A Story of Quiet Success: Brianna Ferguson and the National Tertiary Netball Championship

At UTSNZ, we strive to create a space where students of all levels, motivations, and personalities can thrive and find their place in the wider tertiary sporting community. This vision comes to life through stories like Brianna Ferguson’s—a tale of quiet achievement, where hard work and determination take centre stage over recognition. For Brianna, representing the University of Canterbury in the National Tertiary Netball Championship is simply business as usual, as she steps into the shooting circle for the third time at the national tertiary level.

This year, once again there is plenty on the line. The race for the National Tertiary Championship shield has come down to the final event of the series, with UC emerging as the new leaders after a strong showing in basketball over the weekend. With a five-point lead over the University of Auckland, UC must finish fifth or higher in this weekend’s netball competition to secure the top spot and retain the shield. UOA will need to finish five places ahead of UC to reclaim the title. If a tie occurs, UOA holds the tiebreaker, with four NTC titles to UC’s three. We hope Brianna’s calm and focused approach pays off in this high-pressure situation, as her team battles to bring home not just the netball win, but the overall National Tertiary Championship Series title.

This story is brought to you by Beka Hunt, Ara New Zealand Broadcasting School student, who captures Brianna’s journey and the excitement surrounding this final showdown.

A Story of Quiet Success - Brianna Ferguson and the National Tertiary Netball Championship

Brianna Ferguson is no stranger to the National Tertiary Netball Championship, returning this year for the third time. She will be representing University of Canterbury in the shooting circle and is hoping to help her team win the tournament for a second year running. Her story is a testament to the strength of students who work tirelessly and quietly to achieve at a high level.

If you were to meet Brianna for the first time, you wouldn’t assume she’s played in representative netball teams since she was 13. Instead, you might chat about her Speech Language Pathology degree, or her home in Southland.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that Brianna could rattle off a lengthy list of accomplishments from her netball career- but she won’t. Like many athletes at the tournament, she sees her experience as a gift and continues to keep a modest stance on her talent.

Brianna first began playing netball at the Menzies Netball Center in Southland when she was just seven years old. Her older sister played, and Brianna was itching to join in. At 13, she was picked by Eastern Southland for their U14 representative team. To Brianna, this was the start of her high-level netball career, and she was selected for representative teams every year onwards.

In 2022, Brianna moved to Christchurch to study at the University of Canterbury. Determined to enter the health field, she applied for speech pathology- a degree that sounded interesting (albeit niche). In the same year, she played for UC and was selected for the Christchurch U18 representative team, which went on to win the National U18 championship. The ultimate balancing act that, in her eyes, was an opportunity for growth.

“It certainly was a learning curve at the beginning,” Brianna said, “but I was super lucky to have a strong support network. My family, friends, flat mates and even my coaches, have been amazing at reaching out and checking on me.”

This year, Brianna is looking forward to seeing her old teammates at the National Tertiary Netball Championship and meeting new ones. She says the weekend is an opportunity to improve her game, as it brings together so many talented players.

“It can definitely be scary, but you have to be brave and put yourself out there. I always try to make myself into a wee sponge, to try to absorb as much information as I can. It’s a privilege really, there's so much knowledge that other players are willing to share”.

To this day, Brianna's older sister is her biggest inspiration in the sport. The two played together in school, and for the Hearts Saint Peters club in the Christchurch Premier grade this year. Once the tournament is over, Brianna will go back to study as though she didn't just represent her university at a national level for the third time. As is the case for many tertiary players; it’s all in a day's work.

Written by Beka Hunt, Ara New Zealand Broadcasting School Student

ENDS