Netball: Going great guns for over six decades

Bev Douglas (left) pins on Rayma Gunson's NZ Netball service award. Photo / Emma Miller

Years of selfless dedication to netball have paid dividends for Rayma Gunson.

The Whangarei Netball Centre arranged a lunch recently to acknowledge and honour Gunson with a Netball New Zealand service award.

This award was in recognition of her contribution to basketball and netball over six decades, and was voted on and issued at the recent Netball New Zealand annual meeting and conference in Christchurch.

Gunson was presented with her service award by Netball NZ president Beverley Douglas, in front of family, friends and basketball and netball colleagues dating from 1948 to 1975.

Former Netball NZ president Sheryl, Lady Wells, was also present, along with Whangarei Netball Centre life members Annette Bradley and Jean Hansen.

During her years of involvement with netball in Northland, Gunson has held the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and draw steward between 1949 and 1974.

She was a Whangarei and Northland representative player from 1949 to 1955.

After that she was a Whangarei A representative, and Northland coach, from 1958 to 1968. Gunson became a life member of Whangarei Basketball in 1966, and a Northland Netball Union Life Member in 1976.

She was nominated as Whangarei Netball Patron in 1975, a role she continues to hold.

Daughter Lyn Gunson represented New Zealand as a netball player and coach for many years, and her son, Michael, excelled in rugby, achieving Northland representative honours.

Both children and a number of other family members were at the lunch.

Gunson joins other Netball New Zealand service award holders, including Jean Hansen (Northland), who was honoured in 1995, and Annette Bradley (Whangarei), who was honoured in 2008.

Gunson's daughter, Lyn, (Waikato) also received a service award in 1993.