Billie Irwin is a former netball player who played for the New Zealand national netball team when it won the 1967 World Netball Championships.
Billie Irwin was born on 10 May 1942. She played netball for Rotorua, as one of a formidable defensive pairing with Tilly Vercoe, which was known as "Billie and Tilly". The coach of Rotorua was Taini Jamison and she picked the pair to be in the national team when she became its head coach. Beating Australia 40-34 in its final match, New Zealand won the 1967 world championships in Perth, Australia, its first win in the world championships. Irwin and Vercoe came to be known as "The Black Wall", because of their defense and the colours worn by the team. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The 1967 world championship team was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. [5]
The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent Netball New Zealand in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Taini Jamison Trophy, the Constellation Cup, the Netball Quad Series and the Fast5 Netball World Series. They have also represented New Zealand at the World Games. New Zealand made their Test debut in 1938. As of 2023, New Zealand have been world champions on five occasions and Commonwealth champions twice. They are regularly ranked number two in the World Netball Rankings.
Waimarama Taumaunu, often known as Wai Taumaunu, is a New Zealand netball coach and former international netball player.
Dame Noeline Taurua is a New Zealand international netball coach and former representative player. She is currently head coach of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns.
The Australia national netball team, also known as the Australian Diamonds, represent Netball Australia in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Constellation Cup, the Netball Quad Series and the Fast5 Netball World Series. They have also represented Australia at the World Games. Australia made their Test debut in 1938. As of 2021, Australia have been World champions on 11 occasions and Commonwealth champions on 4 occasions. They are regularly ranked number one in the World Netball Rankings.
The Taini Jamison Trophy is an international netball tournament hosted in New Zealand by the Netball New Zealand organisation. The trophy is contested by the New Zealand national team and at least one touring national team each year. Consequently the format for the competition can vary on a yearly basis.
Joan Frances Harnett-Kindley is a New Zealand former netball player and real estate agent. She began playing for Canterbury's Sacred Hart team in 1960 and was first selected to play for the country's national squad in 1963. Harnett played in three editions of the World Netball Championships in 1963, 1967 and 1971 and was named player of the tournament of the 1967 competition that New Zealand won. She stopped playing internationally in 1971 and retired three years later. Harnett played in 116 international matches and was captain for 45 of them. took up a career in the real estate industry from 1972 to about 2007, serving as a member of various committees and was an inaugural member of the Real Estate Authority. Harnett is an inductee of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and was named a Sporting Legend of Canterbury in 2007.
Tilly Titihuia Rangimatau Hirst was a New Zealand netball player. She was a member of the New Zealand team that won the 1967 World Netball Championships.
Judith Ann Blair is a former New Zealand netball player. She played 19 international matches for the New Zealand team between 1960 and 1967, including captaining the side to victory at the 1967 World Netball Championships.
Samantha Winders, previously known as Samantha Sinclair, is a New Zealand netball international. She represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and was a prominent member of the New Zealand team that won the 2021 Constellation Cup. She captained New Zealand for the third test against England during the 2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series. She was subsequently named the 2021 Silver Fern Player of the Year. Between 2014 and 2022, she played for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, initially in the ANZ Championship and later in the ANZ Premiership. Between 2020 and 2022, she served as Magic captain.
Leonie Leaver is a former New Zealand netball player who represented the New Zealand national netball team, known as the Silver Ferns, on 19 occasions. She is now a netball coach.
Leigh Helen Gibbs is a New Zealand retired netball player who played for the national team on 61 occasions and was captain for the 1987 World Netball Championships when New Zealand won the gold medal. She was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2001.
Rebecca Chaplow, also known as Ripeka Chaplow, is a New Zealand mental health nurse and former netball player. She played four international matches for the New Zealand team at the 1963 World Netball Championships, where they finished second to Australia. She was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
Mirth Solomon is a former New Zealand netball player who competed for New Zealand in the 1963 and 1967 World Netball Championships, winning a silver and gold medal. After retiring, she played an important role with Netball Rotorua, retiring in 2016 after 15 years as its president. She was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Taini Maremare Jamison was a New Zealand netball coach and administrator. She coached the New Zealand national team to its first world title at the 1967 World Netball Championships. The Taini Jamison Trophy, contested between New Zealand and visiting international teams other than Australia, is named in her honour.
Sandra Anne Easterbrook was a New Zealand netball player. She represented her country in the 1967 World Netball Championships, when New Zealand won the gold medal for the first time.
Coral Palmer was a New Zealand netball player who represented her country on seven occasions, including in the 1971 world championships. She later became a netball coach.
Ann Rankin is a former netball player who played on six occasions for the New Zealand national netball team, being part of the team that won the 1967 World Netball Championships.
Sheryl Burns is a former representative of New Zealand in international netball, basketball and surf lifesaving events. She now teaches netball and works as a high-performance coach in Queensland, Australia.
Pam Marsden is a former netball player who played for New Zealand's gold medal-winning team in the 1967 World Netball Championships.