When Kate Heffernan makes her Silver Ferns debut at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, she'll be following in the footsteps of her history-making mum, Annette. And her twin sister may not be far behind her, Merryn Anderson reports.
Kate Heffernan is in line to become Silver Fern #182 when she makes her international netball debut at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games later this week.
What makes it even more special is that in the crowd watching will be her mum, Annette Heffernan, who 32 years earlier made history as part of the very first netball game played at a Commonwealth Games.
It was at the 1990 Games in Auckland where netball was a demonstration sport - one match played between New Zealand and Australia, before it was promoted to an official sport in 1998.
Australia were victors on that day, beating the Ferns 53-35 - a moment Annette (Silver Fern #76) jokes she tries to forget.
“But now with Kate making the Commonwealth Games team, it’s pretty exciting to think that after being a big part of that demonstration game, eight years later it came into the Commonwealth Games. And now the New Zealand team are there playing amongst it,” she says.
The Heffernan family in 2019, supporting Kate and Georgia at a Southern Steel game.
Also in the Birmingham crowd will be Kate's dad, Noel, and her twin sister Georgia, who shares her sister's goal to become a Silver Fern.
All three netballing Heffernans were at Auckland’s Pulman Arena for the Cadbury Netball Series two weeks ago - Annette a very proud mum watching her 22-year-old twins play - midcourter Kate for the Silver Ferns and shooter Georgia in the Mixed Invitational team.
The two teams faced each other on the third day of competition, with the Ferns coming out victorious 68-59 (before losing 67-48 to the NZ Men in the final). Since the matches weren’t against international teams, they didn’t count as official test caps, but provided vital experience for both Kate and the Ferns team.
It was the first time Kate and Georgia had played against each other - both are loyal to their local Southern Steel team. Annette admitted it was "really emotional" watching the game.
“I’m pleased the Ferns got through, but I think the mixed team gave them a great game and that’s what the Ferns are obviously after in this series,” she says.
Georgia was a standout at goal attack for the Mixed International team, especially in their final game against the NZ A side, shooting nine from nine in the first half and having the most feeds, centre pass receives and goal assists for the team.
It was her first time playing mixed netball, and she absolutely loved the experience, thriving in the new environment.
“They’re [men] just so much faster and so much more aerial,” she says. “It almost suited me cause it was quite quick and the way they take the ball, they’re so strong. It was awesome and really fun netball to play.”
It’s motivated Heffernan, who tore her ACL in 2020 and missed the 2021 ANZ Premiership season with the Steel, to continue to chase her netball dream.
Annette was delighted when Georgia was selected for the mixed team.
“She’s fought really hard to come back after her knee injury and I think she’s played really well this season,” she says.
“Now I think she can believe she can be part of and foot it with these girls. So it’s onward and upwards in whatever her goals and dreams are; she can fly high if she wants to.”
All three will make the trip to Birmingham, as the Heffernan family fly over to support Kate, when she makes her debut in the black dress. It could be as soon as the Silver Ferns' first game, against Northern Ireland, on Saturday (NZ time).
Kate will also become a double international, having already played cricket for New Zealand - picking up two T20 White Ferns caps in 2018. After that, she decided to focus on her netball career.
During the Cadbury series, Kate was coach Dame Noeline Taurua’s first choice in the wing defence bib, getting the start and playing at least three quarters every game. The experienced Kayla Johnson (50 caps) was mainly used as an impact player.
Annette was a defender for the Silver Ferns, playing nine games between 1985 and 1990, including being part of the winning 1987 Netball World Cup team. She says she doesn’t give the girls feedback unless they ask for it, but was very pleased with the way Kate slotted into the Ferns in their last hit-out before the Commonwealth Games.
“She’s quite driven, she sets her goals and she goes really hard after them," her mum says. "So I think she’ll be really excited, especially to get that first international game under her belt."
Netball definitely runs in the family’s blood, with Annette’s sister, Maxine Blomquist, earning 31 Silver Ferns caps between 1974 and 1982. And their cousin Shirley Langrope captained the New Zealand side in the 1970s.
But the sport was never forced on the Heffernan twins growing up on a farm in Tapanui, west Otago. In fact, they both excelled at cricket as well.
The family will try to catch the debut of T20 cricket at the Commonwealth Games too, especially to see new White Fern Eden Carson, who played cricket with the twins at St Kilda’s Collegiate School in Dunedin, and for the Otago Sparks.
Let's not overlook the fact that rugby runs deep in the family too - Noel Heffernan played for Canterbury Country, and now the twins' brother, Matt, will play for the Southern Stags in this year's Bunnings NPC.
Georgia is “so excited” to be in Birmingham and see her sister take the court - even though she knows she'll be a mess. "I’m an emotional spectator," she says.
“I’m so nervous, I’m gonna bawl my eyes out at the anthem. I cry every time she goes out."
Annette and Maxine were the first set of sisters to be Silver Ferns - the act not repeated until Te Paea Selby-Rickit made her Ferns debut in 2016, joining older sister Te Huinga Reo, who earned two caps in 2013.
Kate and Georgia Heffernan could very well be the next set of sisters to join the exclusive club, if Georgia’s ascent through the ranks continues. And they could be the first sisters to play for the Silver Ferns at the same time.
But their mother is simply happy they’re both following their passions.
“We’re just really, really proud of them and we know that whatever they’re doing now is their making," Annette says. "You need that dedication, determination and desire to actually get to where they’re at now.
“And if that continues, it would be nice to see them playing in the same team one day.”
*The Silver Ferns’ first match at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games is against Northern Ireland at 7am (NZT) on Saturday, July 30, on Sky Sport 9. They also take on Uganda, Malawi, Trinidad and Tobago and England in their pool. Catch all the games live on Sky Sport.
