Shannon Saunders (, born 12 October 1990) is a New Zealand netball player, who is currently contracted to the Southern Steel in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. Saunders, who is a predominantly a midcourter has played for Otago in the National Provincial Championships since 2010. She made the New Zealand under 21 squad in 2011 and played against Australia in three tests. She was later named in the FastNet Ferns squad to compete the World Netball Series, in Liverpool in late November. Saunders joined Silver Fern players Irene van Dyk,

Maria Tutaia Solonaima Maria Folau (née Tuta'ia; born 18 February 1987 in Tokoroa, New Zealand) is a retired New Zealand netball player. She played regularly for the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns. Early life Folau was born Solonaima M ...

and Katrina Grant in the side. She was named in the Silver Ferns for the Australian leg of the 2012 Quad Series, although she was not capped. While playing international netball, Saunders completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Otago graduating in 2012. Shannon was also an exceptional sprinter while at school.

Netball career

Saunders started with the Southern Steel in 2012 as a midcourter and was captain in the

2021 ANZ Premiership season The 2021 ANZ Premiership season is the fifth season of the ANZ Premiership, the premier domestic netball league in New Zealand. The league will be contested by six teams from around New Zealand, with a total of 45 matches to be played between April ...

. Saunders played her 150th game for Steel in the

2022 ANZ Premiership season The 2022 ANZ Premiership season was the sixth season of Netball New Zealand's ANZ Premiership. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, co-captained by Kelly Jury and Tiana Metuarau and featuring Aliyah Dunn, Erikana Pedersen and Whitne ...

, this marked only the third time a player had done this behind

Casey Williams Casey May Kopua (née Williams; born 19 June 1985) is a retired New Zealand international netball player and former captain of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Kopua became a member ...

and Wendy Frew.

Personal life

Saunders was selected for the

2022 Commonwealth Games The 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Birmingham 2022, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations that took place in Birmingham, England bet ...

in Birmingham and announced her pregnancy shortly after in August 2022.

References

1990 births Living people New Zealand netball players Southern Steel players ANZ Championship players Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand Netball players at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games medallists in netball People educated at Motueka High School Netball players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games 2019 Netball World Cup players 2015 Netball World Cup players New Zealand international Fast5 players New Zealand international netball players Netball players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games {{NewZealand-netball-bio-stub