New Zealand’s Silver Ferns won their first Commonwealth Games gold medal in sixteen years, after beating Jamaica 56-48 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday. It was New Zealand’s first appearance in a Commonwealth Games gold medal match since 2014, and their first title since 2010.
The Silver Ferns led from the very start, finishing the first quarter ahead 16-13. Jamaica fought hard and level the scores several times, but New Zealand kept pushing forward, going into half-time leading 28-25. Shooter Grace Nweke was outstanding throughout the match, scoring 48 goals, while defenders Kelly Jackson and Karin Burger worked hard to stop Jamaica’s attackers.
The win meant even more because the Silver Ferns had faced a difficult few months before the tournament. Coach Dame Noeline Taurua had only returned to lead the team three weeks before the Games began, following a break from coaching. The squad also lost defender Catherine Hall to a serious knee injury during the competition, leaving them with just eleven players for the rest of the tournament.
Captain Karin Burger, who moved to New Zealand from South Africa at eighteen, said the victory felt surreal after everything the team had overcome. Australia’s Diamonds, who had been reigning champions, missed out on the gold medal match for the first time and settled for bronze after defeating England.
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