Taurua, Forsyth celebrate investiture at Government House

Silver Ferns head coach Dame Noeline Taurua and former Silver Fern Margaret Forsyth celebrated their investitures in front of families and friends, honouring their services to netball.

Their contributions to the sport were recognised at Government House in Auckland on Monday where Taurua received her Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM) and Forsyth was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).

Taurua follows in the footsteps of Dame Lois Muir and Dame June Mariu to become just the third netballer to be given the honour, acknowledging her years of contribution to netball in New Zealand which culminated in a 2019 Netball World Cup title with the Silver Ferns in Liverpool.

The super coach has been busy this year, despite the disrupted season, working alongside the ANZ Premiership coaches in a mentoring role.

Taurua, who has won domestic titles in New Zealand and Australia, was named in the New Year Honours alongside Forsyth who was made an ONZM for her services to both netball and the community.

Forsyth, who is a two-time world champion, has contributed to the sport as a national representative player, coach and selector since the 1970s.

She is well known for her work as head coach of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and has been a Silver Ferns National Selector and a National Emerging Talent Selector.

The former New Zealand goal attack was also at Government House to receive her ONZM from the Governor-General, The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy.

Others to celebrate their investiture ceremonies at Government House this week included the late Dame Yvette Corlett, New Zealand’s first female Olympic gold medallist who died last year, along with film and television producer John Barnett, historian Dr Aroha Harris, broadcaster Karyn Hay, champion swimmer Lauren Boyle and country music star Dennis Marsh.