Sulu Fitzpatrick (born 20 August 1992), also known as Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick, is a New Zealand netball and rugby sevens player. She plays for the

Northern Mystics Northern Mystics are a New Zealand netball team based in Auckland. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball Northern in the ANZ Premiership. Netball Northern is the governing body t ...

in the

ANZ Championships The ANZ Championship, also known as the Trans-Tasman Netball League, is a former netball league featuring teams from both Australia and New Zealand. Between 2008 and 2016, it was the top-level league in both countries. The competition was own ...

. She can play the Goal Keeper, Goal Defence, and Wing Defence positions. She is of Samoan heritage.

Early life and career

Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick was born in Auckland in 1992 to Olive and Konelio Tone, but was living with her uncle Greg and aunt Rosie ever since. She is an elder sister to

Theresa Fitzpatrick Theresa Matauaina Fitzpatrick (born 25 February 1995) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was a member of the Black Ferns champion 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup squads. She has also represented New Zealand in rugby sevens; she won gold m ...

. She signed with the

for the 2010 season, while still at the St Cuthbert's College at the age of 17. She moved to the

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are a New Zealand netball team based in Hamilton. Between 1999 and 2007, they played in the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017, Magic have ...

for the 2011 season in a bid for more court time. After a solid season, that saw her nominated as Best Young Player, she was selected for the

Silver Ferns The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern (''Cyathea dealbata''), which is an emblem for many New Zealand s ...

for the 2011/12 season, in place of the injured

Casey Kopua Casey May Kopua (née Williams; born 19 June 1985) is a retired New Zealand international netball player and former captain of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Kopua became a member ...

and

Katrina Grant Katrina Rore (née Grant; born 6 May 1987 in Papakura, Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand international netball player. Rore is the current vice-captain of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and plays for the Cent ...

. She made her debut in the first match of a two-game series against

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. She was also named captain of the NZ U21 team in a three match series against Australia, which they lost 2–1. She also made the fastnet team for the

2011 World Netball Series The 2011 World Netball Series was the third edition of the World Netball Series, an annual international netball competition held under fastnet rules. The 2011 event was held in Liverpool, England, which also hosted the event in 2010. The tourname ...

, where her team scored 48-27 earning her a silver medal. In 2012, she was dropped from the squad after spending most of the season on the bench behind veteran defenders Casey Williams and

Leana De Bruin Leana de Bruin (née du Plooy) (born 9 July 1977) is a South African and New Zealand international netball player. De Bruin played 34 tests for South Africa before moving to New Zealand in 2000. She made her on-court debut for the Silver Ferns i ...

, while the Magic won the premiership. She played again for the NZ U21 team. For the 2013 season, she has again moved teams in search of court time, this time to the

Southern Steel Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball South in the ANZ Premiership. Netball South is the governing body that ...

, where she will link up with her fellow U21 defenders

Storm Purvis Storm Purvis (born 20 April 1993) is a New Zealand netball player who plays for the Silver Ferns internationally, and for the Northern Stars in the ANZ Premiership. She plays in the GD and GK positions. Purvis started her netball career playin ...

and

Phoenix Karaka Phoenix Karaka (born 6 November 1993) is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2019 Netball World Cup. Christine Papali'i is her mother. Career Following her success at secondary school le ...

, as well as ex-Auckland teammate

Rachel Rasmussen Rachel Rasmussen (born 5 June 1984 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand netball player of Samoan descent who plays in the position of goal defense and goal keeper. She has represented both New Zealand and Samoa at the international level ...

. She competed for

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

in rugby sevens at the 2015 New Zealand Women's Sevens Series. In 2021 she captained the Auckland Mystics to win the ANZ premiership, in the 23-year history of the franchise netball in New Zealand no Auckland team had ever won the title. At the netball awards of 2021 she won the

Dame Lois Muir Supreme Award The following is a list notable New Zealand netball international players who have represented the national team in international tournaments such as the Commonwealth Games, the Netball World Cup, the World Games, the Taini Jamison Trophy, the ...

In April 2022, Fitzpatrick was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.

Resignation and personal life

Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick is a mother to twins Tevita and Theresa, the latter of whom was named in honour of her sister. The twins were born on Boxing Day, and after it, Tone-Fitzpatrick resigned from her netball career. Fitzpatrick has a

Malu is a word in the Samoan language Samoan ( or ; ) is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the United States territory of America ...

to honour her late grandfather Fitzpatrick has been open about her alcohol and

Mental Health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

issues.How Silver Fern Sulu Fitzpatrick overcame her battle with alcohol and depression
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzpatrick, Sulu New Zealand netball players Northern Stars players Southern Steel players Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic players Northern Mystics players ANZ Championship players 1992 births Living people Female rugby sevens players Samoa international rugby sevens players University of Auckland alumni Central Pulse players New Zealand international Fast5 players New Zealand international netball players Commonwealth Games medallists in netball Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for New Zealand Netball players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games