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Natalie Wicken
Personal information
Full name Natalie Mabel Wicken (née Nicholls)
Born (1930-12-06)6 December 1930
Died 12 July 2022(2022-07-12) (aged 91)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
School Nelson College for Girls
Occupation Teacher
Netball career
Playing position(s): GS, GA
Years National team(s) Caps
1948 New Zealand 1

Natalie Mabel Wicken (née Nicholls; 6 December 1930 – 12 July 2022) was a New Zealand netball player. She played in the goal circle for the New Zealand team in the third Test against the touring Australian team in 1948.

Early life

[edit]

Wickens was born Natalie Mabel Nicholls on 6 December 1930, the third daughter of Archibald Leslie Nicholls and Charlotte Mabel Nicholls (née Gibbs).[1][2] She grew up in Stoke,[3] and was educated at Nelson College for Girls, where she was active in sports, winning the junior tennis singles and doubles championships in 1944,[4] and a member of the school netball team.[5]

Nicholls began studying at the University of Otago in 1949, completing a Diploma of Physical Education in 1951.[6][7]

Netball career

[edit]

Nicholls was a member of the Nelson provincial netball team, and made her first national championships appearance as a 14-year-old in Christchurch in 1945.[8] She was a member of the Nelson team that won the third-division title at the 1947 national championships held in Nelson, and was subsequently named in the New Zealand squad to play Australia the following year.[9] She made her debut for the New Zealand national team in the third test against Australia in Auckland; aged 17, she was the youngest member of the team.[1][10] The match was won by Australia, 44–22.[11] Nicholls was the first, and (as of 2009) the only Nelson player to be selected for the New Zealand team.[12]

After moving to Dunedin to study at the University of Otago in 1949, Nicholls played for the Otago representative netball team. Following the 1949 national championships held in Dunedin, Nicholls was named in the South Island team, which went on to draw 15–15 with the North Island in the annual interisland match for the Atkinson Trophy.[13][14] In 1950, playing for the University team in the Dunedin club competition, Nicholls' court coverage was described as "remarkable", and it was said that "her spectacular control of the ball is the envy of all basketball players".[15] Nicholls agained gained South Island honours in 1950[16] and 1951.[17]

In 1952, Nicholls moved to Auckland, and played netball for Auckland University at the annual New Zealand University Easter tournament.[18] She went on to represent Auckland at the 1952 national championships, at which Auckland finished as runners-up, and subsequently played for the North Island team in that year's annual interisland match, won 26–15 by the South Island.[19][20] She again played for Auckland at the 1953 national championships in Invercargill, won by Auckland, and was selected for the subsequent interisland game for the North Island, which resulted in a 18–18 draw.[21][22][23]

Nicholls was awarded New Zealand University blues for netball in 1950,[24] 1951,[25] and 1953.[26]

Later life

[edit]

In 1958, Nicholls became engaged to Henry William Wicken, and the couple subsequently married.[2]

In 1960, Natalie Wicken took part in the meeting in England at which the first standardised international netball rules were established.[27] She worked as a schoolteacher and coached school netball teams. In 2016, she appeared at a netball Test match between New Zealand and Jamaica in Nelson, tossing the coin before the start of the game.[28]

Wicken died in Christchurch on 12 July 2022, at the age of 91.[29]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Natalie Wicken". Netball New Zealand. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Engagements". The Press. Vol. 97, no. 28734. 4 November 1958. p. 2. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Many happy returns of the day". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. 73. 30 November 1940. p. 10. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Girls' College: presentation of sports trophies". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. 79. 15 December 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Sports news". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. 80. 12 July 1945. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Swimming to music". Otago Daily Times. No. 27192. 22 September 1949. p. 4. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Class list DipPhEd 1951". University of Otago. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  8. ^ "N.Z. basketball tourney". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. 80. 9 August 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Championships at Nelson". Ashburton Guardian. Vol. 67, no. 274. 1 September 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Team selected for third Test". Gisborne Herald. Vol. 75, no. 22729. 30 August 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Win by 44 goals to 22". Bay of Plenty Times. Vol. 77, no. 14774. 13 September 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Jubilee celebrations timely". Nelson Mail. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Canterbury lead Auckland in N.Z. court tourney". Gisborne Herald. Vol. 76, no. 23036. 29 August 1949. p. 6. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Basketball: AUckland wins N.Z. championship". The Press. Vol. 85, no. 25894. 29 August 1949. p. 8. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Sports commentary". Otago Daily Times. No. 27405. 2 June 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Canterbury lead on fourth day of N.Z. basketball". Gisborne Herald. Vol. 77, no. 23343. 28 August 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Basketball: N.Z. tournament at Timaru". The Press. Vol. 87, no. 26509. 25 August 1951. p. 8. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  18. ^ "N.Z. university tournament". The Press. Vol. 88, no. 26706. 15 April 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Basketball: N.Z. tournament nears end". The Press. Vol. 88, no. 26823. 30 August 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Basketball: two N.Z. titles to Canterbury". The Press. Vol. 88, no. 26824. 1 September 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Canterbury beats Otago, 25-15". The Press. Vol. 89, no. 27131. 29 August 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Inter-island games". The Press. Vol. 89, no. 27132. 31 August 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  23. ^ "N.Z. basketball tourney: championship won by Auckland". The Press. Vol. 89, no. 27132. 31 August 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  24. ^ ""Blues" recommended". Otago Daily Times. No. 27363. 13 April 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  25. ^ "N.Z. university blues". The Press. Vol. 87, no. 26383. 30 March 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  26. ^ "N.Z. university blues". The Press. Vol. 89, no. 27009. 8 April 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  27. ^ "The heritage project: preserving our international netball history". Netball New Zealand annual report. 2016. p. 29. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  28. ^ "International netball in Netball Mainland" (PDF). Netball Mainland Annual Report. 2016. p. 13. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Natalie Wicken". Legacy. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
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