Netball: Husband's abuse therapy for van Dyk

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Irene van Dyk has a harsh way of readying herself for the boos and abuse from netball fans when she returns home to South Africa with the Silver Ferns.

She has her husband hurl insults at her day and night to prepare mentally for the three-test tour, starting next week.

"When I am about to shoot, he yells out 'you suck, you're hopeless, you're fat, you're going to miss,"' the former Proteas captain said yesterday. "He's really intimidating and at first I was hurt by what he was saying.

"But I have to learn to shut it all out. I'm going to go over there and rub it in their faces - I'm going back to settle the score."

Van Dyk is still upset at how South Africa reacted to her decision to bring her family to Wellington nine months ago.

"There were some nasty things said about me in the media, that I was an embarrassment to Netball South Africa," she said.

"I'm not happy about it, so to beat them as a Silver Fern would be so sweet. I'm going to show them I'm still enjoying my netball, that I can still kick butt, no matter who I'm playing for."

Van Dyk, the star of South African netball for 72 tests, came to New Zealand with her husband, Christie, because she felt it was a better place to bring up their daughter, Bianca.

Now the world's most accurate shooter is happily settled in Upper Hutt, teaching at Fergusson Intermediate, and playing netball for Wellington and the Capital Shakers.

"It's really nice living here, but I am still looking forward to going back to South Africa on this tour," she said. "My mum and sister are driving 16 hours from the northern part of the country to see me, so I'm really excited about that. They have promised not to boo me, so that's two people out of the thousands who will be on my side.

"I spoke to my old coach about it yesterday and she doesn't think there will be trouble in Cape Town. Those people still love me and they know exactly why I came over here.

"I don't know what to expect anywhere else. If they are booing as I run on the court, I'll just smile, and just play my heart out."

Van Dyk, who has played six tests for New Zealand, has advised her Ferns' team-mates what to expect on their historic first tour to South Africa.

"I've told them they will be fine, as long as they don't walk down the street alone holding their wallet for everyone to see," she said.

But she cannot advise them on the state of the opposition, who have had a change of face since she left.

For the last month the Proteas have been in camp together, playing against other African nations.

"They have had an amazing preparation for this series - normally South Africa doesn't have the money to do that. There seems to be a total turnaround, which is great for South African netball," she said.

"I don't really know how strong they will be. When I talk to the girls [Proteas] on the phone, we don't talk about strategies."

The Silver Ferns will play two tests against South Africa, with one thrown in between them against world champions Australia.

The New Zealanders will assemble in Auckland on Monday to play three games against a New Zealand A line-up before they leave next Friday.