Silver Ferns captain
Love can wait! Gina’s sacrifice for gold
When Silver Fern Gina Crampton was asked to take over as captain last month, she found herself getting the same advice from her teammate Ameliaranne “Meels” Ekenasio that she had given her friend the year before.
“When Meels became captain last year, I was with her overseas in the UK. So it went full circle and we ended up giving each other the same pep talk two years apart,” recalls Gina.
“I told her that she was there for a reason and that
she was picked for a reason, so she just had to stay true to who she is, to try and lead in the way she does naturally, and not to change too much or too drastically.
“So last month, we had a very similar conversation when I was deciding whether to step up to captain. In a way, I ended up listening to my own advice!”
At 29, Gina is a young captain and regards it as a huge honour.
“There have only been 28 of us, which is quite a small number, so it’s very special.”
Taking over from her pregnant friend Meels, 30, is also a reminder that you can have a baby as a top netball player without it interrupting your sports career.
“It’s been really cool in the last couple of years because we’ve had five Silver Ferns having babies and it no longer means that you have to wait until you’ve finished playing before you can start a family,” enthuses Gina.
“It’s really important that we are able to do that. Katrina Rore has recently had a baby and she’ll be coming back into the fold next year. She’s been so well supported and kept in the team environment.”
When the Ferns recently played the England Roses in Christchurch, Gina says Meels was with the team, helping the shooters out and being as involved as she could, considering she was a month away from giving birth.
“It was so amazing having her there and I know that Noels [Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua] is really keen to help us stay in the game when we have families.”
Silver Ferns sponsor Puma has also been working with the team to encourage women into sport. “Puma has really helped us to get out there and talk to young girls about having a career in sport, and to prove that it is possible.”
Gina was grateful she got an exemption to leave Auckland and join the Silver Ferns in Christchurch for the three games against the English team, but it was tough for them to have a new captain who could only be there for a few days before the tests began.
The Covid pandemic has been problematic for most sportspeople, but mostly those living in Auckland, like Gina.
Her boyfriend, former
Sevens player Fa’asiu Fuatai, had been playing rugby in New York, but returned to New Zealand in August, getting out of quarantine two days after Auckland went into lockdown.
“So the whole time he’s been back home, we’ve been in some sort of lockdown, which is disappointing for him, but I’ve been so glad to have him back,” tells Gina. “He’s only here for four months and for one of those months I’ll be away, so it’s all turned out completely different to how we thought it would.”
Gina says there were lots of conversations about how they were going to cope when Fa’asiu was offered the job by Rugby United New York.
“We both knew that we wanted to continue our sporting careers and unfortunately that means both being in different countries for a wee while,” she explains.
“I know it’s not forever and sport has only a small window, so you have to take it when you can.”
For two active people, level 4 lockdown was very restricting. “We couldn’t go anywhere and we were literally together 24/7, so it was nice to know that we could do that without killing each other,” she laughs.
Gina also has a business to
‘Sport has only a small window, so you have to take it when you can’
run, which she started with Silver Ferns friends Meels and Jane Watson, 31, called Skills Plus.
“It’s netball coaching sessions which we do with individuals or groups and the three of us are from different parts of the country, so we try to cover most of New Zealand.”
The business has been up and running for a year, but due to lockdown it had to take a break as Gina says netball coaching is not something you can do online.
Also, “Meels is about to have a baby and Jane just had ankle surgery, so it’s all a bit on hold at the moment!”
Gina keeps her fitness up by “pounding the pavements” and says other Ferns use weights to keep in shape.
Meanwhile, Gina is hoping that the planned UK tour for the Silver Ferns in January next year will go ahead, and then there’s their biggest challenge, the Commonwealth Games in July.
“I really hope we get some time together as a team soon because while I’m finding my feet through messages and Zoom calls, it’s hard to do much,” she admits.
“I just keep reminding myself to do the same as I always did before I was captain and continue as if everything is just the same.”