Ex-Silver Ferns Irene van Dyk (left) and Adine Wilson (centre) are heading back to the courts for a new TV series. Photo / Matt Klitscher
Ex-Silver Ferns Irene van Dyk (left) and Adine Wilson (centre) are heading back to the courts for a new TV series. Photo / Matt Klitscher
As Kiwi netball legends and young up-and-comers put each other to the test in new TV series Game On, Silver Ferns icons Adine Wilson and Irene van Dyk talk to Mitchell Hageman about family, fitness and finding your flow outside of professional sport.
Even for some of Aotearoa’s netball greats,the concept of “move it or lose it” is a very real sentiment.
That’s partly the reason why super mums and Silver Ferns legends Adine Wilson, 46, and Irene van Dyk, 53, decided to spend 10 weekends getting match-fit for a tournament alongside some eager young wāhine.
“It was a shock to the system, but that’s part of why I said I wanted to do it,” Wilson tells the Herald.
“I wouldn’t say I got slack, but I was in my very cruisy zone of walking and just taking it easy. I need to put myself out there before I can’t sprint any more or, you know, jump one day.”
Game On sees Wilson, van Dyk and other ex-Silver Ferns explore the different sides of life after netball while learning from and challenging the newer generation of players in the lead-up to a competitive tournament. From mud runs to intense training sessions, it’s gruelling work and puts everyone to the test.
Adine Wilson is reflecting on life after professional netball in the new series Game On! Photo / Matt Klitscher
“The young ones pushed us, and we pushed the young ones. They would call us old ladies, and they would really get into it!” van Dyk jokes, recalling the competitive, yet nurturing nature of the challenge. In essence, it was this sense of perseverance and positive pain that was also a great learning curve, she says.
“It makes you realise how important it is to have something to look forward to and to push yourself and not get so comfortable that you forget that your body still needs to be pushed.”
Since retiring from professional netball, both van Dyk and Wilson have raised families, as well as contributed in their own ways to the sport they dedicated years of their lives to.
Van Dyk continues to work for Netball New Zealand while also putting on her coaching shoes.
“[Netball] has given me so much, so I think it’s really important that you can give back in any way you can,” Wilson says, a sentiment van Dyk agreed with.
That’s not to say that being a Silver Fern – and being part of the legacy – didn’t come with its own unique set of challenges.
“It was so structured. You were told where to be at what time, what to eat, and when to do things. By the end of the career, it felt a bit like Big Brother,” Wilson adds. “But you certainly miss the people and the relationships you have.”
Irene van Dyk says it was sometimes she questioned who she was after leaving pro-netball. Photo / Matt Klitscher
For van Dyk, something she struggled with once she stopped was the question of “who am I”.
“Because I was known as Irene van Dyk the netballer, it was all of a sudden, who am I? I’m not a Silver Fern any more, so what do I have to offer?”
With daughter Bianca van Dyk now living in Australia, a proud van Dyk is now an empty nester, which she describes as “a whole different ball game”. With her free time, she’s also making the most of what her home region of Hawke’s Bay has to offer by hitting the road.
“We have a caravan, so whenever we snag a gap, we love to use that. We’ve got so many beautiful beaches here in Hawke’s Bay, and the furthest we ever really have to go is about an hour away.”
Back in black (from left): Irene van Dyk, Joline Johansson, Yvonne Willering, Temepara Bailey and Adine Wilson.
For Wilson, it’s a little different, with her sporty 17- and 15-year-olds still keeping her busy with their own athletic endeavours.
“My life revolves around their sporting commitments now, and I love it. Irene was no doubt the same with Bianca when she was growing up,” she says.
“We know how much sport gave to us, so it’s so awesome to see our kids get out there and enjoy it as well.”
Van Dyk hopes the show not only gives people a bit of a laugh, but also an insight into what it is like carrying the legacy of the fern.
“I would say it’s a bit of insight into life after professional netball, but in a heartwarming and funny way.”
Wilson said one of the reasons she signed up for the challenge was to prove that it was good to take time to focus on your own wellbeing, something she’s continually trying to do in her post-Silver Ferns career.
And on that note, there is one hidden side of Wilson we won’t see on screen. The shooting star has decided to take up golf after “years of persuasion” from her husband.
“It doesn’t necessarily translate that well from netball, but I love being outside in the sun and fresh air.”
Game On! premieres Tuesday, July 15, on Three and ThreeNow.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
