Matenga a sports legend

Cook Islands netballer Margaret Matenga has this week been inducted into the Sports Legends of Wellington.

Matenga was one of three legends announced this week to celebrate the achievements of the very best of Wellington sportspeople.

Matenga was part of the legendary 1987 New Zealand Silver Fern side that won the Netball World Cup, a side that set new benchmarks and standards of excellence in netball.

A member of Wellington’s Pacific Island Church Netball Club (PIC), Matenga was the club’s first national representative in 1975.

Since then, PIC has produced some of New Zealand and the Pacific’s most dynamic players and inspirational coaches.

Matenga was named as Goal Shoot of the Netball New Zealand’s Dream Team, announced at their 75th anniversary celebrations, in 1999.

Matenga, along with marathon swimmer Philip Rush and tennis player Kathlee Nunneley, was made a legend of Wellington sport.

All three 2012 Inductees will now join the 26 current legends.

The Sports Legends of Wellington started in 2003 with tennis great Onny Parun the inaugural inductee.

Other inductees include rugby greats Graham Williams and Ken Gray, cricketer John Reid, footballer Wynton Rufer and Matenga’s 1987 Silver Fern and PIC teammate, netballer Waimarama Taumaunu.