Irene van Dyk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Irene van Dyk
MNZM

28 April 2010: Irene van Dyk at her investiture as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Personal information
Full name	Irene van Dyk (née Viljoen)
Born	(1972-06-21) 21 June 1972 (age 53) Vereeniging, Gauteng, South Africa
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
University	Rand Afrikaans University
Netball career
Playing position(s): GS, GA
Years	Club team(s)	Apps
2000-2002	Capital Shakers
2003-2013	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
2014-2015	Central Pulse
Years	National team(s)	Caps
1994-1999	South Africa	72
2000-2014	New Zealand	145
Medal record Representing  South Africa World Netball Championships Silver 1995 Birmingham Team Representing  New Zealand World Netball Championships Gold 2003 Kingston Team Silver 2007 Auckland Team Silver 2011 Singapore Team Commonwealth Games Gold 2006 Melbourne Team Gold 2010 Delhi Team Silver 2002 Manchester Team Fast5 Netball World Series Gold 2009 Manchester Team Gold 2012 Auckland Team Silver 2011 Liverpool Team

Irene van Dyk (born 21 June 1972) is a famous former netball player. She played for both New Zealand and South Africa. Irene is known for scoring many goals. She is the world's most capped netball international, meaning she played in more international games than anyone else.

Irene was a key player for New Zealand. She helped them win the 2003 World Netball Championships. She also won gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. Before moving to New Zealand, she won a silver medal with South Africa at the 1995 World Netball Championships. In 2003, she was named the New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year. In 2024, she was added to the Netball New Zealand Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Family Background

Irene van Dyk was born Irene Viljoen in Vereeniging, Gauteng, South Africa. Her parents, Herman and Irene Viljoen, were also involved in sports. Her mother played korfball for South Africa. Her father was an umpire.

Irene is the youngest of four children. She grew up on a farm in Meyerton, Gauteng. When she was young, she was a talented track and field athlete. She competed in the 400m and 100m hurdles. In 1994, she married Christie van Dyk, whom she met at university. They have a daughter named Bianca. After moving to New Zealand in 2000, Irene worked as a schoolteacher.

Irene van Dyk's Netball Journey

Starting Her Career

In South Africa, Irene van Dyk played netball for Rand Afrikaans University. She also played for the Gauteng team.

Playing for Capital Shakers

While playing for South Africa at the 1999 World Netball Championships, Irene was asked to play for Capital Shakers in New Zealand. She played for Shakers from 2000 to 2002 in the National Bank Cup league. She was a very important player for the team.

The Shakers reached the semi-finals three years in a row. In 2000, Irene scored 367 goals, helping her team reach their first semi-final. In 2001, she had a 91% shooting success rate. She helped the Shakers beat Southern Sting, ending their 18-match winning streak.

Success with Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic

From 2003 to 2013, Irene van Dyk played for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. She played in both the National Bank Cup and later the ANZ Championship. She was a key player for the Magic, coached by Noeline Taurua.

• National Bank Cup Wins: In 2005 and 2006, Irene helped Magic win two National Bank Cup titles in a row.
• ANZ Championship Victory: In 2012, she was part of the Magic team that won the ANZ Championship. In the final, Magic beat Melbourne Vixens 41–38. Irene scored 25 goals out of 26 attempts, showing her amazing accuracy.
• Team Captain: She co-captained Magic with Joline Henry in 2007 and 2009.
• Milestone: In 2011, Irene played her 100th game for Magic. She was the first Magic player to reach this number.

Time with Central Pulse

In 2014 and 2015, Irene van Dyk played for Central Pulse in the ANZ Championship. On 26 April 2014, she played her 100th ANZ Championship game.

International Netball Career

Representing South Africa

Irene van Dyk played 72 games for the South Africa between 1994 and 1999. She was a key player when South Africa won a silver medal at the 1995 World Netball Championships. They beat both England and New Zealand before losing to Australia in the final.

In 1996, President Nelson Mandela gave Irene the State President's Merit Award. This was to recognize her great contributions to netball. She also played for South Africa at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. She was the captain of the South Africa team at the 1999 World Netball Championships. She scored 1,121 goals for South Africa.

Playing for New Zealand

After playing for Capital Shakers, Irene decided to live in New Zealand permanently. She then switched to play for the New Zealand team. From 2000 to 2014, Irene played 145 games for New Zealand. She scored 4,796 goals for New Zealand.

• Commonwealth Games: She played in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Commonwealth Games. She won silver in 2002 and gold in both 2006 and 2010.
• World Netball Championships: Irene was a key player when New Zealand won gold at the 2003 World Netball Championships. In the final against Australia, she scored 41 goals, helping New Zealand win 49–47. She also won silver medals in 2007 and 2011.
• Most Capped Player: On 29 October 2005, Irene played her 129th international game. This made her the world's most capped netball international.
• Flag Bearer: Irene was chosen to carry the flag of New Zealand for the New Zealand team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
• Retirement: In June 2014, Irene van Dyk announced she was retiring from international netball.

Tournaments	Place	Team
1995 World Netball Championships		South Africa
1998 Commonwealth Games	4th
1999 World Netball Championships	5th
2002 Commonwealth Games		New Zealand
2003 World Netball Championships
2006 Commonwealth Games
2007 World Netball Championships
2008 Taini Jamison Trophy Series
2009 Taini Jamison Trophy Series
2009 World Netball Series
2010 Constellation Cup
2010 Taini Jamison Trophy Series
2010 Commonwealth Games
2011 World Netball Championships
2011 Taini Jamison Trophy Series
2011 Constellation Cup
2011 World Netball Series
2012 Netball Quad Series
2012 Constellation Cup
2012 Fast5 Netball World Series
2013 Constellation Cup
2013 Taini Jamison Trophy Series

Awards and Recognition

28 April 2010: Irene van Dyk receiving her award from the Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand.

In 2009, Irene van Dyk was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This award recognized her great contributions to netball.

Coaching and Other Roles

After retiring from playing, Irene van Dyk has stayed involved in sports.

• In 2017, she was the team manager for the Wellington Blaze women's cricket team. Her husband, Christie, was the coach.
• In 2019, she worked as a special coach for Central Pulse.
• Since 2022, Irene has been working for Netball New Zealand.

Major Achievements

Here are some of Irene van Dyk's biggest achievements:

New Zealand

• World Netball Championships
  • Winners: 2003
  • Runners up: 2007, 2011
• Commonwealth Games
  • Winners: 2006, 2010
  • Runners Up: 2002
• Taini Jamison Trophy
  • Winners: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013
• Constellation Cup
  • Winners: 2012
• Fast5 Netball World Series
  • Winners: 2009, 2012

South Africa

• World Netball Championships
  • Runners Up: 1995

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic

• National Bank Cup
  • Winners: 2005, 2006
• ANZ Championship
  • Winners: 2012

Individual Awards