Casey Kopua

Casey Kopua
Personal information
Full name	Casey May Kopua (née Williams)
Born	19 June 1985 Hamilton, New Zealand
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
University	Waikato University
Occupation	New Zealand Netball Player (Silver Ferns)
Netball career
Playing position(s): GK, GD
Years	Club team(s)	Apps
2003–present	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
(Correct as of 14 October 2014)
Years	National team(s)	Caps
2004–present	New Zealand	87
2009, 2013	Fastnet Ferns + Fast5 Ferns	13
(Correct as of 14 October 2014)
Medal record Representing  New Zealand World Netball Championships 2007 Auckland Netball 2011 Singapore Netball 2015 Sydney Netball Commonwealth Games 2006 Melbourne Netball 2010 Delhi Netball 2014 Glasgow Netball World Netball Series 2009 Manchester Fastnet 2013 Auckland Fast5

Casey May Kopua ONZM (née Williams; born 19 June 1985) is a New Zealand international netball player. She is the current captain of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and plays for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the ANZ Championship.

Kopua has been a member of the New Zealand national netball team since 2004, making her on-court debut in 2005 against Barbados. She also played in the New Zealand U21 netball team that won gold at the 2005 World Youth Netball Championships in Florida. During her career she has won gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2009 World Netball Series, and silver medals at the 2007 and 2011 World Netball Championships.^[1] In 2008 she co-captained the team with Laura Langman, stepping into the role of acting captain later that year following an injury to Julie Seymour. In July 2009, Kopua became the 23rd captain of the Silver Ferns, taking over from Seymour who retired from the game.^[2][3]

In domestic netball, Kopua has played with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic since 2003. During the 2008 ANZ Championship season, she was named the Holden Captiva player of the championship, winning a new car.

In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kopua was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, alongside former Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken, for services to New Zealand netball.^[4]

In December 2012, Kopua married Hamilton lawyer Terry Kopua.^[5]

On 11 October 2014, Kopua became the most capped New Zealand netball captain in history, playing her 63rd test as captain of the team in the 3rd test of the Constellation Cup against Australia in Sydney's Allphones Arena. ^[6] In the fourth quarter of that match, Kopua suffered a suspected dislocated patella (knee injury). Scans later revealed that Kopua also ruptured her patella tendon.^[7] Three days later Kopua underwent surgery to repair her patella tendon.^[8] On May 21st 2016, Kopua and her husband Terry announced the birth of their daughter Maia.

References

1. "2011 Silver Ferns profile: Casey Williams". 13 June 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
2. Netball New Zealand (29 July 2009). "Silver Fern captain and squads announced".
3. "Williams named Silver Ferns captain". The New Zealand Herald. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
4. Johannsen, Dana (6 June 2011). "Honours for Ferns' coach and captain". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
5. "Change of name, but goal is the same". Stuff.co.nz. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
6. "Kopua To Be Most Capped NZ Netball Captain in History". Netball New Zealand. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
7. "Kopua Ruled Out With Patella Tendon Injury". Netball New Zealand. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
8. "Kopua out for six months". NZ Herald. Retrieved 3 November 2014.

External links

• 2011 ANZ Championship profile
• "The Phil Taylor interview: Casey Williams". The New Zealand Herald. 15 August 2009.