Woman’s Weekly New Zealand – August 05, 2019

8 NewZealandWoman’sWeekly

Behind the Ferns’

HOWTHEYLEARNEDTO BELIEVE INTHEMSELVES

I

t tooka momentforLaura

Langmantorealisethey’d

doneit. AsherSilverFern

teammatesbegantorun

towardsher,theirarms

outstretchedandtheirjoyful

screamsringingthrough

LiverpoolArena,thecaptain

fantasticglancedupatthe

scoreboardandleaptinto

theair.

After 16 yearsofalmostsand

notquites,ourgalshadfinally

wontheNetballWorldCup,

pippingAustralia 52 goalsto51.

It wasa fairytalein allrespects,

a trueunderdogstoryforthe

ages following a turbulent 12

monthsofthelowestlows

andconstantchange,ledby

visionarycoachNoelineTaurua.

It hadit all:thetalesof

redemption,suchasKatrina

Rore’sstunningrecallfollowing

herheartbreakingexclusionlast

year;thetantalisingtwists,such

asLaura’sreturntotheFerns

followinga periodofineligibility;

andperhapsthebestofall,

theperfectendingstothe

internationalcareersofthreeof

thegame’sfinestathletes,Laura,

CaseyKopuaandMariaFolau.

But,asLauraadmits,it didn’t

comeeasyforthesquad– her

team of Casey, Maria, Katrina,

JaneWatson,KarinBurger,

AmeliaranneEkanasio,Shannon

Saunders,GinaCrampton,Te

PaeaSelby-Rickit,BaileyMes

andPhoenixKaraka.

“Wealwayssaidit wasgoing

tobebumpy,andjeepersit was

like,squeezeyourbumcheeks

together,that’sforsure!”she

toldformerSilverFernJenny-

MayClarksonafterwards.“But,

I feelreallyproudtohavedoneit

forpeoplelikeCaseyMay,who’s

givensomuchtothegame.

It’sbeenanincrediblejourney.”

TheSilverFerns’roadto

redemptionbeganin August

last year. Following a horror

Thefinalscorewasso

closethatteamcaptain

Laura(atright)wasn’t

sureatfirstwhether

they’dwon.Andthen

the realisation hit.

SPORTING TRIBUTE

Behind the Ferns’ epic win