Irene van Dyk: Netball
Irene van Dyk, MNZM (born 21 June 1972) is a netball player who was born and bred in South Africa but quickly become one of New Zealand’s favorite sporting personalities. She is a goal-shooter and is considered one of the world’s best known netballers and the most capped international player of all time. She made her international debut for South Africa in 1994 and played 72 times for the country. In 2000, Van Dyk moved to Wellington, New Zealand and was quickly picked for the Silver Ferns and first played against Australia. She retired from international netball in 2014 though continued to play for the Central Pulse in the ANZ Championship until taking on a coaching role.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Van Dyk was a World Netball Championships Gold Medalist in 2003, a Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist in 2006 and 2010 and a World Netball Series Gold Medalist in 2009 and 2012. She became the New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year in 2003.
Why Is She So Good?
Irene van Dyk is a fascinating netballer who is skilled with superb height, unbelievable power and supernatural accurateness. She is simply one of the best shooters in the world and often manages to shoot with 100 percent accuracy. The most striking weapon Van Dyk has is her wide split of legs after receiving the ball. She uses this to control herself and move closer to the goalpost, increasing her chances of making the shot or rebounding after a missed shot.
What You May Not Know
- She became a New Zealand citizen in 2005 and represented the country for 14 years before retiring from international netball in June 2014.
- Irene van Dyke spent most of her career playing for Walkato/Bay of Plenty Magic (2003-2013).
- Her daughter, Bianca, followed her into netball.
- A biography was written about her titled, “Changing Colours”.
- Her international career finished with 5917 goals from 6572 shots.
Was she a legend?
Do you agree with Irene van Dyk being a legend of netball?
How would you rate their greatness? (from good to 'the best')
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