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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
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.''
IOL News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Netball SA boss Cecilia Molokwane's suspension by World Netball raises questions over leadership bid
Cecilia Molokwane Cecilia Molokwane, the president of Netball SA, has been suspended by World Netball. Photo: ARMAND HOUGH Independent Media Image: ARMAND HOUGH Independent Media World Netball has suspended Cecilia Molokwane, the president of Netball South Africa (NSA) and Africa Netball, and a World Netball director, casting doubts on her bid for a third term as NSA leader. The reasons remain unclear, with talks said to be ongoing. The sport's world governing body has yet to disclose the specific charges, sending the rumour mill into overdrive in the netball community around the possible reasons for her suspension. Molokwane has been a prominent figure in South African netball since she first took over the NSA presidency in 2017. Over her two terms, she has been credited with propelling the Proteas to impressive finishes in recent Netball World Cups, and for hosting Africa's successful maiden World Cup tournament in Cape Town in 2023. She has listed hosting the showpiece as a highlight of her netball journey, as well as expanding the profile and reach of netball in the country. Molokwane has also been credited with securing top opposition for the national netball team, in their bid to crack the podium places at major international tournaments. Recent news of a Test series against New Zealand later this year followed earlier clashes against Jamaica and England. All three teams are ranked higher than the Proteas. At the recent launch of the 2025 Telkom National Netball League in Johannesburg, Molokwane declared her intention to run for a third term as NSA president in the elections later this year. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ However, Netball South Africa are saying that they have not been made aware of the specific allegations against their leader. 'Netball South Africa (NSA) acknowledges the correspondence received from World Netball concerning our president, Cecilia Molokwane,' they said in a statement. 'We are currently in discussions with World Netball regarding this matter. "As an organisation, NSA is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of governance, integrity, and transparency. We are committed to ensuring a fair and thorough process throughout this situation. 'In line with World Netball's guidelines, we will refrain from engaging in discussions about ongoing internal matters.' They have called for patience while the process unfolds.
