March was a huge month in the participation space, highlighted by a special visit from NNZ’s Participation Manager, Irene Van Dyk.  She visited Mainland to develop capability in delivery of FutureFERNS Coach Workshops and in-school sessions.  

Over her two days with us, we made the absolute most of her time. Irene joined us for a Q&A session, we visited local schools, and co-delivered FutureFERNS coaching workshops across four of our Netball Centres. Her energy, passion, and enthusiasm were felt everywhere we went. 

Across the visit, we connected with over 120 tamariki and 40 coaches. Irene shared valuable insights into the FutureFERNS philosophy, demonstrated how she runs engaging sessions, and led a series of games that had everyone smiling, learning and laughing. Her ability to inspire both players and coaches was truly incredible, a great example for me to learn from. 

A huge thank you to the teams at North Canterbury, Selwyn, Christchurch, and Mid Canterbury Netball Centres for hosting us and helping ensure the visits ran smoothly. Your support allowed us to deliver meaningful, memorable experiences across our Netball community and develop capability within our Mainland team.  

Article added: Sunday 05 April 2026