Latest news with #Kopua
The Spinoff
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
Review: Netball docuseries Game On is a heartwarming gem
Tara Ward watches Three's new sports series about a group of New Zealand netball legends who return for one last game. The nerves are obvious from the opening moments of Game On. Former Silver Fern Temepara Bailey zips up her suitcase before she realises she's forgotten to pack her netball shoes. Adine Wilson wonders aloud why she agreed to come on a TV show, while Silver Fern centurion Casey Kopua limps into an indoor netball stadium to warmly greet her former netball teammates. They all look as concerned as she does. 'What have I signed myself up for?' she wonders. What Kopua and her fellow netball legends have committed to is a daunting physical and mental challenge, with every second captured on camera. Game On is Three's inspiring new sports docuseries that sees a team of former Silver Ferns come out of retirement to play for a high-stakes netball tournament. They've been called back to the court by coaches Yvonne Willering and Yvette McClausland-Durie, who will guide them through the tough process of returning to top-level sport. 'We're here to provide the challenge of transforming the former Ferns into the elite athletes that you were in the past,' Willering tells the ex-Silver Ferns. 'Good luck,' Kopua replies. It won't be easy – Daneka Tuineau hasn't touched a netball since she retired 14 years ago, Wilson broke her neck in 2016, while Kopua is awaiting a double knee replacement. While they may still be as competitive and passionate as they were two decades ago, their bodies tell a different story. 'I did try playing social netball, but man, they just want to show you that you're not as good as you were 10 years ago,' Irene van Dyk laughs. 'No shit Sherlock, I know that.' Game On is similar in warmth and spirit to another local sports docuseries, Match Fit, but it comes with a new twist: not only are these players preparing to compete against teams of other ex-internationals, they're also mentoring a group of promising young netballers. These rangatahi have been nominated by members of their community, and after the first fitness test with the Ferns, they immediately rise to the challenge. 'I don't want to get outschooled by people double my age,' 16-year-old Brooklyn says. It would be easy for the former world champions to stay on the sidelines and let their achievements do the talking. Instead, they share moments of vulnerability and bravery as they're confronted with how their bodies have changed over the years, and reflect on what happens when an international sporting career ends ('netball is my life… when I retired, I realised, who am I? I'm no-one,' a tearful van Dyk says in episode two). This honesty and emotion makes their return to the sport all the more powerful. Not only do the Ferns want to prove to themselves that they can do it, but they're also relishing the rare opportunity to be back with their mates, playing the game that brought them together all those years ago. Game On isn't about winning; it's about the power of community. It's about women championing other women, no matter what season of life they're in, and it's impossible not to feel inspired and uplifted by their strength and resilience. Game On is a gem of a series, a heartwarming reminder that no matter your age, you can still do hard things – and that maybe, for some of us at home, it's never too late to try and become a Silver Fern.
The Spinoff
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘It fills your cup': Netballer Casey Kopua on returning to the court in Game On
The Silver Ferns legend tells us about her life in television. The last thing Casey Kopua expected after she finished filming a television show about retired netballers was a return to the competitive netball court. But shortly after Three's new sports docu-series Game On wrapped, Kopua answered an emergency SOS to join the Giants in Australia's Super Netball League, and found herself back in the defenders circle six years after her last elite-level game. 'That was definitely not the plan,' the 39-year-old laughs down the phone from Sydney, clearly relishing the unexpected opportunity to play high performance sport once again. Kopua played 112 tests for the Silver Ferns, 186 games for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and was the most-capped captain in New Zealand netball history. She's one of only seven Silver Fern centurions, and is also a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist. Kopua retired from netball after leading the Silver Ferns to World Cup victory in 2019, but popped up on our screens last year in Celebrity Treasure Island. 'I had lots of fun, even though it was short lived,' Kopua remembers of her castaway experience. 'I was probably just a bit too competitive.' Kopua brings her competitive nature back to the small screen for Game On, a series that follows New Zealand netball legends like Irene Van Dyk, Adine Wilson and Temepara Bailey as they come out of retirement to play a high-stakes netball tournament. Not only will the former Silver Ferns compete against teams of other ex-internationals, but they'll mentor a group of promising young players, helping to pass the netball torch on to the next generation. It's a warm and inspiring series, and Kopua says she treasured every moment of playing alongside her former teammates. 'They're like sisters. To get the crew back together like that was very cool, it was like we'd never left.' Kopua's passion for the sport hasn't lessened over the years, and she believes Game On will reveal a new side to the ex-Ferns, some of whom haven't touched a netball for 14 years. 'We've all shown a bit of vulnerability to put ourselves back out into that public eye to be scrutinised,' she says. We sat down with Kopua to find out about her life in television, including her secret TV guilty pleasure, an enduring love of Shrek, and why she really wants the midday news to come back. My earliest TV memory is… Watching The Jetsons with my older brother and sister. I watched those Saturday morning cartoons, because as kids, we were out on the farm helping mum and dad, before we went and did all our sport. The TV shows I used to love growing up were… What Now and Sticky TV, but my favourite was Tom and Jerry. I used to also watch WWF wrestling with my brother. Tom and Jerry was in the morning and wrestling was at night. The TV ad I can't stop thinking about is… The Milo one where they used to drink Milo before they played netball. My TV guilty pleasure is… There's two things that I watch and everyone thinks they're dumb, and that's Home and Away and Shortland Street. I can sit there and don't have to think about things for a while. My husband and I went to Palm Beach where they film Home and Away, which was pretty cool. I was a bit of a fangirl. The TV show I'd love to be involved with is… It would have been Celebrity Treasure Island, but that is now ticked off. I was always intrigued by Dancing with the Stars NZ, but after talking to Temepara [Bailey, who won the 2008 season] about it, I would never do that. My knees wouldn't be able to cope. But the amount of practice and how they can transform and learn and go through that process is something that's always intrigued me. My favourite moment from Game On was… playing competitively again with my old teammates. A lot of them have still got it, and they could still play these days if they wanted to. It fills up your cup, and makes you feel happy doing that again. The biggest surprise from Celebrity Treasure Island was… For what we do in a day, you see an hour of it on TV. Some of the contestants who worked in TV obviously knew how things go, but those of us that didn't work in TV had no idea. I put myself outside my comfort zone to go on that. Usually when you go away for netball, you can FaceTime your kids or your husband, but there, you can't do anything. There's no contact whatsoever. It was so nice not to have your phone or computer, and very peaceful, but it was really hard not to be able to talk to the kids. My most watched on-screen things are… I don't know why, but Shrek and Bridesmaids. Shrek is one of my favorites, my sister and I can just about say all the words from the whole movie. Bridesmaids, I think it's just a good laugh. I'm in that stage of my life with my friends, we just have a good laugh and enjoy each other's company. My controversial TV opinion is… I miss the news in the daytime. In the morning, I'm extremely busy with the kids getting ready for school and me going to work, and then at nighttime, we're either at dance or swimming or rugby training or netball training, so you miss it. When the kids are at school, it's your time when you can actually hear your own thoughts. I was gutted when the lunchtime news went away. The TV show that I'll never watch, no matter how many people tell me to is… Game of Thrones. I've never seen Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter either, but it just doesn't interest me. The last thing I watched on television was… The NRL. We watch a lot of rugby league in our house, and NRL 360 is the show that keeps you updated every night.
Otago Daily Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Kopua back in the fold
Former Silver Fern Casey Kopua has committed to the New South Wales Giants for the rest of the Australian domestic season. Kopua, 39, came out of retirement to play for the injury plagued Giants last week has signed as a replacement player for the remaining six rounds. The Giants are bottom of the table with one win. — APL
1News
03-06-2025
- Sport
- 1News
'Like riding a bike': Casey Kopua makes return to elite-level netball
Former Silver Ferns captain Casey Kopua said she "absolutely loved every minute" of her first appearance six years on from retiring from elite-level netball. The 39-year-old netball legend was signed as injury cover for the Greater Western Sydney Giants who play in the Australian Super Netball league. Kopua filled in for Jodi-Ann Ward, who tore her ACL in a recent loss to the West Coast Fever. Kopua had initially retired from the Silver Ferns in 2017 following several knee injuries and the birth of her first child, but the star returned to the black dress in 2019. She finished her career as a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and as a Netball World Cup champion in 2019. ADVERTISEMENT The team lost 71-61 to the Melbourne Vixen but Kopua said she "absolutely loved every minute". "I feel like my lungs at patches were heaving. But it's just like riding a bike, if you put a ball in front of me, I'll go and go and go. "It's definitely a lot faster [in Australia] but I feel like you can get away with a bit more in the circle. "I definitely think for me it's my mind and being able to concentrate and focus those channels again, but I can only go up from here hopefully." Kopua was signed on for three weeks with an extension possible.
Otago Daily Times
01-06-2025
- 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.
