.jpg) Kopua in 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Casey May Kopua (Née: Williams) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1985-06-19)19 June 1985 (age 40) Hamilton, New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Matamata College | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Waikato | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netball career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Casey May KopuaONZM (néeWilliams; born 19 June 1985) is a retired New Zealand internationalnetball player and former captain of theNew Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and theWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic.
Kopua became a member of theNew Zealand national netball team (the Silver Ferns) in 2004, making her on-court debut in 2005 against Barbados. She also played in the New Zealand U21 netball team that won gold at the 2005World Youth Netball Championships in Florida. During her career she has won gold medals at the2006 and2010 Commonwealth Games and the2009 World Netball Series, and silver medals at the2007 and2011 World Netball Championships.[1] In 2008, she co-captained the team withLaura Langman, stepping into the role of acting captain later that year following an injury toJulie Seymour. In July 2009, Kopua became the 23rd captain of the Silver Ferns, taking over from Seymour who retired from the game.[2][3]
In domestic netball, Kopua played her entire career with theWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic, starting in 2003. During the2008 ANZ Championship season, she was named the Holden Captiva player of the championship, winning a new car.
In the2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kopua was appointed anOfficer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, alongside former Silver Ferns coachRuth Aitken, for services tonetball in New Zealand.[4]
On 11 October 2014, Kopua became the most capped New Zealand netball captain in history, playing her 63rd test as captain of the team in the 3rd test of the2014 Constellation Cup againstAustralia.[5] In the fourth quarter of that match, Kopua suffered a suspected dislocated patella (knee injury). Scans later revealed that Kopua also ruptured her patella tendon.[6] Three days later Kopua underwent surgery to repair her patella tendon.[7]
In 2017, still rehabing from her surgery, Kopua announced her retirement from the Silver Ferns, stating she would return to the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in 2018, but would not be available for international selection.[8] Kopua was coaxed back to the national team byNoeline Taurua for the2019 Netball World Cup.[9] New Zealand would go on to win the World Cup, with Kopua being named the grand final's player of the match.[10] She retired from netball after the World Cup.
In 2024, Kopua was an inaugural inductee to theNetball New Zealand Hall of Fame.[11]
In 2025, Kopua made her return to netball in Round 8 of the Australian Suncorp Super Netball league as a replacement player for GIANTS Netball after defender Jodi-Ann Ward ruptured her ACL.[12] In Round 9, Kopua helped the GIANTS achieve just their second win of the season.[13]
In December 2012, Kopua married Hamilton lawyer Terry Kopua.[14] On 21 May 2016, the couple announced the birth of their daughter. Following the 2019 Netball World Cup, Kopua revealed that she was unknowingly pregnant during the tournament.[15] The couple had a second child, a boy, in 2020,[16] and another son on Christmas Eve 2021.[citation needed]
