Silver Fern #40
A member of the trail-blazing 1967 Silver Ferns team, New Zealand netball is mourning the passing of Billie Irwin.
A prominent force in one of the strongholds of provincial netball during the 1960s, Irwin was one of four from Rotorua to be named in the Silver Ferns history-making team of 1967, joining fellow defender Tilly Vercoe, crack shooter Mirth Solomon and legendary coach Taini Jamison.
Predominantly a goalkeeper, Irwin proved an irresistible force in tandem with her club and provincial defensive team-mate Vercoe on the international stage, as the well-credentialled team prepared for the second edition of the World Tournament held in Perth, in 1967.
From playing regularly together, the pair had formed a great understanding in the defensive circle where they were affectionately anointed as "Billie and Tilley.’’ Their connection transferred seamlessly to New Zealand’s untouchable team of 1967 where they were referred to as "the black wall’’. Teaming with the familiar Vercoe, the pair was able to interchange the defensive positions instinctively, making them a formidable unit.
Having lost to Australia by a solitary goal in the inaugural World Tournament staged in England four years earlier, there was a sense of unfinished business and the calibre of the 1967 team sparked plenty of excitement on this side of the Tasman amid the growing popularity of netball.
Playing at a time when Silver Ferns tours and international contact were limited, Irwin played just the seven test matches, all during the 1967 World Tournament, but got to experience the traditional build-up and subsequent elation of a successful campaign, and more importantly, in one which holds a significant place in New Zealand’s netball history.
Part of the build-up was an eight-day training camp for the Silver Ferns squad in Christchurch followed by a short tour of several Australian states before landing in Perth.
In sweeping Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria, the Silver Ferns were in prime form on arrival in Perth, Irwin part of a magic result when sweeping all challengers to win New Zealand’s first World Tournament title in Perth, in 1967, beating Australia by six goals.
It also ignited the start of the sport’s greatest rivalry which has remained at the forefront ever since between the Silver Ferns and Australia.
Irwin and the team of 1967 retained a close and affectionate bond, remaining lifelong friends while enjoying a 50-year reunion of their ground-breaking exploits, in 2017.
Ingrained in New Zealand netball history, Irwin’s contribution to an all-conquering Rotorua provincial team and momentous occasion for the Silver Ferns, will remain forever part of the sport’s folklore.
Irwin and the 1967 team will stand the test of time after being inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, confirming the part they played in our country’s rich sporting history.