ANZAC Day Memories with Oonah Shanahan
Netball has been played in New Zealand for more than 100 years, surviving through recessions, wars and the ever changing sporting landscape in our country. One thing that has remained consistent throughout that time is the passion with which the game is played.
One of New Zealand’s oldest surviving national representatives, former captain of the NZ national Netball (formerly basketball) team Oonah Shannahan (bottom left), has fond memories of her playing days.
Shannahan will celebrate her 94th birthday in September and as the country pauses to reflect on the significance of the ANZAC Day centenary this week, we take a look back at how the war impacted Netball during the war years in the 1940’s.
“I had two brothers that went off to war and that was always a worry for our parents and you knew ones you worked with that went off and didn’t come back,” Shanahan reflected.
“In those days there was always a parade on ANZAC Day but as the years went on that didn’t seem to be as important.”
“We didn’t start playing until the afternoon – usually a tournament on ANZAC Day,” she said.
Shannahan says the game wasn’t overly affected during the war years as Netball was organised by women and it was predominately the menfolk who served, fighting in Europe, North Africa, Asia and elsewhere.
“We all had private worries with families but for the most part we just went to work and on Saturday we went to Netball, or basketball as it was then.”
“For us things didn’t change very much because it was women who ran Netball, so looking back, life just carried on as usual.
Shannahan captained the New Zealand team for the opening test match against Australia in 1948 in Dunedin and had just one day to practise. The visitors came across the Tasman in a flying boat, nine years after they were scheduled to visit due to the cancellation of that tour because of World War II.
The Kiwis needed a crash course in international rules as they were still playing 9 a-side while the Australians had been playing 7 a-side. The visitors won all three matches of the tour. Playing down the honour of captaining the national side, Shannahan said there wasn’t too much hype around it.
“At the time being captain of that first test match seemed to be quite an honour but you didn’t get carried away with it. Not a lot was made of it, I felt it was on a slightly better scale than an ordinary encounter with someone like South Canterbury!”
“Playing against Australia they were all strong players and the fact that they guarded assiduously, they were better players that we were.
“We weren’t allowed to bump up against partners but they could and did it very skilfully and then they shot their goals very well. They had strong defence and they were sort of on top,” she said.
Despite the 27-16 loss, Shannahan has nothing but good things to say about New Zealand’s closest rivals.
“I’m very fond of Australians, we’ve had wonderful friends and relations who are Australians so I think it’s good and it’s great to beat them. I think they’ve very skilful and they can always come back and win a game.”
“For me, Netball is a game I thoroughly enjoyed playing, and we made a lot of friends that we’re still friendly with today.”
Shannahan will not be at home watching Netball on television on ANZAC Day like she might have once done.
“ANZAC Day means much more today than it did back then and it’s good to see young people involved because they weren’t involved when we were young.”
Her grandson is organising an ANZAC Day service and she plans to get outside and enjoy the autumn weather, honouring those who have gone before.