Former Silver Ferns captain Casey Kopua completes shock comeback for Giants in Australia's Super Netball
Former Silver Ferns captain Casey Kopua 'absolutely loved every minute' of court time six years after retiring from professional netball.
The 39-year-old made a shock return on Sunday for the injury-depleted Giants in the Suncorp Super Netball competition, answering an SOS call from coach Julie Fitzgerald.
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RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Casey Kopua set to take on old foe in netball comeback
Casey Kopua in Giants colours. Photo: Brendon Thorne Former Silver Fern Casey Kopua is set to stay on in the Australian league for the rest of the season and she's looking forward to resuming an old rivalry. Netball fans were left stunned when the Giants announced that Kopua would join the injury-depleted team for last weekend's Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) game against the Melbourne Vixens in Sydney. Kopua retired from elite netball six years ago after helping the Silver Ferns win the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool. Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald, who coached Kopua for several years at the Magic in the former trans-Tasman competition, sent her an SOS. Once she realised Fitzgerald's text message was not a prank, Kopua couldn't resist the challenge and flew to Sydney in the middle of last week and played a full game on Sunday. The 39-year-old was brought in at the half-way point of the SSN season and is likely to be there for remainder of the competition. "The intent is for the rest of the season we're just going through the process, which I never thought would happen either but yeah that is the intent," Kopua said. This weekend, the Giants are playing the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who are spearheaded by Jamaican goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George. The 36-year-old Aiken-George and Kopua have history - going head to head on on several occasions at international level and during the old trans-Tasman competition. "That goes back in the days again as well so looking forward to that challenge and you just know that it's going to be a battle right from the start and you know you might not get every ball but you'll get one or two that'll make the difference so just have to keep grinding her both mentally and physically so by the end of the game she should be tired, because we both will be," Kopua laughed. Romelda Aiken and Casey Kopua went head to head a lot in the former ANZ Championship. Photo: Bruce Lim / Photosport Kopua was surprised when she was named to start at GK last weekend, given she only had one training session with the team. "To get back out on the court at that level I think I surprised myself and playing a full 60 minutes as well was a bit of a shock but I think for me the top two inches took over and you just got to carry on." The Giants, who are languishing at the bottom of SSN, suffered another loss on Sunday but pushed their opponents for three quarters before the Vixens prevailed 71-61. The former New Zealand captain said she kept fit by doing high-intensity workouts most days at the gym and plays netball once or twice a week in Matamata. Kopua said she hadn't previously considered coming out of retirement but playing in the world's toughest netball league was the one thing missing from her resume. "SSN is something I've never played in and I guess on my netball CV I've played and done and won everything that you can so when this came up it was more like a 'why not, why shouldn't I have a go at it'." Kopua, who played 112 Tests for New Zealand, had noticed the game was faster. "Everyone's got stronger, faster, fitter - the ball moves a lot faster, maybe I've just got slower. I can see things in my mind but the body is not as willing as what it was but I hope the more I'm on the court the better and the faster, even if it's just a little bit each time, it will add up." What has Fitzgerald asked of her? "Obviously, I'm not what I used to be but I'm still looking for those moments ...but rebounds is a big thing for me to get up there and get that extra ball for us but also just sharing my knowledge and experience with the younger ones but also they are teaching me I guess that Aussie style as well." The mother of three said her children were excited that their mum was playing top netball. "My oldest one Maia was as the last World Cup in 2019 and now they get to watch mum on TV ...be a part of it so they are very excited." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
When injury strikes who do professional netball teams call?
When injury strikes who do professional netball teams call? More often than not, someone who has retired from the game. Former Silver Fern Casey Kopua had not played elite netball for six years when an Aussie team contacted her to play in the last round, but she is not unique in that situation. Sports reporter Casey Kopua spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
‘A Wee Bit Weird' – Is It Time For Netball To Scrap Post-Match Huddle?
, Sport Journalist It's the post game ritual that netballers have taken part in for as long as anyone can remember but should New Zealand's elite players ditch the end of game group huddle? Hip hip hip, ray ray ray … is the go-to cheer our top netballers take part in after every game but sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe asked people in the sport whether they actually like the routine. The sight of opposing teams linking arms in a circle after a game has been a common one for years, through to international matches between Australia and New Zealand. In a recent ANZ Premiership match, the two teams came together like they always do to acknowledge each other. But in the commentary box for the TVNZ broadcast, Silver Fern Phoenix Karaka observed that it's not something everyone wants to do. 'I'm not a fan, obviously when you're winning and you've won the game it's all good but when you've lost a game like that – you don't want to see the other team,' Karaka said. In Australia, the players decided to ditch the end of the game group huddle ahead of this year's Super Netball Competition. Former Australian Diamonds legend turned commentator Cath Cox told a Fox Sports panel show that from an optics point of view, the players felt it looked out of place as professional athletes. Players also said it could be 'awkward'. Cox said it came off the back of last year's Constellation Cup between the Diamonds and Silver Ferns. 'They play each other every two or three days and discussions started then around is it too much to be coming into a huddle when you're still in the heat of the battle and after every single game?' Cox said. Former Silver Ferns captain and coach Yvonne Willering said in her day they thanked the opposition and the umpire and then went back to their own team. 'Why would you at that stage want to get in a huddle with the opposition and people sort of say it's all about the game out on court and afterwards you can be mates, but to me it's too soon after the game. It's a bit like I have a problem with a team doing high fives when they really haven't played that well in a particular quarter. 'While it's not a major, I totally understand why the Australians are no longer doing that. I think players themselves [in New Zealand] have been looking at that. I think a handshake and then just moving on has more merit,' Willering said. Tactix captain Erikana Pedersen said it could feel forced at times. 'Sometimes I question why we do that, and is it a bit of a just kind of a nice way to end things out but when you lose you don't want to be in a huddle with the people you just lost to so I can see why the Australian teams have stopped that this season and maybe that's something we need to look at doing,' Pedersen said. But some people in the sport, such as Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, believe it's one of the things that makes netball so unique. 'We're trying to play the best brand of netball that we can play to make it a really strong game in our country and I think a part of that is doing it as a collective so I think to come together at the end of the game and congratulate each other and just celebrate each other I think is powerful in a women's sport and any sport in general so I'm happy to keep doing it,' Sokolich-Beatson said. Pulse captain and Silver Fern veteran Kelly Jackson said she liked the act of camaraderie and respect between the sides. 'I think it's nice to acknowledge the team and everyone goes out there to put their best foot forward so I think it shows a lot of sportsmanship to be able to be I guess humble in victory, gracious in defeat,' Jackson said. Magic midcourter Georgie Edgecombe said she liked what the Australian teams had done. 'Of course shake hands and pay respect to each other after the game but there's probably no need for a huddle and chat, the same thing gets said every week,' Edgecombe said Mystics shooter Filda Vui said when her side played the Stars in round one, it was an opportunity to empathise with their opponents. 'Three of their players got injured and got carried off the court. Mickey [Michaela Sokolich-Beatson] shared a few words just to say we felt for them because those are our sisters and we used to play and grew up with them in Auckland so that's why it's kind of nice too, to just share a few words because that was really sad,' Vui said. Former Silver Fern and current Tactix coach Donna Wilkins, also used to play basketball for New Zealand. Wilkins said you don't see it in any other sport and wondered how authentic it was. 'It's just always what you do in netball and it is a wee bit weird. Like you always shake hands etc in other sports but you don't normally come together. Normally the captain says something but you know we've just been in the heat of the battle – do they really mean what they are saying? 'I know it's something that some of the players have discussed and talked about but I guess we've just always done it so it will be interesting to see if we follow that same path,' Wilkins said. Mirroring what happens in most other sports, the Australian players now get around to one another to shake hands. It remains to be seen whether hip hip hip, ray ray ray is here to stay in New Zealand for years to come. But it's safe to say netball won't go down the NBA route of simply heading down the tunnel to the dressing rooms immediately after the game is done.
