NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Netball

Netball: A team within the team

By Suzanne McFadden
19 Apr, 2007 05:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Julie Seymour has plenty of backup. Photo / Getty Images

Julie Seymour has plenty of backup. Photo / Getty Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

KEY POINTS:

It's the tea bags that give it away. After a hard day on court, the Flames netball team will sometimes head to a local Christchurch pub to slake their thirst. While the players head for the bar, their captain orders a cup of tea.

"I'm not going to
bend to peer pressure," insists Julie Seymour.

When the others throw a water bottle and a pair of shoes into their gear bag, Seymour is cutting little sandwiches for Harrison, 6, and Hannah, nearly 4, to eat on the sideline while she trains.

It's a different world for Seymour - now 36 and a mother of three. She is most probably the oldest Silver Fern on record, and yet she's never played better netball.

She's rightfully grabbed her place back in the Ferns, in a year when the defending world champions need every skerrick of experience and fortitude they can find. Seymour has it in spades.

"You would want to go to war with her," says Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken.

The funny thing is, what keeps Seymour in the game is her kids.

"If I hadn't had three children, I wouldn't still be playing," she says.

There's an element of a stay-at-home mum wanting a little "me time", but she also has a revived passion for the game.

She has a better understanding of her body, with everything it's been through, and she has a wiser head on top of it.

"It's amazing that I'm getting my best fitness test results ever," she says.

"My body may not bounce back as quickly, but I train differently, I've learned not to over-train. Since I had Josie [now two], I'm doing a lot more gym work.

"Maybe if I knew way back then what I know now, I could have been a better player."

Seymour was first chosen for New Zealand in 1994 and has 76 caps to her name. She was called back into the Silver Ferns as a replacement late last year, but made it into the 12-strong team to tour England next month of her own accord.

"I wasn't sure if I was in the picture or not," she says of her selection on Monday. "They give you feedback on your game, but never quite tell you if you're there or not.

"This tour is really important because I haven't really played international netball since the Commonwealth Games final in 2002 other than the two minutes against Australia last year. I'm going to have to get out there and perform to another level. But I've never felt so fresh."

Aitken has no concerns about Seymour making the grade.

"Julie is inspirational. She's the best team member you'll see," she says.

"An amazing thing about her is that she's still working on her game and style; still improving.

"She brings a real wise head - she's very netball-smart. You can see it in her last couple of games, the way she looks after her shooters so well as a feeder. She's relentless on defence and her work ethic is huge. She leaves the court with nothing left."

Of course Seymour is dying to play at the world championships in November - she still carries the hurt of the 1995 and 1999 world championship failures.

"She's been on the edge, she's seen disappointment, but it's never tainted her love for the game," says Aitken.

Seymour insists she's no Supermum; she's only able to keep playing world-class netball with the help of her family, friends and the Flames team management.

Harrison and Hannah are happy to go with Mum to Flames training sessions where kids are welcome and entertain themselves on the court next door.

"It means they feel part of it - it's not always Mummy walking out the door," she says.

Seymour has always had the support of her mother as a babysitter, but her mother has been ill, so she has turned to friends to help out.

Her husband, former New Zealand sevens star Dallas Seymour, has put on hold his rugby coaching dreams so his wife can keep pursuing hers.

"Dallas is really supportive and he says that opportunities like this don't come around often. We know I don't have too much playing time left, but my deadline keeps extending, year after year."

She's enjoying captaining the Flames, unbeaten after two rounds of the National Bank Cup. This weekend, they meet the other team at the top of the table, defending champions the Magic, in Rotorua.

"Marg Foster is a really innovative and supportive coach, and we've got a great diverse group of people. They're the reason I want to play," she says.

So do the Flames players look to her as their inspiration? Seymour thinks about it. "I think they look at me and say, 'When is she ever going to finish?"'

Round three

* Tonight: Diamonds v Rebels, Dunedin, 7.30pm, delayed TVOne tomorrow midday.
* Tomorrow: Sting v Shakers, Invercargill, 7.30; Magic v Flames, Rotorua, 7.30pm, live TVOne
* Sunday: Force v Flyers, North Shore Events Centre, 1pm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Netball

Netball

Magic defender, Silver Fern announces retirement from netball

09 Jul 12:00 AM
Premium
New Zealand

Kiwi athletes urged to watch what they wear - or risk falling foul of drug testers

29 Jun 12:00 AM
Sport|netball

Frustrated Silver Ferns taking offshore club offers seriously

25 Jun 03:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Netball

Magic defender, Silver Fern announces retirement from netball

Magic defender, Silver Fern announces retirement from netball

09 Jul 12:00 AM

She leaves the game after six seasons.

Premium
Kiwi athletes urged to watch what they wear - or risk falling foul of drug testers

Kiwi athletes urged to watch what they wear - or risk falling foul of drug testers

29 Jun 12:00 AM
Frustrated Silver Ferns taking offshore club offers seriously

Frustrated Silver Ferns taking offshore club offers seriously

25 Jun 03:00 AM
Australian Super Netball clubs circle for Silver Ferns vice-captain

Australian Super Netball clubs circle for Silver Ferns vice-captain

17 Jun 06:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP