Natball: Woman with Midas touch

By RICHARD BOOCK

When the shouting finally dies down and the haze clears on the Silver Ferns' world championship success, a big thank you should be reserved for former Wellington Shakers chairwoman Kathy Doyle.

The woman responsible for bringing crack South African shooter Irene van Dyk to New Zealand in 2000, Doyle watched this week when the former Johannesburg teacher dominated the tournament's grand final.

Unquestionably the best goal shoot in the world - possibly ever - van Dyk steered the Ferns through their campaign, and missed only twice in the hard-fought showpiece.

"I certainly had a tear in my eye as I watched the final," Doyle said from Wellington yesterday. "It was wonderful.

"I went out to meet her at the airport yesterday and held her gold medal, and it was just lovely to see her gain the success she deserved."

Doyle, acting on a wish-list drawn up with fellow Shakers administrator Mary-Anne Edwards, tried unsuccessfully to bring van Dyk to New Zealand in 1998.

She had another go the following year and this time, when van Dyk arrived with the South African team for the start of the 1999 World Championships in Christchurch, she was ready to talk turkey.

"People said that it wouldn't happen, that she nearly went to Australia before backing out and that she'd pull the plug again," recalled Doyle. "But we persisted and brought Irene and husband Christie out for a week's holiday, so they could get a feel for the place."

Having decided to make the move, van Dyk then scared Doyle half to death when she flew into Auckland and rescheduled her flight to Wellington, leaving a gaggle of media thinking she hadn't turned up.

"I got the call from a reporter who said she wasn't at the airport, and I just thought 'oh, no'," Doyle remembered. "But my travel agent discovered she was coming through to Wellington on an earlier flight, so I was able to rush out and meet her."

South African netball were outraged at the loss of van Dyk, pointing to the investment they had made in her.

The Australians weren't too thrilled, either. Coach Jill McIntosh spoke out against van Dyk's exemption to play for New Zealand at the Manchester Commonwealth Games, persistently referring to her as the "South African shooter".

But Doyle is unfazed by the controversy, and was not even upset this season when van Dyk opted to walk out on the Shakers in favour of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic.

"I'm sorry she's gone to Waikato, but with a player of that magnitude you couldn't expect to own her and it's just a reality of top sport."