Malawi Queens shooter Mwawi Kumwenda-M’bwana will return to netball action in the 2026 season after signing for her former Australian club Peninsula Waves.
Both Waves and Mwawi’s manager Hlupikile Chalamba have confirmed the lofty shooter will play in the Victorian Netball League (VNL), which provides a pathway for talented athletes to develop and showcase their abilities in a competitive pre-elite performance environment.
At the start of this year, Mwawi secured a two-year deal with Waves but was later released to join Australian top-league side West Coast Fever as temporary replacement for Jamaican shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who announced her pregnancy but later claimed her place for the 2025 season following a miscarriage.
Prior to that, Mwawi was adjusting to life as a new mother and was focusing on recovery and family while assessing the right moment to resume competitive netball.
Waves, a team that Mwawi signed for her first professional netball contract in 2011, have written on their Facebook page about the 36-year-old’s return to the netball courts in the next season that throws off in April 2026.
“MJ is back!!! Peninsula Waves are thrilled to announce that Mwai Kumwenda will return to Peninsula Waves in 2026,” the club’s statement reads in part.
“An absolute superstar, who has achieved so much already in her netball journey, from village courts to the world stage she has been defined by accuracy and composure in the big-matches. Her contribution to the club, even though short, was fantastic and we know she will bring her experience and work rate to our Championship team in 2026!”
On her part, Chalamba said Mwawi’s return to Waves is a continuation of the two-year contract she initially signed with the club before she was temporarily released to Fever as a replacement player in 2025.
“Mwawi is very excited to be back with the Waves family, a place that has always felt like home to her, and looks forward to contributing her experience to the team’s Championship campaign,” she said.
Chalamba, who is also Mwawi’s cousin, added that as her family and management are proud of the player’s ability to combine motherhood with professional netball excellence in Australia.
“We sincerely appreciate the unwavering support she continues to receive from Malawians at home and abroad, as well as from fans around the world, who have stood by her throughout her journey,” she said.
Mwawi’s manager said the upcoming 2026 Championship with Waves is less intensive as the team trains once a week and plays one game per week, which allows her to balance family life and competition comfortably.
About the specifics of Mwawi’s contract with Waves, Chalamba said they can not be disclosed as they are confidential, but reflect the mutual respect between her and the club.
“It takes into account her professional achievements, leadership and her new role as a mother. Both parties are happy with the arrangement and are looking forward to a fulfilling 2026 season together,” she said.
Mwawi, who won the Australian Premiership with Melbourne Vixens, missed the 2024 season due to the birth of her first child.
The Malawi Queens star is the country’s first overseas netball export and one of the best professional netball players in the world, having won the Player of the Tournament at the 2015 Netball World Cup and the MVP in the 2020 Super Netball Grand Final.
She first became an overseas professional in 2011 when Waves signed her following her stellar performance during the 2009 Under-21 Netball World Youth Cup in Cook Island.
