Malawi’s global netball star Mwawi Kumwenda-M’bwana’s playing time at her new Australian top-flight league club West Coast Fever in the 2025 season has been cut short after being turned into the club’s training partner.
Initially, Mwawi was named as a temporary replacement for shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard’ for the 2025 season after the Jamaican star announced her pregnancy, which rendered her out of competitive netball for the entire season.
But Australian publication Sportsmax reported on Tuesday that there is now a new twist as five-time Suncorp Super Netball Most Valuable Player winner Fowler-Nembhard is set for an early return to the court following her miscarriage.
This means Mwawi will be training with the club, but will no longer be having game time once Fowler-Nembhard is declared fit to return to action.
In an interview yesterday, Mwawi’s manager and cousin Hlupikile Chalamba said the forrmer Melbourne Vixens star has accepted the training partner offer “and she remains focused, resilient and grateful for the support she continues to receive from Fever, fans, teammates and the wider netball community”.
She said: “Mwawi was honoured to step in as a replacement for Fowler-Nembhard during a difficult and emotional time. She has trained and prepared with the utmost professionalism and commitment throughout this period.
“Following Fowler-Nembhard’s official notice to return to the court in accordance with Netball Australia’s competition rules and employment standards, Mwawi will continue contributing to the club as a training partner.
“This decision is procedural and does not reflect on Mwawi’s talent or value as a player, but rather on contractual obligations and player welfare policies.”
Chalamba said Mwawi is a proud Malawian and a global ambassador for netball, who remains committed to excellence on and off the court.
“We kindly ask for continued respect and support for both Mwawi and Jhaniele as they navigate this sensitive period in their careers,” said Chalamba.
According to Sportsmax, Netball Australia confirmed that under competition guidelines and national employment standards, Fowler-Nembhard was entitled to reclaim her position with four weeks’ notice and Fever confirmed she complied.
Each Super Netball team is allowed to have 10 contracted players and sign an official 11th player. Mwawi’s contract meant that the Fever squad was full for the 2025 season.
“In this situation, Jhaniele is entitled to return to her pre-parental leave position with four weeks’ notice. The replacement player
[Mwawi] and the Fever would then have an opportunity to negotiate a training partner contract,” the publication quoted Netball Australia spokesperson.
The publication further says the development has been met with both relief and sympathy across the netball community, given the sensitive and unprecedented nature of the situation.
It further reported that as Fowler-Nembhard re-enters the training environment, Mwawi, who had relocated her family to West Australia and debuted for Fever last Sunday in a loss to NSW Swifts, will be offered a new contract as a training partner once Fowler-Nembhard is medically cleared to compete.
Meanwhile, Australian Netball Players Association chief executive officer Kathryn Harby-Williams has said: “We are pleased a fair outcome has been reached for both players.”
Mwawi, who won the Australian Premiership with Melbourne Vixens, missed the 2024 season due to the birth of her first child.
The 35-year-old 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 Australian club Pensular Waves signed her following her stellar performance during the2009 Under-21 Netball World Youth Cup in Cook’s Island.
