New Year Honours: It just gets better for Ferns

By JULIE ASH

Following their world championship success in July, Silver Ferns Anna Rowberry and Lesley Nicol were given another reason to celebrate yesterday.

Rowberry and Nicol were made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of their services to netball.

Netball New Zealand chief executive Shelley McMeeken said the awards topped what had been a "wonderful year for netball."

"It is a great personal tribute to Annie and Lesley, and is also an acknowledgment of the dedication and huge effort that is required to make it to the top in our sport.

"Lesley is a fabulous role model in that she has been able to somehow mesh a top academic career with a top sporting career - neither of which have suffered. Her tenacity and her ability to never give up is fabulous.

"While Annie has had a rather tumultuous time throughout her netball career, certainly this year was a highlight where she captained the Ferns to their first world championship win in 16 years."

Nicol, 30, become New Zealand's most capped player earlier in the season, passing Sandra Edge's 94-game record. The wing defence racked up her 103rd game for New Zealand in the final of the world championships in Jamaica, where New Zealand beat Australia 49-47.

A tireless worker, Nicol, who is a trained physiotherapist and doctor, has missed only one series in her 10-year tenure with the team, to concentrate on her final medical exams in 2001.

During her career she has led New Zealand to victory at the 1991 World Youth Cup and captained the Silver Ferns.

A rollercoaster ride is a common phrase used to describe the career of 27-year-old Rowberry, the Herald Sportsperson of the Year, since making her Silver Ferns debut in 1994 at 18.

Rowberry was with the Silver Ferns when they finished third at the 1995 world championships and was part of the team who lost to Australia by one goal in 1999.

She was also there when New Zealand lost to Australia in double overtime at last year's Commonwealth Games final. But after 55 games for New Zealand, the midcourter was dropped in 2000, copping plenty of criticism for the speed of her play.

She spent 18 months in the wilderness and considered quitting, but instead worked hard at improving her game and earned a recall in June last year.

Thirteen months later, her determination, leadership and dynamic skills on court played a pivotal role in the Ferns' success in Jamaica. With 80 caps, Rowberry is the second-most experienced player in the Silver Ferns side behind Nicol.

Southern Sting coach Robyn Broughton was also made an officer for her services to netball and the community.

Self-declared multi-sport masochist Steve Gurney has topped off his ninth Coast- to-Coast endurance title with membership in the Order of Merit.

The 39-year-old Cantabrian announced yet another retirement from the big-time of adventure racing after he collapsed for 10 minutes when he crossed the finish line on Sumner Beach.

His record haul of Coast-to-Coast titles marks an amazing comeback from a severe leptospirosis infection that Gurney contracted from bat dung while racing through the Mulu Caves in the Malaysian Sarawak jungles.

As well as winning every adventure race in this country, Gurney has also collected medals from an array of international events, such as the Raid Gaulioses adventure race and the X Games.

His ability to tough out the most arduous of circumstances was also put to good use by the Silver Ferns, who used Gurney for some last-minute inspiration before heading off to glory in Jamaica.

Gurney cites his favourite pastime as crashing through thorns and gorse and his favourite food as a Vegemite, honey, avocado and tomato sandwich.

Among other sportspeople to be honoured was long-time bowls administrator Jean Ashby, who was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit.

Those awarded memberhip were former basketball player and administrator Cedric Cudby; former bowls umpire, administrator and national selector Stanley Seear; motorcycling NZ senior steward and life member Raymond Shearman; and former netball player, umpire, provincial selector and coach Dale Wortman.