooling her heels while fulfilling the overseas player requirements which were in place at the time.
Playing centre last year and wing defence in the openers this year, Scott is also an accomplished wing attack, making her the complete midcourter after forging her resume for Team Bath in the UK’s Superleague.
Contracted as an 18-year-old, Scott spent six years with Team Bath where she rubbed shoulders with England internationals Serena Guthrie, Pamela Cookey, Ebony Beckford-Chambers and Layla Guscott before her partner was offered a university lecturing job in Wellington.
``I had previously done some travelling here and loved it, so I encouraged him 100 percent to go for it,’’ she said.
``It was really cool getting on the court for the Pulse in that first game. All the girls back home from Team Bath, including Jess Thirlby (current England coach) and Anna Mayes (former England coach), who were the coaches when I was there, were all really supportive and pretty stoked about me getting on court.
``So, I was flooded with messages and support after that, then got to play again the next day against Magic.’’
Scott’s dad, being her biggest supporter, was also rising at 3am on the other side of the world to watch his girl in action.
Scott is looking at staying put with residency applications underway.
``We love it here,’’ she said. ``It suits our outdoorsy lifestyle, the netball’s a great standard and it was just awesome to get an opportunity to support the girls and get on the court.’’
Scott, who turned 28 on Monday, has high expectations for Manawa.
``Our aim is to be a champion team, we’re here to win it,’’ she said.
``There’s a real good mix of youth and maturity. Renee (Matoe) and I are a little bit of the mothers, we’re a bit older than the rest and then we’ve got teenagers at the other end of the scale. As the older players, our job is to support and help them become the players they want to be.’’
A learning advisor, Scott works for a government initiative improving the health and well-being of tamariki (children) in low decile schools, which is focused on building the capability of teachers ``in that space, for our little tamariki to have a better lifestyle.’’
Manawa meet the defending champion Northern Marvels in Auckland on Sunday ready to lift a notch or two.
``One hundred percent, we can be better,’’ Scott said.
``We’ve only had one official match-play outing this season and we can only improve on that. We’ve just got to maintain our high periods of play and eliminate the low patches.’’