KEY POINTS:
LINDA VAGANA
Force 1998-2005
"My classic memory off court is freezing before a game in Dunedin, and, being a responsible captain, I drove our team up the steepest street in the world, then rolled back down faster than I should have - the girls were all screaming. It
woke them up and they played a great game! On court, it would have to be silencing the Sting crowd. I love it when they boo, and you get another intercept."
LEONIE LEAVER
Diamonds 1998-99, 2002
"When I think about the National Bank Cup, I think Sting. They've always wanted it more than anyone else. Donna Wilkins has always been a major influence - she plays do-or-die netball. I take my hat off to her, and to Robyn Broughton. To be able to get the players to want to win it so badly, and to have that spark every time, has been incredible."
JENNY-MAY COFFIN
Waikato Wildcats 1998
Force 1999
Magic 2000-04
Diamonds 2007
"My lasting memory would have to be the people. Having played right from day dot, it's amazing how many people I played with and against. I played for three franchises and the one thing I learned was netball far transcends loyalty to teams. I was always a staunch Waikato girl, but I learned the importance of playing for a team - it's about the game, not where you live."
GAIL PARATA
Shakers 1998-2001
Assistant coach 2007
"One of my highlights was in 2001 when our Capital Shakers team beat the Sting. They hadn't been beaten and we did it on our turf, propelling us to the semifinals. I was captain and we had no stars, just Irene [van Dyk], and the Sting were star-studded. Looking at their history now, you know it was quite an achievement because they weren't just any team."
BELINDA CHARTERIS
Rebels 1998
Flames 1999-2000, 2002, 2004
National Bank netball ambassador 2003-07
"The evolution of the uniforms sticks in my mind - they've changed so drastically since I first played. It's gone from pleated skirts to the sexy one-piece and I prefer the sexy one-piece any day! The National Bank Cup definitely changed the look of netball and attracted more people - men and women - to watch the game. It's been amazing; I've played against so many different people and made so many friends."
GEORGINA SALTER
Rebels coach 1998-99
"When they introduced the new competition, the Rebels had fun trying to figure out who we wanted to be as a team - fast, furious and accurate. We got to choose our own colours and dresses, and we won it in that very first year. Right from the start we were up against the new culture of Southland netball - it was an exciting time to be part of the game."
LESLEY RUMBALL
Rebels 1998-99
Sting 2000-06 "Winning sticks in my mind more than anything. I won with the Rebels in the first year, on my 25th birthday. That winning feeling is such a good feeling. The competition did so much for netball; it created such great parochial followings. It's amazing what the Sting has done for Southland, the confidence it brought to the whole region."
