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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Milestone speaks to umpire's dedication
A great night for Kristie Simpson is when nobody notices she is in the room. That was a little hard late last month when the Eastern Southland umpire officiated her 150th national league netball game during the Southern Steel and Northern Mystics clash in Dunedin. It was a fitting moment for Simpson who now holds the national record for umpiring the most national league games. Asked how she felt about the milestone, Simpson joked "like I've been around for a wee while". But she acknowledged it was a special achievement and her longevity spoke to her determination as an umpire at the top of her game for the past 15 years. Simpson, who lives on a farm in Tokanui, grew up umpiring and officiated her first national game in 2010 during the transtasman ANZ Championship era. There had been many highlights through the years, including the league's first "sudden-death" game, which presented new challenges for players and umpires, and shuffling her life through Covid lockdowns, when most of the games were played in Auckland while she was based in Southland and had a family to think about as well. She also umpired the Steel's victory against the Mainland Tactix in Christchurch in 2017, days after Steel players were injured in the van crash. "We spend a lot of time with the players, we see them week-in, week-out," Simpson said. "Whilst we're trying to achieve different things, we've got a great respect for what they do, so that was definitely a game that stands out for a lot of emotions." Simpson, who has also officiated at Netball World Cups and the Commonwealth Games, has grown as an umpire through the years and never stopped developing. "I guess when you've been doing it for this long you get a picture memory bank of things that happen and how they go about happening. "You have a good idea of the players and what they're trying to achieve . . . and how the defence is trying to stop them. "You get a better feeling for that contest, contact and consistency across the court." But there were always things that kept her on her toes, including the addition of the two-point shot to the competition this season. The new rule turned the goal circle backwards — while shooters have traditionally tried to be under the post, they are now aiming to be in the two-point zone. "From our perspective, we've got to look in different places. We've got to have different angles to the court and therefore the defence is trying to do that opposite thing to what they're normally doing. "It has made it interesting, it's made it a new challenge, a new thing to think about and I think that's always good and exciting." Her enjoyment for the game had never wavered and the often thankless task of umpiring had been her way of being involved in the sport. "It's great to be a part of the game and this is the part that I can do well. That's the thing I like the most is being involved in the game. "But the best games are always when they don't notice us. "At the end of the day if you've got a game and you come off and someone's like 'oh did you umpire that game?', it's a big win." Simpson, who is also a coach for the national watch list umpire squad, is part of a unique crew from the Eastern Southland centre, home to five international umpires in Colleen Bond, Alison Cormack, Bobbi Brown, Jono Bredin and Simpson. "The joy of Eastern is we still have those umpires and those people in there helping," Simpson said. "They're such a great support, they've got so much knowledge and that gives you a lot of confidence, especially when it's the young umpires coming through when you're starting. "I feel very lucky and very privileged to have been able to come from there."
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Kopua, 39, set for shock return to game
Former Silver Fern captain Casey Kopua is in line for a shock return to elite netball. Kopua, 39, has been named as a replacement player for the Giants against the Melbourne Vixens for their Super Netball game tomorrow. The defender, who retired after winning the Netball World Cup in 2019, replaces Giants' Jamaican defender Jodi-Ann Ward, who tore her ACL and is out for the rest of the season. The Giants are also without regular defender Tilly McDonnell. The New South Wales franchise announced Kopua's inclusion yesterday. Kopua, who played 17 seasons for the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, will link up with her former Magic team-mates Jo Harten, Jamie-Lee Price and coach Julie Fitzgerald, who are all with the Giants. The goal defence, who was one of the inaugural inductees into the Netball New Zealand hall of fame last year, was one of the best defenders during her tenure, including being part of the Magic side that won the ANZ Championship in 2012. Kopua retired from internationals in 2015 but returned to the Silver Ferns when Noeline Taurua took over the side in 2019 and led them to their first Netball World Cup in 17 years.
Otago Daily Times
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Milestone speaks to Simpson's dedication
A great night for Kristie Simpson is when nobody notices she is in the room. That was a little hard on Monday when the Southland umpire officiated her 150th national league netball game during the Southern Steel and Northern Mystics clash in Dunedin. It was a fitting moment for Simpson who now holds the national record for umpiring the most national league games. Asked how she felt about the milestone, Simpson joked ''like I've been around for a wee while''. But she acknowledged it was a special achievement and her longevity spoke to her determination as an umpire at the top of her game for the past 15 years. Simpson, who lives on a farm in Tokanui, grew up umpiring and officiated her first national game in 2010 during the transtasman ANZ Championship era. There had been many highlights through the years, including the league's first ''sudden-death'' game, which presented new challenges for players and umpires, and shuffling her life through Covid lockdowns, when most of the games were played in Auckland while she was based in Southland and had a family to think about as well. She also umpired the Steel's victory against the Mainland Tactix in Christchurch in 2017, days after Steel players were injured in the van crash. ''We spend a lot of time with the players, we see them week-in, week-out,'' Simpson said. ''Whilst we're trying to achieve different things, we've got a great respect for what they do, so that was definitely a game that stands out for a lot of emotions.'' Simpson, who has also officiated at Netball World Cups and the Commonwealth Games, has grown as an umpire through the years and never stopped developing. ''I guess when you've been doing it for this long you get a picture memory bank of things that happen and how they go about happening. ''You have a good idea of the players and what they're trying to achieve ... and how the defence is trying to stop them. ''You get a better feeling for that contest, contact and consistency across the court.'' But there were always things that kept her on her toes, including the addition of the two-point shot to the competition this season. The new rule turned the goal circle backwards - while shooters have traditionally tried to be under the post, they are now aiming to be in the two-point zone. ''From our perspective, we've got to look in different places. We've got to have different angles to the court and therefore the defence is trying to do that opposite thing to what they're normally doing. ''It has made it interesting, it's made it a new challenge, a new thing to think about and I think that's always good and exciting.'' Her enjoyment for the game had never wavered and the often thankless task of umpiring had been her way of being involved in the sport. ''It's great to be a part of the game and this is the part that I can do well. That's the thing I like the most is being involved in the game. ''But the best games are always when they don't notice us. ''At the end of the day if you've got a game and you come off and someone's like 'oh did you umpire that game?', it's a big win.'' Simpson, who is also a coach for the national watch list umpire squad, is part of a unique crew from the Eastern Southland centre, home to five international umpires in Colleen Bond, Alison Cormack, Bobbi Brown, Jono Bredin and Simpson. ''The joy of Eastern is we still have those umpires and those people in there helping,'' Simpson said. ''They're such a great support, they've got so much knowledge and that gives you a lot of confidence, especially when it's the young umpires coming through when you're starting. ''I feel very lucky and very privileged to have been able to come from there.''
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
East Coast netballer Kimiora Poi gears up for season
'In a typical week, we'll train on the netball court three to four times a week, and part of one of those trainings will be match-play against the Invercargill men's team, so we get a bit of match-play prep leading into a real game.' They also do fitness, strength and conditioning work in the gym. While the focus is on the ANZ Championship, national selection is in the bigger picture for Poi, who has played 16 tests for her country since 2019. 'The way that the Ferns selection works is that we play our normal A NZ Premiership... and then, after the grand final, they select a new Ferns squad for the year, and then they select the players to play in the team [for tests]. 'We won't find out [if they have made the squad] until after the grand final, which is in 10 to 12 weeks.' The Silver Ferns face South Africa in a three-test series for the Taini Jamison Trophy in September, followed by a four-test Constellation Cup home and away series against Australia in October. New Zealand won the Constellation Cup series 3-1 last year, and Poi knows only too well how tough it will be to hold on to the silverware. 'They [Australia] just don't let you breathe when you're playing ... they're with you the whole time ... across the board, they've probably got a bit of depth, where they can change it up.' Poi likes to relax and destress in different ways after a game. 'I quite like to watch the game back, initially ... kind of get that out of the way and debrief. 'In my spare time, I'm quite a nana and just like staying home or staying in a hotel, and watching series ... I do [read] a book now and then, but I have to be in the mood.' She also enjoys 'getting out ... getting some fresh air, maybe go to the pools or something, just [to] do a little bit of recovery as well.' Poi is of Ngāti Porou descent. She was brought up in Tikitiki and attended Tikitiki School before the family shifted to Napier, where she went to Napier Girls' High. Her parents are Billy Poi and Roanne Baker. She has two sisters, Jade and Ashleigh, and a brother, Morgan. Her parents are now back living in Tikitiki. Poi returns to the North Island a few times a year. 'I try to get back, definitely over the Christmas-New Year period, and then maybe one or two other times throughout the year. 'My parents are always very good, and they come and watch me around the country as well, so I get to see them a few times in the year.' Asked what messages she would have for young girls looking to go further with their netball, she said: 'One of them would be to take opportunities when they arise. You never know who's watching, so always put your best foot forward. 'Another one would be to keep enjoying what you're doing ... if you play your best netball or whatever you're doing.' Poi said the Steel were heading to Dunedin early to visit netball centres and schools. '[We'll] do some coaching and question and answers [and] hang out with some kids. That'll be really cool to get back out in the community.'
RNZ News
04-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Netball: More opportunities in Australia 'ideal outcome'
Amelia Walmsley of the Pulse during the ANZ Premiership match against the Magic. Photo: Photosport The NZ Netball Players' Association would like to see athletes have more opportunities to play in Australia, as uncertainty around the future of Aotearoa's domestic competition remains. When the 2025 ANZ Premiership season begins in a few days, New Zealand's elite netballers won't know whether it will be the last year of the domestic competition as they know it. The ANZ Premiership replaced the former trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, which ended in 2016 when New Zealand and Australia went their separate ways. But what the domestic competition might look like next year is anyone's guess with Netball New Zealand in the process of negotiating a new broadcasting deal, which could have a huge impact on the salary caps of the franchises. RNZ reported last year that Netball NZ's one-year extension to their broadcast partnership with Sky TV was for a significantly reduced amount of money. Players managed to avoid pay cuts under a new collective employment agreement signed last year - but that was only for a one-year period. RNZ also reported that the one-year broadcast extension was to effectively buy the national body some time to explore joining Australia's Super Netball competition (SSN). The NZ Netball Players' Association executive manager Steph Bond said it was something the national body needed to investigate. "It's definitely something that I think in the long term really needs to be considered as sort of more of a natural progression of the ANZ Premiership and something I think everyone should be sitting down and looking at for maybe a medium to longer term pathway," Bond said. But it seems that 2027 would be the earliest that any new franchises would be considered in the SSN with the broadcast deal underpinning that competition in place until the end of next year. "There might be more of a short-term picture and long-term picture there. I think at the moment it does not appear that teams in the Australian competition is achievable right now." Steph Bond (right) at the launch of the 2007 trans-Tasman competition. Photo: Hannah Johnston So where does that leave players who are looking for opportunities to extend their game and earn more money now? Netball New Zealand's current eligibility policy means star shooter Grace Nweke has had to give up her place in the Silver Ferns this year, because she is playing in the Australian competition. Bond said it would be something the Association raises when it goes into collective bargaining negotiations with Netball New Zealand this year. "There will be a discussion around how players have more opportunities to play in Australia, particularly if the competition looks different here or if the medium to long term future is that we're part of the Australian competition. "How in the short term do we make sure that players are having that opportunity to play across the Tasman as well? Because I know there are players that I think would enjoy and embrace that opportunity." Bond said if New Zealand teams did join the Australian competition in the future, it didn't mean the end of a domestic competition in Aotearoa. "There's so many different options in terms of how it could continue, you could still have a competition here and only have a couple of teams in the Australian competition. "You could have both competitions joined, you could play at a different time to Australia. I think there's a whole lot of different mechanisms in which that could play out and it really depends on where each country sits at a point in time in which that could come together. "And both countries probably need to be on the same page around what the future might look like for netball on both sides of the Tasman because it was a great competition when it was both New Zealand and Australia and I think all the players would agree that having some opportunities over there would be an ideal outcome." The bargaining process for 2026 and beyond between the Players' Association and Netball New Zealand can't start until the national body reaches an agreement on broadcast rights. "We are hopeful that we will be able to go into bargaining as soon as they get an answer and hopefully meet that date so that players do have some kind of runway into what it might look like next year, so they can plan their lives for next year." Bond said they had been kept across the broadcast negotiations to date but did not have any indication whether a new deal would be able to sustain the ANZ Premiership at the same level. "We don't really know yet. Obviously ideally, we'd like to maintain or increase what it looks like for players so that we can maintain that professionalism of the sport because it has come a long way in the last 10 years. It would be great if we could maintain what that looks like so young girls looking to different sports to play still have netball as an option in which they can both love playing the sport but also be able to earn an income out of it." Grace Nweke is playing for the Swifts this year. Photo: Jason McCawley / Getty Images Bond is hopeful they will have some answers before the end of this season so players can enter into negotiations with franchises for 2026. "There's no doubt the timeframes are now sort of creating a little more angst and uncertainty really amongst the playing group." Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said they were working in a more competitive environment than they were five years ago. "The sporting landscape has definitely become more competitive over the past five years, particularly in the women's space. This shift presents both challenges and opportunities, and it reinforces the need for us to continue evolving and innovating in our sport. "We're currently working through what the 2026 ANZ Premiership will look like, with the aim of ensuring the competition continues to evolve and support the high-performance needs of our athletes. With planning underway, we're conscious of the need to provide clarity to franchises and players as soon as possible," Wyllie said. Until this year the competition has not undergone any real change since its inaugural 2017 season. This year the ANZ Premiership has been cut from three rounds to two, in an effort to create more intense competition from the first whistle. This season will also see a handful of new rules introduced, the most notable being a two-point shot in the final five minutes of each quarter. The competition starts 10 May when the Pulse host the Magic in Palmerston North. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
