Irene to go hell for leather

Netball star Irene van Dyk admits it might take a punch to her face to get fully into fight mode, but promises to bring her competitiveness to the boxing ring.

The former Silver Ferns shooter was unveiled yesterday as one of the headline acts for the Fight For Life promotion in Hamilton on December 5.

Known for her warm smile and constant laugh, the 43-year-old giggled: ‘‘I think I’m the nicest person, too’’ when asked if she had the right personality for the fight game.

‘‘I’ve never fought anyone physically. Maybe it will take a punch to the face to get me going, but once I get hit first it will be game on.’’

Van Dyk will cut an imposing figure in the ring at 1.93 metres.

Finding a suitable opponent is the next challenge.

They can come from anywhere in the world, but must be under the age of 45 and never boxed before. The challenger must weigh within 10 kilograms of van Dyk on December 4. She weighs 82kg at present.

The bout will be fought over three two-minute rounds.

Promoter Duco Events will launch a social media campaign to find her opponent who will be named on September 29.

Van Dyk said she was prepared to fight anyone, although she admitted she would struggle with some of her former team-mates, such as fellow shooter Maria Tutaia.

‘‘There are some people you just know too well. I’m a mother to some of them,’’ she said.

She didn’t believe her boxing debut would detract from the role model image she has built as netball’s most-capped international, amassing 72 caps for South Africa and 145 for the Silver Ferns after migrating to New Zealand in 2000.

‘‘I’m not condoning anyone getting out there in the school playground to fight at lunchtimes.

‘‘This is a controlled environment and this is about the cause.’’

The promotion will benefit Waikato Hospice.

‘‘I really wanted to do this for a good cause. If you think of people fighting for their lives every minute of the day, this is the least I can do. This is my little bit to help them live their lives to the full.’’

Van Dyk said she had been wanting to be involved in Fight For Life for about three years and felt comfortable with this move after retiring from international netball last year.

She had approached the promoters to get involved, highly motivated by the efforts of cel- ebrity Millie Elder-Holmes on last year’s card.

‘‘Every time [I suggested it] my husband [Christie] and daughter Bianca would say ‘the time is not right’ but after retiring [from netball] and finishing without such a good year this year [for the Central Pulse], I needed something that would push me outside my comfort zone. This definitely will.’’

She said after having to rely on team-mates in a netball environment there would be ‘‘plenty of nerves’’ about fighting for herself in the ring.

Van Dyk will now begin a heavy boxing training programme in Wellington to ready herself for that challenge.

She has become a popular Kiwi, being honoured as flagbearer for the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team in 2010 in Delhi where the Silver Ferns won the gold medal.

Van Dyk also won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Melbourne in 2006, was part of the world champion Silver Ferns in 2003 and was sportswoman of the year in 2003.