Former Silver Fern, coach Salter dies
Former Silver Ferns midcourter and provincial netball coach Georgie Salter has died aged 67.
North Otago Netball posted on social media that Salter, who lived in the region, died on Wednesday night.
‘‘It is with great sadness that we farewell Georgie Salter.
‘‘This amazing woman passed away peacefully surrounded by all her family, telling stories and singing waiata. The family are doing Maori Tangi at home until Friday evening and then on Saturday will take her to be privately cremated.
‘‘Our love and thoughts are with her family.’’
Salter, nee Hapuku, played eight tests for New Zealand, debuting against Singapore in 1974. At the 1975 world championship in Auckland, she was a key member of the New Zealand side, who finished third, being the team’s first-choice wing attack.
Having the ability to play all three midcourt positions, as well as goal defence, Salter, who stood 1.78m, was described on the Silver Ferns website as an astute reader of the game in her playing days.
‘‘A gifted attacker with a spontaneous nature made Salter an opportunist on defence, her all-round abilities an asset to any team.’’
She flourished in her move into top-level coaching, guiding the Otago Rebels to the inaugural domestic league title in 1998. Salter followed that up by guiding Otago to their first national title in 66 years later in the season.
Salter stepped out of retirement in December 2016 to coach Netball South in Netball New Zealand’s new second-tier Beko League.
‘‘I’m probably going to be doing netball until my zimmer frame is rattling along the side of the court,’’ she said.
‘‘Having a North Otago person coaching players from throughout Otago and Southland makes that connection really strong and the more we can do that, the better. We need to work together in all ways, not just the players and coaches, but umpires, administrators and our wider netball community.’’
Salter also mentored the New Zealand under-21 team and worked as a technical adviser to the Cook Islands national team.
Netball runs strongly in the family with her niece being Southern Steel coach Reinga Bloxham.