A legendary figure in Netball circles, Otago’s Lois Muir first made her mark as a player. A New Zealand indoor basketball representative, Muir became the 27th Silver Fern when selected in the 1960 team for the historic three-Test tour to Australia.

From the outset of her international Netball career, Muir stamped her class as the No 1 goal defence following an outstanding run at Otago and South Island representative level.

Tall for the era and strong, Muir remained a mainstay when re-selected in the 1963 team for her consistency and high levels of play which marked her as one of the greats at the time.

In another historic year, the Silver Ferns travelled by sea to England for the inaugural Netball World Cup in 1963 with the athletic Muir as vice-captain. Losing to Australia by a solitary goal, Muir retired from playing that year and moved into the coaching ranks.

Muir was awarded an OBE for services to Netball in 1984 and inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2004 she was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, accepting re-designation as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.