King's Birthday Honours: Former Silver Ferns captain Adine Wilson claims share of household bragging rights with MNZM

When Adine Wilson MNZM broke the news of her impending King's Birthday Honour to her husband, it was greeted with fairly lowkey celebration. 

Former rugby/cricket double international Jeff Wilson already had a bunch of letters after his name, so now, the balance of royal favour within the household has been restored. 

"I think I came home from work and said, 'Hey, guess what I received in my inbox today'," recalled Adine, a Silver Ferns netball international from 1999-2007 and captain for her final three years. 

"He's not someone to go, 'Oh my gosh, that's amazing'.  It was more like, 'Nice, high five... now we've got one together, so that's amazing'." 

Wilson, 44, is probably best known for her oncourt prowess, as part of a world champion NZ team in 2003, before leading the Ferns to Commonwealth Games gold at Melbourne 2006.

After retirement, she stepped straight onto the NZ Netball Players Association board, which she chaired from 2017-23 and served as executive manager from 2015-21, helping guide the transition into a semi-professional era. 

"Once upon a time, players only got $500 and the year after we got the association together, they got a minimum of $15,000," she recalled. "Being able to galvanise everybody to come together and have a voice was pretty special." 

"It's something my family instilled in me - when you play sport, you give back. Mum coached and others managed. 

"It gives you so much, but you've got to give back too." 

Since 2018, she has served as an athlete mentor for the Tania Dalton Foundation, a support network established in memory of her former teammate, who tragically collapsed and died, while playing touch rugby. 

These days, Wilson is a TV commentator and a member of the Integrity in Sport and Recreation Commission establishment board. 

"It's come off the back of a bunch of different reviews over the years that have been quite sad, about integrity in sport, whether it's match manipulation, player welfare and also Drug Free Sport. 

"It's really ensuring participants and their organisations are setting up the right policies and putting things in place, so everyone gets a fair shot at it. 

"It's exciting." 

Wilson now joins hubby Jeff as a Member of the NZ Order of Merit and joins several others in this latest batch of honours that have served sport in some capacity during their lives. 

Notable among them are women's sport proponent Katie Sadlier (CNZM), former Olympic cyclist Stephen Cox (CNZM), former Wimbledon tennis finalist Chris Lewis and Women in Sport co-founder Julie Paterson (MNZM).

 

King's Birthday Honours

CNZM (Companion of NZ Order of Merit)

Mary Lee - for services to snow sports and tourism

Lesley Milne - for services to rowing

Catherine Sadleir - for services to sports governance and women 

 

ONZM (Officer of NZ Order of Merit)

Dr Patricia Bradbury - for services to sport and education

Stephen Cox - for services to cycling

Allison Ferguson - for services to netball 

Meri Gibson - for services to dragon boating and breast cancer awareness

Christopher Lewis - for services to tennis

Patricia Lindsay - for services to netball and governance

Leslie McCutcheon - for services to the thoroughbred and harness racing industries 

MNZM (Member of NZ Order of Merit)

Phillip Lam - for services to martial arts

Ian Godfrey - for services to surf lifesaving and water safety education

Grant Harrison - for services to volleyball 

David Henshaw - for services to archery

Rex Kerr - for services to the community and rugby

Frederick Lewis - for services to philanthropy and sport

Anthony McGovern - for services to the racing industry 

Julie Paterson - for services to women and sport

Allison Todd - for services to equestrian coaching and water safety

Jocelyn Urbahn - for services to surf lifesaving and squash

Adine Wilson - for services to netball 

 

KSM (King's Service Medal)

John Bray - for services to rugby league

Sandra Burrow - for services to swimming

Patricia Carrick-Clarke - for services to sport, particularly cricket 

Mervyn Gore - for services to rugby league

Marilyn Milne - for services to netball

Linda-Lee Odom - for services to people with disabilities and sport

When Adine Wilson MNZM broke the news of her impending King's Birthday Honour to her husband, it was greeted with fairly lowkey celebration. 

Former rugby/cricket double international Jeff Wilson already had a bunch of letters after his name, so now, the balance of royal favour within the household has been restored. 

"I think I came home from work and said, 'Hey, guess what I received in my inbox today'," recalled Adine, a Silver Ferns netball international from 1999-2007 and captain for her final three years. 

"He's not someone to go, 'Oh my gosh, that's amazing'.  It was more like, 'Nice, high five... now we've got one together, so that's amazing'." 

Wilson, 44, is probably best known for her oncourt prowess, as part of a world champion NZ team in 2003, before leading the Ferns to Commonwealth Games gold at Melbourne 2006.

After retirement, she stepped straight onto the NZ Netball Players Association board, which she chaired from 2017-23 and served as executive manager from 2015-21, helping guide the transition into a semi-professional era. 

"Once upon a time, players only got $500 and the year after we got the association together, they got a minimum of $15,000," she recalled. "Being able to galvanise everybody to come together and have a voice was pretty special." 

"It's something my family instilled in me - when you play sport, you give back. Mum coached and others managed. 

"It gives you so much, but you've got to give back too." 

Since 2018, she has served as an athlete mentor for the Tania Dalton Foundation, a support network established in memory of her former teammate, who tragically collapsed and died, while playing touch rugby. 

These days, Wilson is a TV commentator and a member of the Integrity in Sport and Recreation Commission establishment board. 

"It's come off the back of a bunch of different reviews over the years that have been quite sad, about integrity in sport, whether it's match manipulation, player welfare and also Drug Free Sport. 

"It's really ensuring participants and their organisations are setting up the right policies and putting things in place, so everyone gets a fair shot at it. 

"It's exciting." 

Wilson now joins hubby Jeff as a Member of the NZ Order of Merit and joins several others in this latest batch of honours that have served sport in some capacity during their lives. 

Notable among them are women's sport proponent Katie Sadlier (CNZM), former Olympic cyclist Stephen Cox (CNZM), former Wimbledon tennis finalist Chris Lewis and Women in Sport co-founder Julie Paterson (MNZM).

 

King's Birthday Honours

CNZM (Companion of NZ Order of Merit)

Mary Lee - for services to snow sports and tourism

Lesley Milne - for services to rowing

Catherine Sadleir - for services to sports governance and women 

 

ONZM (Officer of NZ Order of Merit)

Dr Patricia Bradbury - for services to sport and education

Stephen Cox - for services to cycling

Allison Ferguson - for services to netball 

Meri Gibson - for services to dragon boating and breast cancer awareness

Christopher Lewis - for services to tennis

Patricia Lindsay - for services to netball and governance

Leslie McCutcheon - for services to the thoroughbred and harness racing industries 

MNZM (Member of NZ Order of Merit)

Phillip Lam - for services to martial arts

Ian Godfrey - for services to surf lifesaving and water safety education

Grant Harrison - for services to volleyball 

David Henshaw - for services to archery

Rex Kerr - for services to the community and rugby

Frederick Lewis - for services to philanthropy and sport

Anthony McGovern - for services to the racing industry 

Julie Paterson - for services to women and sport

Allison Todd - for services to equestrian coaching and water safety

Jocelyn Urbahn - for services to surf lifesaving and squash

Adine Wilson - for services to netball 

 

KSM (King's Service Medal)

John Bray - for services to rugby league

Sandra Burrow - for services to swimming

Patricia Carrick-Clarke - for services to sport, particularly cricket 

Mervyn Gore - for services to rugby league

Marilyn Milne - for services to netball

Linda-Lee Odom - for services to people with disabilities and sport

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