Netball legend Irene van Dyk driving Hawke’s Bay return to national championships

Former international netball star Irene van Dyk as a big-match spectator in Hawke’s Bay in 2021, two years into a move to Hawke’s Bay that now has her coaching the provincial side at this week’s national open netball championships in Papakura. Photo / NZME

Global netball legend Irene van Dyk has a new kick in her step as she drives Hawke’s Bay’s return to the national Open championships, a year after the Bay opted out because of a lack of numbers.

Former international netball star Irene van Dyk as a big-match spectator in Hawke’s Bay in 2021, two years into a move to Hawke’s Bay that now has her coaching the provincial side at this week’s national open netball championships in Papakura. Photo / NZME.

While the numbers playing the game in Hawke’s Bay are vast, its hopes at the top level have been stifled by talent departing for higher education and other opportunities, in addition to other factors keeping players from the game from time to time.

It is now 83 years since Hawke’s Bay’s only clasping of the New Zealand Cup — during World War II.

Now enter the 52-year-old South African who emigrated to New Zealand in 2000, became New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year only three years later, settled in Hawke’s Bay with husband and cricket coach Christie in 2019, and this year was one of the inaugural 12 inductees to the New Zealand netball Hall of Fame.

She became Hawke’s Bay coach last year, faced with a shortage of experienced senior players, and made a decision to bypass the 2023 tournament in Dunedin to take a gap year starting to build a team for the future.

Arriving for Tuesday’s opening day in Papakura and having driven the team “bus” for much of Monday from Hawke’s Bay, van Dyk wasn’t making any rushed predictions, but said she wanted to get some “tribalism” and belief going. She reckoned if the team adhered to a simple plan and players stuck to their goals then they were capable of some surprises.

“My idea is to create a culture they want to be part of,” she said. “I think we can upset a few teams. We have a simple plan, so it’s all about execution. We’re definitely going to see how it pans out.”

Apart from players they’ve seen on TV, they know nothing about most of the opposition, including Christchurch, who they meet in their day one pool B game starting at 1pm on Tuesday.

Unlike the opportunities for national championship rugby players, there’s none of the team or individual video to analyse beforehand, and for players who’ve left school, the team, captained by All In: Elusive’s Candis Timms, with Isabelle Crawshaw as vice-captain, from Waipukurau-based Central, they’ll have just four in the squad who’ve played in the championships previously, and only Hastings HSOG Huia player Judy Brown surviving from the Bay’s Super Club final last month.

But van Dyk got started early, with a pre-season camp including the top men’s players, and there have since been two one-day tournaments away, for a win and two losses in each, the victories being over Manawatū White and Taranaki.

To follow after the game against Christchurch on Tuesday’s opener, the squad of 12, one of 17 teams competing in the Pulman Arena in Papakura, Nōku Hawke’s Bay play Dunedin at 2.30pm on Wednesday, and Manawatū Green on Thursday at 8.30am.

The top two in each pool qualify for the quarter-finals, but there are playoffs for all positions before the championship finals on Saturday afternoon.

“We are very realistic,” said van Dyk, who played 145 Silver Ferns matches in a South Africa and New Zealand international career of more than 200 internationals and a top-leagues New Zealand career spanning 17 years. “We don’t know how strong the other teams are. But the attitude — it’s amazing.”

The Nōku Hawke’s Bay squad is: Emily Autagavaia (All In: Elusive), Alex Balhorn (Taradale), Judy Brown, (Hastings HSOG Huia), Aimee Carlson (Central), Aimee-Rose Carrington (All In: Elusive), Isabelle Crawshaw (vice-captain, Central), Grace Donnelly (Marewa), Hannah Hibbert (Central), Bree Hutchieson (All In: Elusive), Dani Pomare-Mackay (All-In: Elusive), Barbie Thompson (Central), and Candis Timms (captain, All In: Elusive).