For those who ensure the smooth-running of games at all levels, Central Zone officials and volunteers have featured strongly in the 2024 New Zealand Netball Awards with five being honoured for their contributions.
Umpires Gareth Fowler and Marly (Marlissa) Howard have been acknowledged after clinching the ANZ Premiership Umpire of the Year and National Netball League (NNL) Umpire of the Year awards, respectively. Lisa Aull claimed the Outstanding Contribution to Netball by a Technical Official award.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the sport and Netball Central has been well-served by the above and beyond examples set by Volunteer Coach of the Year, Tash (Natasha) Tawhara, and Volunteer Community Champion of the Year, Martha Taru.
The ANZ Premiership (ANZP) Umpire of the Year is awarded to the New Zealand umpire who is selected for the ANZ Premiership Grand Final, the experienced and popular Fowler continuing his stellar form with the whistle in hand during 2024.
An umpire for 18 years, Fowler whistled his first match at the elite level in 2016, and this year became just the fourth New Zealand umpire to join the centurions club after whistling his 100th national league match.
Added accolades for Fowler during 2024 included being awarded the Performance Official of the Year at the Nuku Ora (Wellington Regional) Sports Awards and Official of the Year at the Hutt Valley Sports Awards.
From Wellington Netball Centre, Howard was first selected in the National Umpire Squad in 2021 and made her ANZP debut in 2023. Showing her quick development, she has umpired the NNL Grand Final for the past three seasons.
Howard has also officiated off-shore at the Netball World Youth Cup Oceania Qualifiers in the Cook Islands.
Operating out of Netball Manawatū, Aull has clinched the Outstanding Contribution to Netball by a Technical Official for a second time after also scooping the award in 2019.
A lead statistician and bench official in the Central Zone, Aull is the go-to person for training bench officials in the Pacific. She has made a stack of memorable contributions during 2024 at all levels, including adapting World Netball scoresheets to include larger boxes for enhanced usability and accuracy.
Aull attended the Oceania World Youth Cup Qualifiers during the year, delivered training on the new Bench Officials Manual to Manawatū bench officials, was appointed as a statistician for the ANZ Premiership Final and represented New Zealand on the World Netball panel for the development of the updated manual.
She actively coordinates bench officials in Manawatū, ensuring operational excellence and alignment with national and international standards.
Aull's appointments in 2024 included the ANZP, NNL, Taini Jamison Trophy, Constellation Cup, trans-Tasman series (men) and Fast5 Netball World Series.
Volunteer Community Champion of the Year, Taru is described as the heart and soul of netball in Wellington, embodying dedication, leadership and a deep passion for the sport.
President of the PIC club, Taru is also a Netball Wellington Centre and PIC selector, she coaches Junior A and B teams at Wellington East Girls' College and leads the PIC 5 ex-premier players team, helping them rise two grades this season. Taru's expertise in player development programmes nurtures new coaches while also enhancing players' skills across all levels. As a selector, Taru has a keen eye for talent and a clear vision of what players need to succeed.
Her commitment extends to Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse, where she dedicates 6-8 hours on game days, ensuring players and team management are fully supported. Known for her firm yet compassionate approach, she's deeply respected for balancing club discipline with empathy and providing wrap-around support for players in need.
Taru has helped grow netball at Wellington East Girls College, providing a fountain of knowledge to the young players and building a solid foundation for the school going forward. She does the same for the PIC club with coaching and managing teams, while being their all-round supporter at the courts and administratively behind the scenes.
Volunteer Coach of the Year, Tawhara has a lengthy list of achievements in her coaching resume which include head coach of St Mary's Old Girls' in Wellington, head coach of the men's Net Blacks team, NZ U23 Men's head coach, head coach U20 Men, IktT Māori U19 coach 2023-24, lead coach Chilton St James Senior A and Aotearoa Māori Netball Secondary Schools assistant coach 2023-24
Tawhara enjoyed a successful and busy 2024 after taking on numerous coaching roles, showcasing her passion for coaching and ability to adapt seamlessly between the various groups and levels of players and teams.
She has shown a genuine dedication to the development of players of all levels across a range of competitions, including school, age-group representative teams, regional and national men's and mixed teams, premier club teams and Aotearoa Māori teams.
Tawhara has also volunteered her time and expertise to coach at regional and national talent development camps, the time given to the development of others always done in a selfless manner and for the enjoyment of seeing players and teams achieve.
Tawhara is one of six coaches in Wellington to have completed Netball New Zealand's Performance Coach Award. In 2023 she continued her learning by being accepted on to High Performance Sport New Zealand's Core Knowledge series designed to upskill New Zealand's High Performance coaches.