Silver Fern Maria Folau Adelaide-bound

New Zealand star Maria Folau will be taking her talents to the Torrens next year after joining the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Maria Folau passes the ball in last Sunday’s Quad Series Test against Australia.

New Zealand star Maria Folau will be taking her talents to the Torrens next year after joining an Adelaide Thunderbirds team in desperate need of help.

The Thunderbirds lost 27 of 28 Super Netball matches over the past two seasons, and parted ways with coach Dan Ryan and a swag of players in August.

This will be Folau’s first playing stint in Australia, a move made to be closer to her high-profile rugby union player husband, ­Israel.

She said yesterday the prospect of playing against a range of international defenders in Super Netball was “really enticing”.

When Maria announced her decision to leave New Zealand, many observers assumed she’d land in Sydney or Brisbane, where clubs were also chasing ­Israel’s signature.

Instead, the Folaus have again had to settle for a long-distance relationship. Maria joked that ­Israel was considering a badminton career in Adelaide, but ultimately stressed that the two were realists when it came to their lives as athletes.

“Izzy and I know that our ­careers with rugby and netball are a small window of opportunity. He’s been so supportive throughout this process, he’s all about whatever makes me happy, and where the challenge lies for me,” she said.

Turning things around in South Australia will certainly present a challenge for the third most-capped Silver Fern of all time.

Since the Thunderbirds’ 2013 premiership, the team has burned through coaches and shed a wealth of local talent to interstate clubs. “I know that it’s not going to be smooth sailing, but that’s the beauty of it. The reason I love to play this game is because of the challenges … we’ll see how 2019 goes,” the Kiwi said.