The Star: March 16, 2023

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The Star Thursday March 16 2023 24 SPORT Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Court side icon’s name etched among the greats Two years ago Joyce Walsh’s heart stopped beating for 33 minutes and she spent 66 days in hospital then had to learn to walk again. Jaime Cunningham talks to the netball stalwart who has been recognised with a Netball New Zealand service award JOYCE WALSH’S name now sits alongside the likes of Dame Noeline Taurua, Laura Langman and Adine Wilson. But unlike some who appear on the list of Netball New Zealand service award recipients, she never wore a Silver Ferns uniform or coached the national side. The Cantabrian has instead contributed 50 years to the sport in other ways. She has played and coached, umpired and coached umpires – and been a national bench official, scoring games and keeping time. Joyce, 80, says her first involvement with netball, outside of playing, started in about 1971, when she was living in Palmerston North with her young family. “I started coaching after our son had started primary school. We knew very little people in the area and I saw the school’s newsletter asking for a netball coach,” she said. The team Joyce took over won their end-of-season tournament – and she still remembers being asked how she coached the players so well. However, her coaching stint didn’t last long as she considered umpiring to be “far more important.” Joyce gained her New Zealand umpiring badge in 1980 and moved back to Christchurch that same year. She lived at the Burnham Military Camp while her husband was in the army, and began working at Christchurch Netball Centre. “I used to spend five out of seven days at Hagley Park. If it wasn’t a meeting, it was umpiring. If it wasn’t that it was something else,” she said. In 1992, she gave up umpiring due to an injury but continued to be involved with netball, marking theory papers and coaching junior umpires. Joyce then began scoring and timekeeping at Christchurch Netball Centre, which she “quite enjoyed.” She eventually became a national bench official in 2004 and was involved in national tournaments across the country. “In those days, we didn’t have remote controls to buzz (for the end of a quarter), you had to chase the umpires,” she said. Her highlight as a bench official was when Auckland hosted the 2007 Netball World Cup. Joyce said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be Megan involved. “For 10 days, we were at the McLay court at 8am and didn’t finish up until 9.30pm. Unfortunately, New Zealand couldn’t beat Australia in the final (losing 38-42), but that was my highlight of my benching,” she said. After 16 years’ volunteering at national and age-group tournaments, Joyce’s netball ambitions had to be put on hold in 2020 when her heart abruptly stopped. “I had to get taught to walk again. I wanted to go back to netball but my brain couldn’t work fast enough,” she said. “I haven’t been back to netball in two years now, and I miss it so much. Apart from that, I’m living my life,” Joyce said. But the sport came back into her life last month, when a surprise call from her daughter revealed Joyce she had been acknowledged in Netball New Zealand’s 2023 service awards. “I had a tear or two when I found out, and it took a day or so to sink in. To me, it’s the real pinnacle of what I’ve done for all those years,” she said. “All in all, netball has been my life for a long time.” Megan McLay, a former manager at Christchurch Netball Centre, said Joyce has given a lot to netball in Canterbury. “She has given a huge portion of her life and her passion to netball. The netball community as a whole has benefitted greatly from her dedication and we remain grateful for her involvement in our sport,” McLay said. Joyce has been a delight to work alongside and her years as an umpire coach had helped bring through some quality umpires at the centre, McLay said. “She has always been prepared to fill in for others and to take on more than her share of bench duties, to assist in the office or to go out on the courts to support umpires if they are struggling with on-court play or sideline behaviour,” McLay said. Joyce will be presented with her service award at the Christchurch Netball Centre annual meeting on Monday. 2023 NNZ service awards: •Kate Agnew – NNZ (Netball South Canterbury Endorsed). •Julie Bennett - Auckland Netball Centre. •Barbara Bialy - Netball Hutt Valley. •Mary-Rose Cullen- Invercargill Netball Centre. •Leana de Bruin - NNZ (Rotorua Netball Centre Endorsed). •Gareth Fowler - NNZ (Netball Central Zone Endorsed). •Debbie Fuller - NNZ (Tauranga Netball Centre Endorsed). •Laura Langman - NNZ (Te Awamutu Netball Centre Endorsed). •Leah Lazarus - Netball North Harbour. •Kirsten Lloyd - Netball Wellington Centre. STALWART: Joyce Walsh has given more than 50 years of service to netball since she started coaching in 1971. •Murray Lockwood - Netball Northern Zone (Papakura Netball Centre Endorsed). •Maree McMillan - Invercargill Netball Centre. •Nicki Paterson - Dunedin Netball Centre. •Kristie Simpson - NNZ (Netball South Zone Endorsed). •Noeline Taurua - NNZ (Tauranga Netball Centre Endorsed). •Joyce Walsh - Christchurch Netball Centre. •Adine Wilson - Auckland Netball Centre. •Lyn Wilson - Dunedin Netball Centre. CANTERBURY BROUGHT YOU BY SPORTS CORNER WITH NEW ZEALAND WOMEN’S CRICKETER FRANKIE MACKAY SATURDAY 7– 8AM
Thursday March 16 2023 The Star Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz SPORT 25 Cashmere chase final berth • By Diane Keenan CASHMERE HAS an extra incentive to win the premier men’s interclub competition title – the club’s only weeks away from celebrating their 100th anniversary. The first step in their quest for championship honours will be to win Saturday’s semifinal against Burnside Park at Wilding Park. The winner of which will meet either Elmwood or Bishopdale in the final the following week. Cashmere would only earn a home final at their picturesque courts, supported by a centenary-celebrating crowd, if Elmwood lose their semi-final this week. Burnside Park beat South Brighton 5-1 last week, while Cashmere were soundly beaten by the same score by Elmwood. Cashmere were without their top player James Meredith in the singles match-ups, which Elmwood won easily. Both Cashmere and Burnside Park have strong top No 1s in James Meredith, the youngest of the Meredith brothers, and Remi Feneon. They did not play each other this season, but both claimed national titles in their respective age groups at this year’s New Zealand Masters Championships. With a place in the final at stake Cashmere may include all the Meredith brothers – James, Matt and Tim – along NO 1: Cashmere will be a stronger team with the inclusion of top player James Meredith. with their young guns Liam Barrett and Lucas Evans, and the consistent Harry Weeds. Burnside Park’s ranks this season have included Jamie Poole, Liam Adams, Rene Dumont and, in recent weeks, 16-year-old Jake Parsons. The talented junior may be called on again this weekend, given Dumont retired from his singles last weekend. Elmwood, last year’s competition winners, finished PRESSURE: Bethan Ellis will be a key player for Sydenham in the women’s premier one-day final on Saturday. PHOTO: ASH HART at the top of the table after an excellent season, in which they only recorded one loss. In the semi-final this weekend they play a plucky Bishopdale team that includes top players Will Schneideman and Jamie Garbett. Bishopdale lost a nail-biting clash against Te Kura Hagley last weekend on countback. Schneideman was forced to retire from the doubles and did not play the singles. It is not known if he will • By Jaime Cunningham SYDENHAM and Lancaster Park will meet in another limited overs women’s final on Saturday. The one day final at Sydenham Park will see the two teams meet another final after last month’s T20 finale in which Sydenham came out on top. Bowler Ocean Bartlett will be one to watch for Sydenham, after she claimed 16 wickets in just six innings so far in the one-day format at an average of 9.38. Bartlett also made her top score of 70 not out when her team faced Lancaster Park in December last year. All-rounder Bethan Ellis will look to continue her form with ball and bat for the home side, having taken seven wickets in five innings (at an average of 12), and made two 50s at an average of 44.25. Sydenham’s PJ Watkins will be a key wicket for Lancaster take the court this weekend. Elmwood comes into the semi-final with all their players available, fit and on form. Last weekend, the Darling brothers, Elliot and Lawrence, and the Batt brothers, Eddie and Tom, were a force to be reckoned with in their singles. Elmwood’s win also included a strong showing from Elliot Darling and Tom Batt in the doubles against Matt and James Meredith. Both semi-finals will be played at Wilding Park on Saturday. Points Men: Elmwood 164, Cashmere 141, Burnside Park 128, Bishopdale 114, South Brighton 83, Te Kura Hagley 72, Edgeware Waimairi 44 Te Kura Hagley win women’s title Te Kura Hagley are the women’s champions after a tight battle last weekend against Burnside Bishopdale. It is the 30th time Te Kura Hagley (previously United) have won the title in the last 78 years. Honours were split one all after the doubles, but Jade Feneon, who also won the top doubles with her mother Joelene, was Burnside Bishopdale’s only singles winner. Petra Belzova, Michelle Kelsen and Adele Orangi won their singles for Te Kura Hagley to clinch the championship Sydenham line up second title of the season Park, with an average of 41 and two 50s this season. Lancaster Park have a stacked bowling side, which includes Jess Simmons. The Canterbury Magician took nine wickets for her club side in one-day round robin this year at an average of 15.11 and collected best figures of 5/30. If fellow Canterbury representatives Sarah Asmussen and Jacinta Savage make an appearance, Lancaster Park’s bowling stocks will look similar to the team which bowled North West out for 40 in December. Sydenham would be the second premier side to claim two titles this season if they can beat Lancaster Park. Old Boys Collegians’ premier men’s side did the double earlier this year. Sydenham and Lancaster Park last played a one-dayer against each other on February 18, when Sydenham came out on top by seven runs. •The final starts at 11am STRENGTH: Mark Drury works Tactix defender Greer Sinclair. PHOTO: DAVE RISDEN (QUALITY ANTICS) Specialist coach to lift Tactix • By Jaime Cunningham AFTER 16 YEARS working with professional rugby players, strength and conditioning specialist Mark Drury has changed sporting codes – much to his daughters’ delight. Drury is one of several additions to the Tactix, which includes five changes in the team’s playing roster. Drury, who is the Crusaders’ former head of strength and conditioning, is now working with the netball side after stints with the Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay and Scottish rugby unions. “I’ve got two daughters who play netball and I was keen to be involved in a smaller squad and management team, as well as facing a different challenge,” Drury said. He studied physical education at the University of Otago and completed a masters in strength and conditioning at Canterbury University. “When I graduated, all the jobs available were surrounding rugby,” he said. Drury stepped away from working with top level rugby players a few years ago to teach strength and conditioning courses at Canterbury and Otago universities. “As I got a bit older and changed jobs, I kind of branched out and away from professional sport, I guess.” Drury’s new role as strength and conditioning coach at the Tactix is part-time and he will continue teaching at both universities. “I teach a masters course (at UC), which is probably my favourite group to teach as it’s challenging,” he said. “I feel like working in the academic space has been good, and I’m bringing what I’m learning to training.” It’s an important year for the Tactix top players, with the Netball World Cup looming in July. Drury said he is confident he can prepare his athletes for Silver Ferns selection. “While I was working with the Crusaders I had to deal with a few World Cup years. I know it’s at the back of players’ minds to be physically pushing everywhere. My job is getting them ready to fire,” he said. •The Tactix play the Steel in Invercargill on Monday at 7.30pm
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