New Zealand netball great ‘Mons’ dies
Monica Leggat – one of the true jewels in New Zealand Netball’s crown – has died, aged 86. In a lifetime dedicated to the game, Leggat was renowned for her commitment and passion across a wealth of roles – among them Netball New Zealand (NNZ) president and manager of the world champion Silver Ferns and New Zealand under-21 team.
For decades, she was the life force behind netball in the Waikato. And across nearly 70 years, all of her contributions to the game and community were voluntary. The woman known fondly as ‘Mons’ was famous for her organisational skills, as well as her quiet and unassuming way of going about her roles.
Even after receiving numerous honours recognising her dedication to netball – including a Life Member of NNZ – Leggat was still devoted to helping the grassroots level of the game grow.
Dame Lois Muir, who was the Silver Ferns coach during Leggat’s era as manager, remembered a woman who had a lasting influence on all those she was involved with.
‘‘With Monica and I, you just can’t call it friendship. It’s deeper than that. You have your highs and lows in sport and then you have your moments. She was a wonderful person to share that era with.’’
Originally from Nelson, a province she represented on court, Leggat moved to Waikato where she immersed herself in education as a trained teacher and in netball. She started on the committee at Netball Waikato in 1973, but her expertise soon saw her elected as president, a role she held from 1975 to 1997.
When the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic franchise was formed, Leggat was the inaugural chairperson.
Her hard-working approach and meticulous planning made her an ideal manager for the New Zealand under-21 team and the Silver Ferns, from 1985 to 1991.
During that era, Leggat helped guide the New Zealand team to win the World Games in 1985 and 1988, and the 1987 Netball World Cup in Glasgow. She was also well-known as manager of Waikato representative teams. Her daughter Denise (‘‘Dee’’) has followed in her footsteps, as manager of the Silver Ferns and the Northern Stars in the national premiership.
She was a leader in netball administration at a national level, too. She joined the Netball New Zealand board in 1989 and served on the finance and planning committee, the tours subcommittee and the New Zealand tournament committee. She was also elected president of NNZ in 2001. Leggat’s dedication was first recognised in 1988 when she received the NNZ Service Award and she became a life member in 2002. There were many recognitions beyond netball, too. In 1999, Leggat was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to netball and the community. In 2003, she received the Halberg Trust ‘Service to Sport’ award. In 2011, she was awarded the New Zealand Sport and Recreation ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award.