Leader Langman gets players’ tick of approval
Returning Silver Ferns star Laura Langman is humbled to have been voted in as captain of the national netball team.
The midcourter was revealed yesterday as the team’s new leader, replacing defender Katrina Grant, who has held the role for the past two years, but will now be vice-captain.
‘‘It’s very humbling,’’ said Langman, who will pull on the black dress for the first time in two years when the team faces England in Auckland tomorrow.
‘‘Obviously I’ve had a whirlwind 18 months, so to be voted in by my peers is pretty special.’’
Langman was selected through a voting process that included her team-mates, Taurua, Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie and head of high performance Keir Hansen.
Secret ballots using a 3-2-1 system were handed in over the start of week, and once the numbers were tallied, coach Noeline Taurua and her assistant Debbie Fuller gave Langman the news.
Taurua said Grant had responded well to not being kept on as captain.
‘‘I’ve spoken to her over the last week-and-a-half about what the process was and got her feedback on that.
‘‘Katrina, she’s a very passionate person, but also loyal and supportive of whoever got the role.
‘‘Both her and Laura have worked together in the past, now it’s just flipped around and they work really well as a combination,’’ Taurua said.
The appointments of Langman and Grant will be reviewed at the end of October’s Constellation Cup series against Australia, the Silver Ferns’ final assignment of 2018.
Tomorrow’s Quad Series test will be Langman’s first game of top-level netball since June 2017. Langman made her Silver Ferns debut in 2005 against England.