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.
Adine Rachel Wilson is a former New Zealand netball international and current commentator. Between 1999 and 2007, Wilson made 79 senior appearances for New Zealand. She represented New Zealand at the 1999 and the 2003 World Netball Championships, winning a gold medal at the latter. She captained New Zealand when they won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and again at the 2007 World Netball Championships. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she played for Otago Rebels and Southern Sting. During the early ANZ Championship era, she captained Southern Steel. She was a member of six premiership winning teams – the 1998 Otago Rebels team and the 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 Southern Sting teams. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Anna Maree Harrison, originally known as Anna Scarlett, is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won gold medals at the 2003 World Netball Championships and 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. During the National Bank Cup era, she played for Otago Rebels and Auckland Diamonds. During the ANZ Championship era, she played for Northern Mystics. In 2012, Harrison began using a rugby union lineout-style form of goaltending. The technique subsequently became known as the Harrison Hoist. During the ANZ Premiership era, she played for Mystics and Northern Stars. As well as playing international netball, Harrison also played for the New Zealand women's national volleyball team and represented New Zealand on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998. In 2023, Harrison was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball and volleyball.
Sheryl Scanlan, originally known as Sheryl Clarke, is a former netball international who has played for Samoa and New Zealand. She captained Samoa at the 1999 World Netball Championships. She was subsequently a member of the New Zealand teams that were gold medallists at the 2003 World Netball Championships and silver medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2007 World Netball Championships. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she played for Northern Force. During the ANZ Championship era, she played for Northern Mystics and Southern Steel. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2010, 2012 and 2013 Fast5 Netball World Series'. During the National Bank Cup era, she played for Western Flyers and Southern Sting. During the ANZ Championship era she played for Southern Steel and Central Pulse. During the ANZ Premiership era, she has played for Steel. She was a member of three premiership winning teams – the 2007 Southern Sting team and 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. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998. Her younger sister, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, is also a New Zealand netball international. Her father, Hud Rickit, is a former New Zealand rugby union international.
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.
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.
Kate Alexandra Heffernan is a New Zealand netball international and former New Zealand women Twenty20 international cricketer. She represented the New Zealand national netball team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Netball World Cup. She captained New Zealand at the 2024 Netball Nations Cup. In 2018, she also made two appearances for the New Zealand women's national cricket team.
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.
The Taini Jamison Trophy series is an international netball series hosted by Netball New Zealand. The series traditionally features New Zealand playing a series of test matches against a visiting national team. The trophy is named in honour of Taini Jamison, the former New Zealand head coach. New Zealand won the inaugural 2008 series. A World 7, Jamaica and England have also been series winners. Other participants have included South Africa, Malawi, Fiji and Samoa. As New Zealand and Australia compete for the Constellation Cup, Australia does not compete for the Taini Jamison Trophy.
Kimiora Poi is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup, the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series and the 2021 Constellation Cup. Since 2018, Poi has played for Mainland Tactix in the ANZ Premiership. Poi was a prominent member of the 2020 and 2021 Mainland Tactix teams that played in two successive grand finals. Ahead of the 2022 season, Poi was appointed Tactix captain.
Karin Burger is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2019 Netball World Cup and the 2021 Constellation Cup. Burger has also played for both Central Pulse and Mainland Tactix in the ANZ Premiership. She was a member of the Pulse teams that won 2019 and 2020 ANZ Premiership titles. While playing for Tactix, she was named 2021 ANZ Premiership Player of the Year.
Tiana Metuarau is a New Zealand netball international. Between 2017 and 2020, she was a prominent member of the Central Pulse team that won the 2018 Super Club title and the 2019 and 2020 ANZ Premiership titles. In 2022, Metuarau was co-captain of the Pulse team that won a third ANZ Premiership title.
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.
Annette Heffernan is a former New Zealand netball international. Between 1985 and 1990, she made nine senior appearances for New Zealand. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won gold medals at the 1987 World Netball Championships and the 1985 and 1989 World Games. Her sister, Maxine Blomquist, their cousin, Shirley Langrope, and her twin daughters, Kate Heffernan and Georgia Heffernan, have all played international netball for New Zealand. Annette and Maxine were the first set of sisters to play international netball for New Zealand. Kate and Georgia were the third set.
The 2022 Taini Jamison Trophy Series, also known as the 2022 Cadbury Netball Series, was the 12th Taini Jamison Trophy series. It featured New Zealand playing Jamaica in two netball test matches, played in September 2022. Both tests were played in Auckland. New Zealand won the opening test 70–45. They then defeated Jamaica 75–35 in the second test to win the series 2–0. The New Zealand team were coached by Noeline Taurua and captained by Ameliaranne Ekenasio. Jamaica were coached by Connie Francis and captained by Shimona Nelson. The series was originally due to start earlier and feature matches played at Hamilton's Globox Arena. However complications with passports and visas saw the Jamaica team's arrival in New Zealand delayed. This also resulted in Jamaica playing a severely under strength team. Following an investigation, World Netball would later fine Netball Jamaica GBP £5,000 for failing to fulfil the original fixtures planned for the series.
Georgia Heffernan is a New Zealand netball international. Since 2018, she has played for Southern Steel. Her mother, Annette Heffernan, her aunt, Maxine Blomquist, her sister, Kate Heffernan and a cousin, Shirley Langrope, are all New Zealand netball internationals. Her mother and aunt were the first set of sisters to play international netball for New Zealand. At the 2024 Netball Nations Cup, herself and her sister became the third set. However, the Heffernan sisters are the first sisters to actually play in the same team at the same time. As well as playing netball together for New Zealand, the Heffernan sisters have played together in several teams, including Southern Steel and the Otago Sparks women's cricket team.
The 2024 Vitality Netball Nations Cup was an international netball series hosted and organised by England Netball. It featured England, Australia, New Zealand and Uganda in a series, played in January 2024. With a team coached by Stacey Marinkovich and captained by Liz Watson, Australia won the series after defeating England 69–49 in the final. Australia finished the series undefeated, winning all four matches and Paige Hadley was named the series MVP. The series was broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland, on Sky Sport in New Zealand, on Fox Sports in Australia and on YouTube.
