Netball and artistic swimming trailblazer Shirley Hooper has been made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2026 New Year’s Honours for her services to both sports.

For more than 50 years, Hooper, who lives in Pāpāmoa, has been a driving force behind netball and artistic swimming, helping shape their growth nationally and internationally.

Her contribution spans roles as a player, umpire, sponsor, broadcaster, and respected governance leader.

Since 2007, she has held influential leadership positions, culminating in re-election in May for a third term as vice-president of World Netball, with more than 20 million participants in 76 countries.

She’s at the forefront of driving the next phase of netball’s continued growth around the world, a challenge Hooper said was “exciting” and one she relished.

Hooper had served as director of the International Netball Federation (now World Netball) from 2017 to 2021 and was a member of the Foundation Strategy Group from 2020 to 2023.

Her resume also includes nearly a decade on Netball NZ’s board, chairing Netball Auckland-Waitākere from 2005 to 2009, leading Greater Auckland Netball (Northern Mystics franchise) from 2007 to 2009, and serving on the Trans-Tasman Netball board during the ANZ Championship era.

Pāpāmoa's Shirley Hooper has been made an officer of the NZ Order of Merit in the New Year 2026 Honours. Photo / Supplied

Artistic swimming

Beyond netball, Hooper champions artistic swimming, New Zealand’s smallest women’s participation sport. Her daughter, Eva Morris, competes at an elite level, including at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Until 2011, she chaired the Tauranga Synchro Club, then led Artistic Swimming NZ until 2023. Today, she chairs Aquatics NZ Inc, overseeing artistic swimming, swimming, water polo and diving.

Her service has earned Hooper numerous accolades, including life memberships of Netball New Zealand and Artistic Swimming New Zealand.

‘Honoured and humbled’

Raised on a Matamata farm, Hamilton-born Hooper said the honour came as a “huge surprise” and took some time to sink in.

“At first, I thought it was spam or a hoax email. I had to read it several times and make checks before I believed it was genuine. And I still can’t believe I was nominated.

“I feel quite humbled and privileged to be acknowledged for doing something I’m passionate about, and get a lot of joy from, especially seeing young women excel in these beautiful sports.”

Shirley Hooper, vice president of World Netball and Aquatics NZ chair, has been made an officer of the NZ Order of Merit in the New Year 2026 Honours. Photo / Michael Bradley

A journey of leadership

Hooper started playing netball at age 7, and at Matamata College, where she was head girl in 1979, she began umpiring netball at 14, realising it enabled her to go on school sports trips like her friends.

“Thanks to excellent tuition from the Matamata Netball Centre, at age 18, I became one of the youngest umpires to get my NZ badge and went on to umpire several national tournaments.”

Leaving school halfway through Year 13, she headed to America as an AFS exchange student, then earned a Bachelor of Management Studies (with honours) in marketing and international management from the University of Waikato.

Scholarships also took her to Japan twice, paving the way for a career spanning governance, broadcasting, sponsorship, and global sport administration.

Business and beyond

Outside sport, Hooper built a successful marketing career, including marketing manager roles at Bendon, Tru-Test Ltd and TVNZ between 1991 and 1998.

She led the team that launched the Elle Macpherson Intimates brand in New Zealand and Australia.

In 1998, Hooper founded Mission Marketing Limited, advising retail and retirement sector clients from her and husband Terry Morris’ Pāpāmoa Beach home.

Hooper said she feels “lucky and blessed” to have worked alongside some “amazing people” worldwide and finds “great joy” in the teamwork that emerges when people join forces to make a difference.

“That’s what drives me to continue to be involved ... there are lots of opportunities for women to empower and lead in netball to grow the sport. And I want to see the same opportunities in artistic swimming.”

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, who has been a journalist for 25 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.