New Zealand midcourter who captained the Silver Ferns to their first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2006 and a World Championship title in 2003.
Adine Wilson (née Harper) was born on 8 June 1979 in Hāwera, Taranaki. She made her Silver Ferns debut in 1999 against South Africa at age 20, going on to play 79 Test matches across wing attack, centre and goal attack over an eight-year international career. Wilson was part of the New Zealand team that ended Australia's 16-year world title reign at the 2003 World Netball Championships in Jamaica. She was named national captain in 2005 and the following year led the Silver Ferns to a landmark 60–55 victory over Australia in the final of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne — New Zealand's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in the sport. She captained the side again at the 2007 World Netball Championships before retiring that year due to pregnancy. Domestically, Wilson spent six seasons with the Southern Sting, winning five premierships (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007) and captaining the club in 2006. She qualified as a lawyer in 2003 and combined legal work with netball throughout much of her career. Since retiring, she has worked extensively as a netball commentator and in sports law, and was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024. In 2016, she survived a serious spinal injury after falling down a ladder, requiring major surgery, and has since become an advocate for melanoma awareness after being diagnosed and treated for the condition during her playing career.
Captaining New Zealand to their first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2006
How They Played
Athletic, quick-thinking midcourter equally effective at wing attack, centre and goal attack
Lasting Impact
Remembered as a key leader of a golden generation of Silver Ferns netball in the early-to-mid 2000s
Career Honours
- World Netball Championships Gold 2003
- Commonwealth Games Gold 2006 (captain, New Zealand's first-ever)
- MNZM for services to netball (2024)
- South Taranaki Sporting Hall of Fame 2017
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Otago Rebels | 1998–2000 | — |
| Southern Sting | 2001–2007 | — |
| Southern Steel | 2009–2009 | — |