The Lonsdale Cup is awarded annually by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) to a New Zealand athlete (or team) who has demonstrated the most outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth sport during the previous year. [1]
The cup is a scale replica of the original Queen Anne cup of the same design presented by Lord Lonsdale during the 1911 Festival of Empire meeting. Originally won by Canada, it was subsequently given to the British Empire Games Federation to ensure its best use as an Empire Games trophy.
Due to its impractical size and the Federation deciding not to award such a trophy for the Games, the original was melted down in 1934, and smaller scale cups were given to the British Empire Games Associations in existence at the time.
It is on permanent display at the NZOC's New Zealand Olympic Museum, with athletes receiving a scale replica.
New Zealand's Lonsdale Cup has been awarded annually since 1961. [1]
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.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee is both the National Olympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Association in New Zealand responsible for selecting athletes to represent New Zealand in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Vilimaina Davu is a former netball international who represented both Fiji and New Zealand. She was a prominent member of the New Zealand teams that were silver medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and gold medallists at the 2003 World Netball Championships and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. However, she began and ended her international career with Fiji, representing them at the 1999 and 2007 World Netball Championships. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she played for Canterbury Flames and Northern Force. During the early ANZ Championship era, she played for Northern Mystics. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Cathrine Tuivaiti, originally known as Cathrine Latu, is a netball international who has played for Samoa, New Zealand and Tonga. She represented Samoa at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2007 World Netball Championships, New Zealand at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and Tonga at the 2023 Netball World Cup. During the National Bank Cup era, she played for Northern Force. During the ANZ Championship era, she played for Northern Mystics. She subsequently played for Central Pulse, Adelaide Thunderbirds, Strathclyde Sirens and Severn Stars. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Te Paea Selby-Rickit is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2019 Netball World Cup. She has also represented New Zealand at the 2018 and the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Netball World Cup. She was a member of two premiership winning teams – the 2017 and 2018 Southern Steel teams. She was also a member of the Steel team that won the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. Since 2019 she has played for Mainland Tactix. Her older sister, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, is a former New Zealand netball international. Her father, Hud Rickit, is a former New Zealand rugby union international.
Peter Burling is a New Zealand sailor. He was the 2021 America's Cup winning skipper and helmsman, and the 2017 America's Cup winning helmsman of Team New Zealand. Burling won an Olympic gold medal in the 49er class at the 2016 games and silver medals in the 2012 and 2020 Olympics.
Dame Lisa Marie Carrington is a flatwater canoeist and New Zealand's most successful Olympian, having won a total of five gold medals and one bronze medal. She won three consecutive gold medals in the Women's K‑1 200 metres at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2016 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as gold in the same event at the 2011 Canoe Sprint World Championships. At the 2020 Summer Olympics she also won a gold medal in the K‑2 500 metres, with crewmate Caitlin Regal, and as an individual in the K‑1 500 metres.
Sulu Fitzpatrick, also known as Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick, is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand team that won the 2021 Constellation Cup and represented New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She captained New Zealand when they won the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series and again during the 2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series. During the ANZ Championship era, Fitzpatrick played for Northern Mystics, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and Southern Steel. During the ANZ Premiership era, she played for Mystics, Northern Stars and Central Pulse. During her career, she played for every ANZ Premiership team except Mainland Tactix. She was a member of four premiership winning teams – the 2012 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, the 2019 Central Pulse, the 2021 Northern Mystics and the 2023 Northern Mystics. She captained Mystics when they won both premierships. In 2021, Fitzpatrick received the Dame Lois Muir Supreme Award. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
New Zealand competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's twenty-third appearance as an independent nation at the Summer Olympics, having made its debut at the 1920 Games and competed at every Games since. The New Zealand team consisted of 199 athletes, 100 women and 99 men, across twenty sports, the first time New Zealand was represented by more women than men at the Summer Olympics.
Theresa Matauaina Fitzpatrick 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 medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens. She played for the Blues Women in the 2022 Super Rugby Aupiki season.
Niall Williams-Guthrie is a New Zealand rugby league player. She has represented New Zealand in rugby sevens and touch rugby at an international level. She has won a silver medals as part of New Zealand's touch football team in 2011, and in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of New Zealand's sevens team. She also won gold medals in sevens in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
New Zealand competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from 4 to 15 April 2018. It was the nations's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930. The New Zealand team consisted of 251 athletes, 130 men and 121 women, across 17 sports.
Maia Wilson is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup and the 2021 Constellation Cup. She also represented New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Wilson made her senior league debut with Central Pulse during the 2016 ANZ Championship season. Since 2017, she has played for Northern Stars in the ANZ Premiership. In both 2018 and 2019, she was the ANZ Premiership top goal scorer. Wilson was a prominent member of the 2019 and 2022 Northern Stars teams that were ANZ Premiership grand finalists. Ahead of the 2021 season, she was appointed Stars captain. Wilson is also a former New Zealand women's basketball international.
Ameliaranne Ekenasio, previously known as Ameliaranne Wells, is a New Zealand netball international. In 2010 and 2011, Wells represented Australia at under-19 and under-21 levels. In 2014 she switched allegiances to New Zealand. She represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and was a prominent member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019 Netball World Cup. She captained New Zealand when they won the 2021 Constellation Cup.
Kelly Jury is a New Zealand netball international. She represented New Zealand at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. During the ANZ Championship era Jury played for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Since 2020, she has played for Central Pulse in the ANZ Premiership. Jury was a prominent member of the Pulse teams that won the 2020 and 2022 ANZ Premierships. Alongside Tiana Metuarau, she was co-captain of the 2022 Pulse team. She was the 2022 ANZ Premiership Player of the Year and shared the 2022 Dame Lois Muir Supreme Award with Grace Nweke.
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The 2012 Constellation Cup was the 3rd Constellation Cup series played between Australia and New Zealand. The series, also known as the New World Series, featured three netball test matches, played in September 2012. The Australia team was coached by Lisa Alexander and captained by Natalie von Bertouch. New Zealand were coached by Waimarama Taumaunu and captained by Casey Williams and Laura Langman. New Zealand won the series for the first time. After winning the opening test, New Zealand clinched the series after winning the second test. The series finished 2–1 to New Zealand after Australia won the final test.
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