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Commonwealth Games: Silver Ferns break 16-year gold-medal drought at Glasgow
New Zealand have won their first Commonwealth Games gold medal in 16 years, after beating Jamaica 56-48 in Glasgow in a stunning show of resilience.
Victory was a huge statement from the Silver Ferns, against the backdrop of an incredibly difficult period for the sport in New Zealand.
The game plan was executed brilliantly by Silver Ferns, who managed to nullify the world-class Jamaican defenders for the second time at the Games.
They were playing in their first Commonwealth Games gold medal match since 2014, after beating England in their semi-final.
In a gruelling schedule, the Silver Ferns managed to win seven games in nine days.
They were reduced to 11 players, when defender Catherine Hall was ruled out of the Games, after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee against Wales on Thursday.
Coach Dame Noeline Taurua stuck with the same starting seven that beat England in the semi-finals.
Despite the Silver Ferns barely going to the bench in the semi, the players showed no signs of fatigue and committed very few turnovers.
The first break of the game came when Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken-George missed, and New Zealand snaffled the rebound and scored quickly.
Goal attack Georgia Heffernan brought out all her tools, including two off-the-post passes to herself, and continued to act as the perfect foil to strike shooter Grace Nweke.
The Silver Ferns looked more energised than Jamaica, who had knocked Australia out in the semi-finals 24 hours earlier, in a massive boilover.
Jayne Russell / Photosport
New Zealand led by four, before Jamaican goal keep Shamera Sterling-Humphrey sparked up with her first intercept, which was converted just on the buzzer.
The Silver Ferns led by 16-13 after the first quarter in front of crowd that largely supported a Jamaican win.
Jamaica got within one early in the second quarter, before New Zealand broke back to take a three-goal lead again and maintained that margin into half time (28-25).
One change came after the break, when Kimiora Poi replaced Maddy Gordon at wing attack.
Jodi-Ann Ward intercepted a bounce pass and Jamaica levelled the score, which pleased the crowd at the Hydro.
Nweke copped a second offensive contact, but goal keep Kelly Jackson had two intercepts in quick succession to help New Zealand push out to a five-goal lead.
Poi’s connection with Nweke built nicely across the quarter and the Silver Ferns led 41-36 heading into the final period
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Gordon replaced Kate Heffernan at centre with nine minutes left, before the vice-captain returned for the last few minutes to replace Mila Reuelu-Buchanan.
The Silver Ferns were able to enjoy the final moments, knowing they had the game in the bag.
Jackson and Karin Burger were dogged again in the defensive circle, with wing defence Reuelu-Buchanan constantly nagging her opposite.
Until this tournament, Reuelu-Buchanan had only ever played in the centre or wing attack bib for New Zealand, but became a key part of the line-up.
Nweke was a tremendous target under the post and finished the game with 48 goals. Kate Heffernan again underlined her status as one of the best players in world netball.
Jayne Russell / Photosport
The Silver Ferns last won Commonwealth Games gold at the 2010 Delhi Games.
The Glasgow result was remarkable, given the potential demise of the ANZ Premiership is playing out in the background, with no guarantees of an elite domestic competition next year.
The other storyline underpinning this campaign was that, when Taurua sat on the coaching bench for the Silver Ferns’ opening match against Scotland, it was her first time in charge since October 2024.
Last September, Taurua was suspended due to concerns raised from players about the high performance environment, which dominated headlines for weeks.
Taurua was eventually re-instated, but only got her hands on the team three weeks before the start of the Commonwealth Games, when they came together for a camp.
Jackson told Sky Sport the gold medal would take a while to sink in.
“We’ve been through hell and back, but I think that’s really galvanised this team, we came out this week and really showed what we’re made of,” she said.
“I think we were probably under-estimated by a lot of people, but man, it just feels so good. We’ve got so much pride in this dress and to give some positivity to the sport that’s in a pretty tough place at the moment it’s pretty cool.”
Simon Stacpoole / Photosport
Taurua said she didn’t consider the gold medal a vindication.
“Not a vindication,” she said. “When I came in being very professional about what my role is and my contribution to the team, it’s sweet is what I would say..
“It’s lovely to be able to put that performance out there, they were sublime.”
The Silver Ferns last won a pinnacle event at the 2019 Netball World Cup, when Taurua was also in charge. Captain Burger is the only current Fern left from that campaign.
Burger, who moved to New Zealand from South Africa when she was 18, told Sky Sport the result was surreal.
“We’ve been through so much, but to be able to stand up there, knowing what we’re capable of and actually showing the rest of the world is pretty awesome,” she said.
Australia did not feature in the Commonwealth Games gold medal match for the first time. The Diamonds, who came in as reigning champions, won the bronze medal, after beating England 68-50.
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The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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