Netball: Beating Australia among Mene's special moments

By JULIE ASH

Bernice Mene's 10-year international netball career has ended.

Mene stepped onto the national scene as a 17 year old from Villa Marie College and was a member of the Young Internationals for four years before her selection in the Silver Ferns in 1992.

Her debut was against England at Wembley Stadium.

Since then she has gone on to play 78 games for New Zealand, captaining the team for the past two years.

Her mobility, positional awareness and athletic ability have made her one of the best defenders in the game.

"The highlight is just being in the team," said Mene, now 27.

"Getting it there for the first time is just amazing. But the big events like the Commonwealth Games and World Championships and beating Australia are also special."

And the worst time of her career?

"Losing against Australia by some 28 goals."

Last year, Mene led the Silver Ferns to victory in the tri-nations tournament, that included Australia and South Africa.

The Silver Ferns beat the world champion Australians by a record 15 goals in Melbourne.

They lost their final encounter of the competition by 12, but still took home the trophy.

Mene also captained the silver-medal-winning netballers at the last Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

A knee injury has plagued her career but it was not the reason for her retirement.

"The body is fine, it would have been a shame to to end with an injury."

She had been expected to prolong her career so she could compete at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in July-August and the world championships next year.

"I still think the team has been successful in recent years. I have enjoyed netball but I felt this was the time.

"I had to be quite introverted and decide what I wanted to do in the next year and next 10 years.

"I just felt like I needed to move on. I have been playing for 10 years, it is huge chunk on your life."

She comes from a sporting family. Her father and mother, Mene and Sally Mene, competed in athletics at the Christchurch Commonwealth Games in 1974.

Her brother Chris represented Samoa in the discus at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and her brother Nathan represented that country in the high jump at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

A trained teacher, Mene resigned from her job at Mt Albert Grammar School last year and is now working at Sport Auckland.

"I want to focus on my career. I am really just flexible at the moment."

She said she had no plans to coach.

As well as being a key figure in the Silver Ferns, Mene is also the face of the Southern Sting in the Coca Cola Cup, a team she has played for since 1998.

In the National Provincial Championships she played for Canterbury between 1992 and 1994, Wellington in 1995 and 1996 and Southland in 2000.

Netball New Zealand chief executive Shelley McMeeken said she was surprised to hear of Mene's retirement.

Mene had planned to speak to Netball New Zealand officials last night but had told her story to a women's magazine that came out a day earlier than expected."She has contributed hugely to netball in the last 10 years," McMeekan said.

"It is a sport which is hugely demanding on your time.

"Bernice has been to the Commonwealth Games and to the World Championships and although the next two years are huge for us, she has made the decision that is right for her."