Irene can’t wait for March
Irene van Dyk will be working on her tan this summer before she pulls on a yellow Wellington netball dress for the first time in 11 years.
Van Dyk signed with the Central Pulse for the 2014 ANZ Championship after Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic coach Noeline Taurua stepped down.
Van Dyk’s Pulse debut will be against the Adelaide Thunderbirds at Porirua’s Te Rauparaha Arena on March 3.
‘‘I’m going do a lot of sunbathing this summer so I rock that yellow dress in March,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m very excited. The more I think about it, the more excited I become.’’
There were no regrets about leaving the Magic.
‘‘It was the right time and the right decision. I definitely have made the right choice,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m really appreciating the time at home. I’ve been home [from the Silver Ferns camp] now for a week and it’s great.
‘‘I can do all these things now that I didn’t have time for before. I can actually wash my windows.
‘‘I’m looking forward to always being in the same town as the rest of my family. ‘‘Things like being able to take [daughter] Bianca to rowing at 6am and not having to travel on a plane to training.
‘‘I’m also excited to give back to the community where I live and doing all the promotional things as well.’’
Van Dyk said she worked on her shooting about six hours a week during the season, and a bit less in the lead-up.
She was focused on ensuring she was fit for the first game, at Te Rauparaha Arena.
She wanted to build relationships with her new team-mates and work on differ- ent aspects of her game, after being benched for the Silver Ferns’ last two games against Australia in the Constellation Cup.
‘‘I would have loved to play Laura Geitz [Australian Diamonds and Queensland Firebirds defender] again, but I didn’t get the chance,’’ she said.
‘‘I will be hanging out for the ANZ champs to do that.
‘‘ I will remember everything that happened in the second test that didn’t go my way.’’
Central Pulse memberships have sold out and van Dyk said that was important.
‘‘The Wellington crowd have always been amazing and really passionate about their netball,’’ she said.
‘‘ It shows that people are just as excited about next season as we are.
‘‘It’s fantastic.’’