Knee injury rules Silver Ferns goal shoot Grace Nweke ruled out of Netball World Cup

Grace Nweke has been ruled out of the Netball World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

The Silver Ferns have been dealt a devastating blow at the Netball World Cup in South Africa, with shooter Grace Nweke ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury.

Nweke injured her knee in the Ferns’ pool match against Singapore and the team’s medical staff today confirmed that scans revealed a partial tear in her patella tendon.

Travelling reserve Tiana Metuarau has been called into the playing 12 for the remainder of the tournament.

Silver Ferns head coach Dame Noeline Taurua said it was a gutting blow for both Nweke and the team.

“We are hugely disappointed for Grace who was competing at her first Netball World Cup,” Taurua said. “She provides a unique skill set for our team and will be massively missed.

“The positive is that being able to carry travelling reserves to this Netball World Cup means we are able to bring Tiana in, who has been training with us throughout our build-up and is familiar with our structures and the players around her.

“This is not a scenario we were wanting but we are as prepared for it as we can be and move on to the next stage of the Netball World Cup and our match against Wales.”

The Silver Ferns take on Wales in their first crossover match at 9pm tonight (NZT) ahead of a rest day before meeting South Africa and Jamaica.