Helen Mahon-Stroud was one of 46 Black Ferns presented with a cap last weekend in Auckland. She also has also been a long serving player and coach of netball, which is how many of us know her. We were intent to find out a little bit more about both!

CNC: Firstly congratulations Helen on being one of the 46 Black Ferns presented with a cap last weekend in Auckland. Can you please tell us a little bit more about your rugby career:

HMS: I started playing rugby in 1989. At the time I was playing netball for Hearts Netball Club,(now Saints). Kay O’Reilly was a coach and the matriarch of the club. Her husband Laurie O’Reilly coached the University Women’s Rugby team and would regularly watch netball at the courts and poach players for his rugby team. I went with Anna Richards (ex-Canterbury netball player and Black Fern) to a club rugby game after Canterbury netball training one Sunday. The team was short of players so I took the field, scored seven tries and that was the beginning of my rugby career. I was selected into the 1989 New Zealand Womens’ Rugby team to play the Californian Grizzlies at Lancaster Park and later that year toured the USA and Europe with the University Womens’ Rugby team (Crusadettes). I attended the inaugural Womens’ World Rugby Cup in 1991 in Wales and earnt three test caps.

CNC: What was the highlight of your rugby career?

HMS: Creating history in scoring the first try in the first game played at the Inaugural Womens’ Rugby World Cup in 1991.

CNC: When or how did you find the time for netball during this time?

HMS: I made time. I played club netball and National League for Hearts, club rugby for University and representative rugby for Canterbury. Netball was on Saturday and rugby Sundays. The National League netball was at the beginning of the season and representative rugby the second half of the season. At one stage I was attending nine trainings per week and contracted glandular fever. Go figure. I joined the NZ Police and moved north. I continued playing both netball and rugby but eventually with the shift work something had to give way. I finished playing rugby in 1993 and continued playing national league netball and club netball through to the birth of my first child Ben. He’s 20 now. So that was some time ago.

CNC: You’ve also had a lot of experience coaching netball, and you’re now coaching Villa Maria A, how do you use that past experience in your coaching? 

HMS: I eventually transitioned from playing to coaching with Hearts. My coaching career was progressive, Hearts Senior B, Villa Maria College Senior A in early 2000’s and Hearts Senior A. Whilst coaching both secondary school and premier club teams, I also coached the Canterbury U21 team and eventually Assistant Coach with the Canterbury Flames in 2006. In 2007 I was encouraged to apply for the Head Coach role with the Tactix for the inaugural ANZ Championship in 2008. I was appointed Head Coach for the first four years of the competition which provided both opportunity and challenge. Opportunity to work with high performance athletes, support staff and key stakeholders. And the challenge, of a highly competitive sports environment, the February earthquake and ongoing effects of the Canterbury earthquakes on our people, our infrastructure and our resources. The learning, to find success in loss and failure, and as my mother used to say, ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again'.

CNC: Please describe yourself in three words:

HMS: Ben Georgia Lucy. If I was allowed four, I would include Stroudy (husband).

CNC: Please tell us something we may not know about you:

HMS: I regularly ring talk back radio. I enjoy debating topics I am passionate about, usually women and sport.

Many thanks Helen. It has been an absolute pleasure, and how lucky we are to have you and others like you in our sport.

Article added: Monday 18 June 2018