Silver Ferns victory wins Moment of the Year
The gutsy 52-47 victory on day three not only pushed the Silver Ferns to the top of their pool, but also snapped a 21 match-winning streak by the Diamonds.
Voted on by the fans via NZNetballAwards.co.nz, the six shortlisted moments were selected from the period September 30, 2014 – October 1, 2015.
Facing tough competition, particularly from Irene van Dyk’s farewell and Ellen Halpenny’s miracle long range bomb – both at the FAST5 Netball World Series - the Silver Ferns came out on top.
Silver Ferns captain Casey Kopua accepted the award on the team’s behalf from Minister for Sport, the Hon. Dr. Jonathan Coleman.
“It was certainly something special for us [that moment]. I was definitely hoping that it was going to be that match because it was a real turning point for the girls,” Kopua said of the win.
“Just in belief-wise and confidence-wise, mentally and physically for us, it [the win at NWC2015] certainly started something. But it also showed that what we had been doing was working out on court.”
MORE: Relive every moment, all the winners and the interviews from the New Zealand Netball Awards
Thousands of SilverFans made their way to Sydney Olympic Park to support the Silver Ferns in their quest for gold at NWC2015.
Kopua said the team knows the fans are right behind them every time they take the court.
“Every time we walked out onto the court, or up the street, or to the hotel; everywhere there were kiwis, which certainly made it feel like being at home,” she said.
“When you walked into the stadium - how loud they were… they were cheering right down to the end; even in that final when we didn’t quite win, they were still very supportive.”