Julie Seymour
Encyclopedia
Julie Seymour, MNZM
(née Dawson; born 29 March 1971) is a New Zealand
netball
coach, former international netball player and former representative middle distance runner. Seymour played for the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, in 92 test matches spanning 16 years. During her international career she has competed at three Netball World Championships
and two Commonwealth Games
. She also captained the Silver Ferns in 2002 and again during the last two years of her international career. After two years in the ANZ Championship, Seymour announced her retirement from competitive netball in 2009. She subsequently took on a coaching role at the Canterbury Tactix as assistant coach.
teacher at Heretaunga College
in Upper Hutt
made her debut for the Silver Ferns in 1994. She was again selected for the Silver Ferns the following year to compete at the 1995 Netball World Championships
in Manchester, where New Zealand finished a disappointing third place. She missed selection for the Silver Ferns in 1997 and made a return to athletics that year, finishing second in the 800 m at the national track and field championships in 1998.
That year also saw the introduction of netball to the Commonwealth Games, and the start of a new domestic netball league in New Zealand. Seymour signed with the Canterbury Flames for the inaugural Coca-Cola Cup (later the National Bank Cup
), and was also selected for the Silver Ferns team that won silver at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
in Kuala Lumpur. In 1999, she transferred to the Capital Shakers
for the Coca-Cola Cup, and joined the Silver Ferns again for the 1999 Netball World Championships
in Christchurch. While her World Championships campaign finished with a silver medal, Seymour was named as the official player of the tournament.
retired. That year, Seymour led New Zealand to their second Commonwealth Games netball silver in Manchester. But just ten months into her captaincy she withdrew from the national team after becoming pregnant with her second child.
Seymour continued to play domestic netball with the Canterbury Flames until she announced her retirement following the 2004 season. However, she once again returned to the Flames in 2006 after the birth of her third child. She missed out on the 2006 Commonwealth Games team that won gold in Melbourne, but earned a callup to the Silver Ferns later that year following an injury to Casey Williams
. Seymour was picked the following year for the 2007 Netball World Championships
in Auckland, in which the Silver Ferns finished second.
. The Canterbury Flames were one of five New Zealand teams in the new league, and were renamed the Canterbury Tactix. Seymour stayed with the Canterbury franchise and was named captain for the inaugural season in 2008. She also resumed her role as Silver Ferns captain later that year.
During Seymour's two years in the ANZ Championship, the Tactix finished in 8th and 6th place, respectively. At the end of the 2009 season, Seymour announced her retirement from all levels of competitive netball, pending the birth of her fourth child. After her retirement, Seymour accepted a position as assistant coach for the Tactix from 2010, under head coach Helen Mahon-Stroud
.
representative player Dallas Seymour
. Dallas and Julie have four children, with all four pregnancies occurring during Julie Seymour's long elite netball career. In 2003, Seymour was also made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
for her services to netball.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(née Dawson; born 29 March 1971) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
coach, former international netball player and former representative middle distance runner. Seymour played for the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, in 92 test matches spanning 16 years. During her international career she has competed at three Netball World Championships
Netball World Championships
The World Netball Championships is a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australian national netball team and the New...
and two Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
. She also captained the Silver Ferns in 2002 and again during the last two years of her international career. After two years in the ANZ Championship, Seymour announced her retirement from competitive netball in 2009. She subsequently took on a coaching role at the Canterbury Tactix as assistant coach.
Early career
Seymour, a Physical EducationPhysical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
teacher at Heretaunga College
Heretaunga College
Heretaunga College is a secondary school located in Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It is co-educational and has approximately 800 students from Year 9 through to Year 13 ....
in Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...
made her debut for the Silver Ferns in 1994. She was again selected for the Silver Ferns the following year to compete at the 1995 Netball World Championships
1995 Netball World Championships
The 1995 World Netball Championships was the ninth staging of the World Netball Championships, the premier tournament in international netball, held every four years. The 1995 tournament was held in Birmingham, England and was contested by a record 27 teams. Among them were the South African team,...
in Manchester, where New Zealand finished a disappointing third place. She missed selection for the Silver Ferns in 1997 and made a return to athletics that year, finishing second in the 800 m at the national track and field championships in 1998.
That year also saw the introduction of netball to the Commonwealth Games, and the start of a new domestic netball league in New Zealand. Seymour signed with the Canterbury Flames for the inaugural Coca-Cola Cup (later the National Bank Cup
National Bank Cup
The National Bank Cup was the pre-eminent national netball competition in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship.-Format:...
), and was also selected for the Silver Ferns team that won silver at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
in Kuala Lumpur. In 1999, she transferred to the Capital Shakers
Capital Shakers
The Capital Shakers were a New Zealand netball team based in Wellington that competed in now defunct National Bank Cup competition. The Shakers franchise merged with the Western Flyers to form the Central Pulse in the ANZ Championship-2007 Shakers Squad:...
for the Coca-Cola Cup, and joined the Silver Ferns again for the 1999 Netball World Championships
1999 Netball World Championships
The 1999 World Netball Championships was the tenth staging of the World Netball Championships, the premier tournament in international netball, held every four years. The 1999 tournament was held in Christchurch, New Zealand and was contested by 24 teams. All matches were held at the Westpac...
in Christchurch. While her World Championships campaign finished with a silver medal, Seymour was named as the official player of the tournament.
Silver Ferns captain
Seymour returned to the Flames for the 2000 Coca-Cola Cup as captain. In 2002, she was elevated to Silver Ferns captain, after incumbent skipper Bernice MeneBernice Mene
Bernice Mene MNZM is a New Zealand netball player.Mene represented New Zealand playing netball for the Silver Ferns for tens year, playing 78 tests. She captained the domestic team the Southern Sting from 1998–2003, with the team winning the National Bank Cup each year she captained except for...
retired. That year, Seymour led New Zealand to their second Commonwealth Games netball silver in Manchester. But just ten months into her captaincy she withdrew from the national team after becoming pregnant with her second child.
Seymour continued to play domestic netball with the Canterbury Flames until she announced her retirement following the 2004 season. However, she once again returned to the Flames in 2006 after the birth of her third child. She missed out on the 2006 Commonwealth Games team that won gold in Melbourne, but earned a callup to the Silver Ferns later that year following an injury to Casey Williams
Casey Williams
Casey May Williams, ONZM is a New Zealand international netball player. Williams is the current captain of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and plays for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the ANZ Championship.Williams has been a member of the New Zealand national netball...
. Seymour was picked the following year for the 2007 Netball World Championships
2007 Netball World Championships
The 2007 World Netball Championships was the 12th staging of the World Netball Championships, a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963....
in Auckland, in which the Silver Ferns finished second.
ANZ Championship
The Canterbury Flames played their last match of the National Bank Cup in 2007, after which the competition was retired and replaced with a new trans-Tasman league, the ANZ ChampionshipANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
. The Canterbury Flames were one of five New Zealand teams in the new league, and were renamed the Canterbury Tactix. Seymour stayed with the Canterbury franchise and was named captain for the inaugural season in 2008. She also resumed her role as Silver Ferns captain later that year.
During Seymour's two years in the ANZ Championship, the Tactix finished in 8th and 6th place, respectively. At the end of the 2009 season, Seymour announced her retirement from all levels of competitive netball, pending the birth of her fourth child. After her retirement, Seymour accepted a position as assistant coach for the Tactix from 2010, under head coach Helen Mahon-Stroud
Helen Mahon-Stroud
Helen Mahon-Stroud is a New Zealand netball coach. In 2008, Mahon-Stroud was appointed head coach of the Canterbury Tactix in the ANZ Championship. Canterbury finished in seventh place during the 2008 season, with five wins and eight losses. She has been retained as coach for the 2009...
.
Personal life
Julie Seymour is married to former All Black and long-time New Zealand rugby sevensRugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
representative player Dallas Seymour
Dallas Seymour
Dallas Seymour is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and rugby sevens player. One of New Zealand rugby sevens longest serving players he played in the national team from 1992 until 2002...
. Dallas and Julie have four children, with all four pregnancies occurring during Julie Seymour's long elite netball career. In 2003, Seymour was also made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
for her services to netball.