The Mainland Netball and wider Canterbury netball community is mourning the passing of Trudy Eaden, a long-standing and highly respected member of our netball whānau.

Trudy dedicated decades to the game, making a significant contribution to umpiring and the development of game officials.

Her umpiring achievements began early. In 1983, Trudy was named Christchurch Netball’s Most Promising Umpire, and she gained her New Zealand Umpire Award in 1986. She later became a Provincial Umpire Examiner and a New Zealand Umpire Coach and Assessor, supporting and mentoring umpires across Canterbury and beyond.

Throughout her years of service, Trudy contributed to numerous umpire advisory and development groups across Canterbury and the Mainland region. This included serving as Convenor of Christchurch Netball’s New Zealand Umpire Coaching Panel. Her expertise was also valued at a national level through her involvement in umpire coaching, assessment and development.

Trudy was also a member of the Netball Mainland Zone Umpire Development Group. In 2018, the group’s work included supporting and guiding the development of game officials across the Zone, with a particular focus on professional development opportunities for umpire coaches, sharing her experience to help strengthen umpire development throughout the Mainland region.

Her contribution during this period also included working as a Zone Performance Reviewer and being listed as a cadet member of the national umpire development group.

In recognition of her dedication and service to the game, Trudy received a Christchurch Netball Service Award in 1998.

Trudy’s knowledge, experience and commitment to developing others have left a lasting legacy within umpiring and the wider netball community. The many officials she supported, mentored and encouraged are an important part of that contribution.

Our thoughts are with Trudy’s family, friends, colleagues and everyone who knew her.

Article added: Tuesday 13 October 2026