Ex Silver Fern to coach Cooks

Former Silver Ferns netballer Marg Foster has been appointed as the new head coach for the Cook Islands netball development squad.

The Christchurch based mother of two will be arriving on the island at the end of the month to run development programmes for all ages.

While on the island she will also be interviewing applicants for the team manager’s position and meeting with trainer Keith Roberts to develop a conditioning and fitness regime for players interested in a spot on the national netball team.

The Cook Islands Netball Association is also planning a fundraiser evening with Foster as she is also well known as a motivational speaker.

Foster played most of her netball for Canterbury before playing for the New Zealand under 21 in 1988.

Between 1987 and 1989, Foster was a New Zealand young international netballer before being selected into the Silver Ferns squad in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1997.

In 2009 she was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her outstanding contribution to sport and netball in particular.

In the same year, Foster was contracted to St Lucia, Caribbean, to develop a structure for all netballers where she designed a netball manual specific to the needs of the Caribbean athletes and assisted with coaching coaches and netballers throughout St Lucia.

She was also the Southern Steel assistant netball coach in 2009 and the team were placed 4th in the competition. Here she was working alongside Robyn Broughton.

Foster is the author of a book called ‘Silver Linings’ which was published in 2009 and is a must read for all netball players and fans.

Foster’s appointment is a culmination of hours of discussions and deliberations by the Cook Islands Netball Association executives.