Netballers beat organisation, too

Press, 10 August 1985, Page 80

Netballers beat organisation, too

PA Auckland Beating Australia in the final of the World Games netball tournament in London this week was less difficult than overcoming the poor organisation of the event, said New Zealand’s coach, Mrs Lois Muir, after returning to Auckland yesterday. New Zealand had been required to play four internationals in the last 17 hours of the tournament and to endure two 90-minute bus trips as well, she said. On the second to last day of the championship New Zealand played England after only a one-game break following a match with Jamaica. The team then returned to their hostel after midnight. The next morning they were up at 5.30 and an hour later they were on their way back to Crystal Palace where they played Northern Ireland and later Australia, whom they beat 39-37 to take the title. “But, Kiwis are survivors

and we overcame the problems,” said Mrs Muir. “We were left to our own devices and got through. But the Australians had it much better. “They bucked the system by moving out of the hostel and into a hotel close to the stadium. They also had their own transport and so got by without those problems.” When it came to team organisation, however, the New Zealand team left their trans-Tasman rivals for dead. “We had 12 players to the Australians’ 10,” said Mrs Muir. “That, I am sure, made the real difference on the last day.” “They had only one game to our two on the second to last day but we both had two on the last ’dhy. With the extra players I was able to rest a couple while they had to go out against Scotland with their virtual fullstrength line-up. “And they (Australia) went into the game perhaps a little over-confident as they had had a 100 per cent

goal-scoring average in their lead-up- games. When you have figures like that there is only one way you can go — down.” For the captain Lyn Parker, it will be “watching only” at the national championship in Wellington in a fortnight. As one of the three national selectors (and coach of the under 21 side), she is precluded from playing for Waikato. “Almost everyone is hinting or telling me I should retire, but if you are enjoying something and feel you are getting something out of it, I can’t see the reason to stop,” said Parker, a veteran of about 70 internationals. Overcoming a deficit early in the second half and then defending a narrow lead in the face of frequent Australian attacks will long be remembered by Leigh Gibbs, who returned to Christchurch yesterday after playing the World Games final.

She will also not easily forget the marvellous support of a Maori culture group from Huntly which took in the netball while on a tour of Europe. The group did a rousing victory haka — reminiscent of those by the Kiwi rugby league players after two test wins over Australia during the

last two years — as the netballers left the court. “We had similar support in Singapore (when Australia beat New Zealand in the last world tournament final) from New Zealand Army people. It was even better this time because we won,” said Mrs Gibbs. New Zealand was entitled to top ranking in world netball after beating the official title-holder, Australia, twice this year, she said. The long-term plan was, however, to wrest the world championship from the Australians in Scotland in 1987. Both nations, and Jamaica, will have extensive international competition next year as part of their preparations. Jamaica will tour New Zealand, and Australia will join in a three-way series in three New Zealand cities; the scene then moves across the Tasman for a similar contest at three Australian venues.