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Netball New Zealand's decision to allow the Canterbury Tactix to sign English import Rachel Dunn has angered some Kiwi franchises, who believe ANZ Championship officials are not upholding the competition rules.
Dunn has joined the Tactix for the remainder of the season after former Silver Fern Jodi Brown announced she is taking immediate time out for the birth of her first child.
Netball NZ granted the Tactix special dispensation to sign the 1.87m shooter as a second ineligible player alongside Australian defender Demelza Fellowes.
The import rules for Kiwi teams state franchises can sign up to two ineligible players - but one must be a New Zealand resident or citizen.
The clause was made with the likes of the Central Pulse's Frances Solia and Northern Mystics shooter Catherine Latu in mind. Both are ineligible to play for the Silver Ferns after playing for Samoa at the last World Champs, but have grown up and played all their netball in New Zealand.
Netball NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said the national body has allowed the Tactix to sign a second overseas player because there were no suitable local players.
"The Tactix sent through a very thorough application which had investigated all of the opportunities for a New Zealand player, but there was no New Zealander of sufficient standard to play in the ANZ Championship and therefore we felt that approving Rachel Dunn was the right thing to do," said Castle.
But the Kiwi franchises have argued there is nowhere in the rulebook that allows Netball New Zealand to make such a dispensation.
The five New Zealand franchises, Netball NZ and Tasman Trophy Netball Limited (TTNL) all agreed to the conditions on imports under the collective player agreement.
Mystics chief executive Mark Cameron said while he had sympathy with the Tactix situation, the rules cannot be changed mid-way through the season and he is urging the ANZ Championship office to act.
"This is about the application of the rules, and if they're not applied fairly and consistently then they open the door for mistreatment in future situations.
"Netball NZ by all means should make a decision on whether franchises can sign imports, but then it's up to TTNL to impose the rules, and under what rule has this second ineligible player been allowed to play?"
Cameron said if the other Kiwi franchises had known Netball NZ would allow teams to sign a second overseas import if they deemed the local players to be not up to scratch, then they, too, would have applied for a second import.
Cameron believes the Tactix should have to choose between their two imports.
It is not the first time Netball NZ has come under fire over their stance on ineligible players. Given their Australian counterparts are able to sign two imports without any restrictions, the Kiwi sides have argued there should be one universal import rule.
Castle said the body will review eligibility rules at the end of the season, but is not promising changes.
"We don't have the rules in place just to be difficult, we have them there because we believe we have to develop talent that is capable of playing not only on the ANZ stage, but also on the international stage."
