After many years without a senior team, netball is once again bringing the
Grey Valley community together, thanks to the determination of a small group of
locals who refused to let the game disappear.
Grey Valley Netball last fielded a senior team
in 2009 and a junior team in 2023 when
player numbers dwindled and the club paused. The turning point came when
Shyanne
Smith-Keith
decided she wanted to play again but knew the
travel demands were difficult for rural families to manage alone. Realising
many other mums and families felt the same, she set out to restart the club and
the community rallied behind her.
Support quickly grew, with help from her sister-in-law Charlotte Perkins
and Charlotte’s mum, Carol Becker, who was roped back into coaching.
Carol was part of the original group that established Grey Valley Netball 34
years ago. With connections through the West Coast Netball Executive Committee and
strong local knowledge behind them, a dedicated committee of Shyanne, Charlotte, Carol, along with
Annabelle
Ealam, Summer Tomlinson and Molly Bagnall
, worked tirelessly behind the
scenes securing sponsorship, applying for funding, organising uniforms, finding
coaches and even tracking down old equipment.
Today, Grey Valley Netball has grown to around 25–30 players across senior
and Future Ferns teams, with players aged seven through to 37. Weekly training
sessions held at Awahono School in Ahaura have become more than just practice
sessions - they’re a chance for rural families to connect.
“For us, it’s about bringing the community together and giving local women
and our kids opportunities,” the team shared. “Living rurally can feel
isolated, so sport makes a huge difference.”
Support from the Sport NZ Travel Fund has played a vital role,
helping ease the cost of travelling to weekly games and ensuring more local
players can take part. By reducing travel expenses, the fund removes financial
pressure and ensures cost isn’t a barrier to participation. Without that assistance,
some families may have missed out altogether.
The atmosphere since restarting has been overwhelmingly positive, with
strong backing from local sponsors and the wider Grey Valley community, and
plenty of pride in the club’s new uniforms.
With two teams now competing and more young players showing interest, the
future looks bright. The goal is simple: keep growing, welcome more juniors,
and make sure netball remains part of Grey Valley life for years to come.
Photo:
Front Row, left to right – Emma Burrows, Katie Stringer, Emily Hindmarsh,
Summer Tomlinson,
Back Row , left to right – Charlotte
Perkins, Amy Gazzard, Annabelle Ealam, Shyanne Smith-Keith, Molly Bagnall,
Carol Becker
(Missing – Nadine Savage, Sarah-Jane Lawson, Jade Johnston, Sarah O’Connor)
