After leaving a considerable imprint on the netball landscape, Leigh Gibbs, Kereyn Smith, Anna Harrison and Carol Martin were acknowledged for their stellar contributions to the sport in the 2023 New Year’s Honours.
A Netball New Zealand (NNZ) Life Member, Gibbs was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to netball. Smith, also a Life Member and former NNZ Board Chair, and long-serving Silver Ferns defender Harrison became Members’ of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).
Smith was honoured for her services to sports governance and Harrison for services to netball and volleyball. Martin was bestowed a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for services to the community and netball while former Silver Fern Pānia Papa was also made an ONZM for services to Māori language education and broadcasting.
Silver Fern #64 and the team’s 11th captain, Gibbs has been an influential figure across multiple netball communities and dedicated much of her life to the game, from grassroots to international level in a variety of roles.
As a player, Gibbs forged a stellar career during her 10-year run with the Silver Ferns, built on a demanding fitness regime and strong work ethic. Tailor-made for wing defence, Gibbs owned the position during a standout international career which comprised 61 test caps.
She played in three Netball World Cups, winning twice and once as a runner-up before turning to coaching. Gibbs coached the Silver Ferns from 1994 - 1997 and as the team’s assistant helped steer them to a World Cup title in 2003 and Commonwealth Games gold in 2006.
Smith spent 11 years on the Board of NNZ, including six as Chair, closely followed by a five-year term as World Netball Vice President, much of it during a time of significant change for netball.
During her time with World Netball, Smith was involved with the delivery of many international events, including World Netball Championships, World Youth Cups, and the exciting new concept of the FastNet World Netball Series (now the FAST5 Netball World Series).
She was also instrumental in driving the restructure of the international body as well as developing umpiring, coaching and marketing panels. With NNZ, Smith helped guide the transformation of the code from amateur to semi-professional status.
A leading advocate for increasing the profile and participation of women in sport, Smith was the first female in the 100-year history of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) to be appointed to the CEO role.
A formidable opponent across all three defensive positions, Harrison’s aerial ability, long reach and timing were key facets to her play and which quickly drew attention when she was first selected to the Silver Ferns as a 19-year-old in 2002. A menacing presence while adding variety at the defensive end, Harrison refined her craft over the years, was the ultimate competitor and a proven match winner.
Harrison played 14 seasons of national league netball, her physique and background in volleyball played a leading role in making her one of the game’s great innovators and she will go down in netball folklore after hitting the headlines when instigating the manoeuvre dubbed the ``Harrison Hoist.’’
She experienced considerable success on the international front after claiming gold medals with the Silver Ferns at the 2003 World Cup and 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Martin has spent many years volunteering in the Hokitika community in a range of capacities across several organisations with netball featuring strongly.
Her involvement with Hokitika Netball stretches back to 1983 where has been a player, committee member, Secretary, Treasurer and President while also being a player, Treasurer and President of the Buller Westland Netball Union. She coached several age-group representative teams before committing to umpiring, travelling with representative teams and assisting junior and senior developing umpires.
Martin has also been a strong presence as a Trustee at several schools in the area and helped or organised as a volunteer in many fund-raising events across the community.