Wanaka netball identity Yvonne Brew has “sort of retired’’ from Netball Upper Clutha and Netball South, after more than 32 years serving her favourite sport.

Yvonne and her husband Leith moved to Picton in December to start a new chapter in their full and active lives.

But Yvonne is in netball for life and will be representing Netball Upper Clutha at the New Zealand Netball conference on February 22.

Yvonne is a life member of Netball Upper Clutha and Netball South, so is able to attend and vote at national meetings and conferences.

“I am hoping to still be involved,’’ Yvonne said, when contacted by the Wanaka App.

“I do it because I love it.’’

“I am still part of Upper Clutha Netball as a life member and I will be a delegate at the New Zealand Conference,.’

Yvonne, an interior decorator, and Leith, a builder, are formerly from Palmerston North.

They came to live in Wanaka in 1986, when the population of the town was about 800.

The recent population surge was a key factor in deciding to head north.

Yvonne said she and Leith did not like the way Wanaka was growing and wanted to get away from it.

They also wanted to live closer to northern-based relatives, after several recent deaths in their respective families.

Yvonne has been living in Picton for just a month but is already looking forward to getting involved in the Marlborough netball scene.

The award-winning coach and umpire hopes to coach junior players, which was a role she particularly enjoyed in the Upper Clutha.

Yvonne only missed one Netball South meeting during the time she served the organisation.

The meeting she missed took place while she was in hospital for heart and kidney transplant surgery.

Her passion for netball kept her going through six challenging months of recovery.

When she returned to Wanaka, she got stuck into netball straight away, helping set up junior netball, keeping score cards and successfully working towards a full return to court as an umpire.

Yvonne’s love for the sport was so consuming, it posed a dilemma for Leith, who felt he had no option but to take up netball coaching as well or he would never see his wife.

Yvonne said retired Wanaka GP Dr Dennis Pezaro encouraged her to seek out Upper Clutha netball players for sport and company after she lost her first child.

“I found the girls and I haven’t looked back,’’ she said.

Yvonne said she was humbled by the acknowledgements she received from the netball community and on social media, after announcing her retirement and shift north.

Yvonne spent 29 years on the executive committee of Upper Clutha Netball, during which time she was also a player for 13 years (1987–2000).

She qualified as an umpire in 1988 and served in various roles, including president, vice-president and treasurer.

Her awards include a Netball Upper Clutha service award (2002) and life membership award (2009), a Netball New Zealand Service Award (2014) and life membership of Netball South (2019).

PHOTO: Supplied