Courtney Tairi (born 15 July 1988) is a former New Zealand netball international. She also represented Australia at under-21 level. She was a member of the Australia team that won the 2009 World Youth Netball Championships. During the ANZ Championship era, Tairi played for New South Wales Swifts, Southern Steel and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. She finished her netball playing career with Northern Stars in the 2017 ANZ Premiership. Since retiring as a netball player, Tairi has worked a broadcaster, presenter and commentator for Sky Sport (New Zealand).

Courtney Tairi
Personal information
Full name Courtney Reremoana Tairi[1]
Born (1988-07-15) 15 July 1988 (age 36)[2][3]
Sydney, Australia[4]
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11+12 in)
Netball career
Playing position(s): C, WA
Years Club team(s) Apps
2007 Hunter Jaegers
2008–2009 Australian Institute of Sport
2009–2011 New South Wales Swifts
2012–2013 Southern Steel
2014–2016 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
2017 Northern Stars
Years National team(s) Caps
2008–2009 Australia U-21
2013 New Zealand 3
Medal record
Representing  Australia
World Youth Netball Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Rarotonga Team
Representing  New Zealand
Fast5 Netball World Series
Gold medal – first place 2013 Auckland Team

Early life, family and education

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Tairi was born and raised in Sydney, New South Wales. Her parents were originally from New Zealand. Her father is a Māori from Cambridge. Her tribe is Tainui and her sub-tribe is Ngāti Korokī Kahukura. Her mother is a Pākehā from Invercargill. She has two sisters. She regularly spent family holidays in New Zealand. Tairi is both an Australian and New Zealand citizen.[1][4][5][6][7][8] Between 2004 and 2005 she attended the Western Sydney Academy of Sport.[9]

Playing career

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Early years

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Tairi began playing netball aged 7. She played competitively throughout her school years. She was first spotted by Julie Fitzgerald, her future coach at New South Wales Swifts and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, when she was 14.[1][8] In 2007 she was included in the Hunter Jaegers squad for the final season of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era.[2][10][11]

New South Wales

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In 2007 and 2009, Tairi represented New South Wales in the Australian National Netball Championships at under-19 and under-21 levels. She was captain of the under-21 team that won seven of their eight games as they won the 2009 under-21 title.[10][12]

Australian Institute of Sport

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Between 2008 and 2009, Tairi played for the Australian Institute of Sport in the Australian Netball League. In both 2008 and 2009, she was a member of AIS teams that finished as runners up to Victoria Fury. In 2009 she won the Anne Clark Award. While playing for AIS, she also represented Australia at under-21 level.[2][12][13][14][15][16]

New South Wales Swifts

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Between 2009 and 2011, Tairi played for New South Wales Swifts. She made her senior Swifts debut in a 2009 ANZ Championship Round 14 match against Southern Steel. In 2010, Tairi played nine games for the Swifts, helping them win the 2010 ANZ Championship minor premiership.[2][11][12][17][18][19][20][21]

Southern Steel

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In 2012 and 2013, Tairi played for Southern Steel.[22][23][24][25] She was eligible to play for Steel as a non-import player. Steel co-coach Natalie Avellino made the initial approach, inviting Tairi to play for Steel.[5][26] In a 2012 Round 7 match against Northern Mystics, she suffered a season ending ACL injury.[27][28]

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic

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Between 2014 and 2016, Tairi played for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.[29][30][31][32][33] In a 2015 Round 1 match against Adelaide Thunderbirds, she suffered an achilles tendon rupture, ending her season after just one match. It was the third major injury of Tairi's career, following a 2007 knee injury her 2012 ACL injury.[34][35][36] She returned to play for Magic in 2016 and was a member of the team that won the New Zealand Conference.[1][37][33]

Northern Stars

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Tairi finished her netball playing career with Northern Stars in the 2017 ANZ Premiership. She was named as vice captain to Leana de Bruin for the new franchise.[3][38][39][40]

International career

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Australia

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In 2008 and 2009, Tairi was included in Australia under-21 squads. She was a member of the Australia U-21 team that won the 2009 World Youth Netball Championships and she was vice-captain of an Australia U-21 team during a tour of Jamaica.[2][12][14][16][41]

New Zealand

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In 2013, Tairi made three senior appearances for New Zealand. On 15 September 2013, she made her senior debut for New Zealand against Australia in the first test of the 2013 Constellation Cup.[4][6][42][43][44] She was also a member of the New Zealand team that won the 2013 Fast5 Netball World Series.[45] Tairi was included in the 2014–15 New Zealand squad. However injuries prevented her from making more appearances.[42][46]

Tournaments Place Teams
2009 World Youth Netball Championships[16][41]     Australia
2013 Constellation Cup[4][6][43][44][45][47] 2nd   New Zealand
2013 Fast5 Netball World Series[45]     New Zealand

Broadcaster and presenter

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Since retiring as a netball player, Tairi has worked a broadcaster, presenter and commentator for Sky Sport (New Zealand). She has presented coverage of a variety of sports competitions including tennis, ANZ Premiership, NRL and NRLW. She has hosted The Kiwi League Show, alongside Monty Betham, and presented on Warriors TV. She also fronted Sky Sport's coverage of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics. At the 2020 ASB Classic she interviewed Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki.[1][7][8][48][49]

Personal life

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Tairi has had a relationship with Maurice Blair, a rugby league player.[4][6][23][44]

Honours

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New South Wales Swifts
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
Australia
New Zealand
Australian Institute of Sport
New South Wales

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Q&A: Courtney Tairi, the person beyond the netball court". beyondthemark.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Courtney Tairi". nswswifts.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Courtney Tairi". www.anzpremiership.co.nz. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Courtney Tairi stunned by Ferns test intensity". stuff.co.nz. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Netball: Tairi already benefiting from change". www.odt.co.nz. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d "Netball: Partner's drama tested Tairi before debut". www.nzherald.co.nz. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  7. ^ a b "'I can't believe it': Former Silver Fern Courtney Tairi on her new 'dream job'". www.nowtolove.co.nz. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Courtney Tairi". www.outspokenbyodd.co.nz. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Alumni – WSAS - Western Sydney Academy of Sport". www.wsas.com.au. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Netball NSW – Annual Report 2007" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  11. ^ a b "NSW Swifts - Honour Roll". nswswifts.com.au. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d "Netball NSW – 2009 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  13. ^ "2008 AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  14. ^ a b "2008 Annual Report - Netball Australia" (PDF). netball.com.au. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  15. ^ "2009 AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  16. ^ a b c "2009 Annual Report - Netball Australia" (PDF). Netball Australia. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  17. ^ "NSW Swifts - 2009 Season". nswswifts.com.au. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  18. ^ "NSW Swifts - 2010 Season". nswswifts.com.au. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  19. ^ "2010 Netball NSW Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  20. ^ "NSW Swifts - 2011 Season". nswswifts.com.au. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Netball NSW and NSW Swifts – 2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Steel upset Magic". www.abc.net.au. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Sporting couple's long-distance love worth it for Tairi". www.couriermail.com.au. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Southern Steel 2012 Netball Team". www.southernsteel.co.nz. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Southern Steel 2013 Netball Team". www.southernsteel.co.nz. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Southern Steel sign New South Wales midcourter". www.rnz.co.nz. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  27. ^ "Courtney Tairi to undergo surgery". www.netballnz.co.nz. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  28. ^ "With Courtney Tairi". The Southland Times. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via PressReader.
  29. ^ "Magic retain Halpenny, gain a Silver Fern". www.tvnz.co.nz. 26 August 2013. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  30. ^ "2014 Summer Shootout Match Reports - Saturday Morning". www.netballmainland.co.nz. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  31. ^ "Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty Zone – Newsletter January/February 2014" (PDF). www.mynetball.co.nz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  32. ^ "Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty Zone – Annual Report 2015" (PDF). www.netballwbop.co.nz. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  33. ^ a b "Netball: Halpenny keeps cool as Magic upsets Steel". www.odt.co.nz. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  34. ^ "Kia Magic lose Courtney Tairi for season". www.netballmagic.co.nz. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  35. ^ "Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic midcourter Courtney Tairi to miss rest of the season". stuff.co.nz. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  36. ^ "Tairi out for netball season". www.rnz.co.nz. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  37. ^ "Midcourter Courtney Tairi primed for return to action for the Waikato-BOP Magic". stuff.co.nz. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  38. ^ "Stars captain confirmed". www.northernstars.co.nz. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  39. ^ "ANZ Premiership Netball League begins in just over a month". World Netball. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  40. ^ "In-form Northern Stars set their sights on New Zealand netball's big scalp, the Southern Steel". stuff.co.nz. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  41. ^ a b "AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  42. ^ a b "Courtney Tairi". www.silverferns.co.nz. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  43. ^ a b "Winning start to Constellation Cup series for Silver Ferns". www.netballnz.co.nz. 15 September 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  44. ^ a b c "Kiwi has eyes on Cup win". 4 October 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via PressReader.
  45. ^ a b c "2013 Netball New Zealand Annual Report" (PDF). www.silverferns.co.nz. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  46. ^ "Silver Ferns 2014/15 Squad and Constellation Cup Team Announced". www.netballnz.co.nz. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  47. ^ "How the Australian Diamonds came back with a vengeance". www.theguardian.com. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  48. ^ "Radical makeover for premiership netball presenter Courtney Tairi". stuff.co.nz. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  49. ^ "Former Silver Fern Courtney Tairi fronts Youth Olympics". stuff.co.nz. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2022.