Temepara Bailey facts for kids
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Bailey in 2024
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Temepara Anne Bailey (née George) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 October 1975 Auckland, New Zealand |
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| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netball career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position(s): C, WA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Club team(s) | Apps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Auckland Diamonds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Counties Manukau Cometz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | Northern Force | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Northern Mystics | 55 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Northern Stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | National team(s) | Caps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | New Zealand U21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2011 | New Zealand | 89 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Temepara Anne Bailey (born 23 October 1975) is a famous New Zealand netball player. She has Samoan and Māori roots.
Temepara was a key player for the Silver Ferns, New Zealand's national netball team. She played for them from 1996, and then from 2000 to 2011. She also captained the Northern Mystics in the ANZ Championship. After retiring in 2012, she made a comeback in 2019 for the Northern Stars.
Contents
Early Netball Journey
Temepara was noticed for her netball skills very early on. She was chosen for the Silver Ferns squad in 1996. The next year, she took a break when her second child was born. After her break, she continued to train with the New Zealand A team.
In 1998, she joined the Auckland Diamonds for the first year of the Coca-Cola Cup. In 1999, she moved to a different team, the Counties Manukau Cometz. In 2000, she moved again to the Northern Force. She played for them until the competition ended in 2007.
Joining the Silver Ferns
Temepara was selected for the Silver Ferns again in 2000. Later that year, she played her first game against Australia. Over the next few years, she became a very important player in the middle of the court for the Silver Ferns.
She didn't play in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. But in 2003, she was part of the team for the 2003 World Netball Championships in Jamaica. New Zealand reached the final and played against Australia. The Silver Ferns won the tournament 49–47. Temepara also won an award, the Albie Pryor Memorial Sports Person of the Year. Three years later, she won another gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Taking a Break in 2007
In 2007, Temepara announced she was taking a break from international netball. She moved to Australia to live with her partner, who was a rugby league player. Many people thought her absence would make it harder for the Silver Ferns to win the upcoming World Championships. New Zealand finished second that year, behind Australia.
In 2008, a new netball competition called the ANZ Championship started. Temepara thought about playing for an Australian team. But she decided to return to New Zealand and joined the Northern Mystics in Auckland.
That same year, Temepara was on the New Zealand TV show Dancing with the Stars. She and her partner, Stefano Olivieri, won the show! In 2009, she also appeared on the travel show Intrepid Journeys, where she traveled to Darjeeling and Sikkim.
Back to International Netball
In 2009, Temepara said she was ready to play for the national team again. She planned to play for the Silver Ferns until at least the 2011 World Netball Championships. She was chosen for the first World Netball Series in Manchester, which the Silver Ferns won.
The next year, she went to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The Silver Ferns won another gold medal after an exciting 66–64 game against Australia. An injury kept her out of some games in early 2011. But she recovered in time for the 2011 ANZ Championship season. The Mystics had their best season ever, finishing second in the grand final. Temepara was then called back to the Silver Ferns for the 2011 World Championships in Singapore. The Silver Ferns played Australia in the final again, but this time New Zealand lost 58–57 in overtime.
Retiring from International Play
After the 2011 World Championships, Temepara retired from international netball. She was 35 years old and had played 89 test matches for the Silver Ferns. She continued to be the captain of the Northern Mystics for one more season.
In 2012, Temepara was given a special award. She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her great contributions to netball.
