Captaincy comes first! GINA PUTS LOVE ON HOLD

The Silver Fern and her rugby star beau make the ultimate sacrifice

- Wendyl Nissen

When Silver Fern Gina Crampton was asked to take over as captain last month, she found herself getting the same advice from her teammate Ameliaranne “Meels” Ekenasio that she had given her friend the year before.

“When Meels became captain last year, I was with her overseas in the UK. So it went full circle and we ended up giving each other the same pep talk two years apart,” recalls Gina.

“I told her that she was there for a reason and that she was picked for a reason, so she just had to stay true to who she is, to try and lead in the way she does naturally, and not to change too much or too drastically.

“So last month, we had a very similar conversation when I was deciding whether to step up to captain. In a way, I ended up listening to my own advice!”

At 29, Gina is a young captain and regards it as a huge honour.

“There have only been 28 of us, which is quite a small number, so it’s very special.”

Taking over from her pregnant friend Meels, 30, is also a reminder that you can have a baby as a top netball player without it interrupting your sports career.

“It’s been really cool in the last couple of years because we’ve had five Silver Ferns having babies and it no longer means that you have to wait until you’ve finished playing before you can start a family,” enthuses Gina.

‘Sport has only a small window, so you have to take it when you can’