Busy Mene has no regrets about retiring
By Russell Gray
From STUFF, 9 May 2002


Bernice Mene has no regrets about bringing the curtain down on her international netball career earlier this year.

The former New Zealand captain has been in fine form for champions Southern Sting in this year's National Bank Cup, prompting some observers to suggest she had pulled the plug too early.

In announcing her international retirement in January, Mene said the sacking of Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering, three weeks earlier, had not been part of her decision-making, but those close to her thought differently.

Mene said that while she was still enjoying playing for the Sting there were no regrets about leaving the Silver Ferns, even with July's Commonwealth Games on the horizon.

"Not at all. I am quite happy," she said.

"If anything, I am even busier now than when I was playing for New Zealand, with lots of different things on the go.

"Also, my body is quite sore after playing now and that is with only one game a weekend. That is probably because I have not been taking quite as much care of the body as I had to when I was playing internationals."

Mene probably did well to last as long as she did on the international stage, having to contend with a degenerative knee problem that had to be nursed throughout most of her career.

The "things on the go" include working for Sport Auckland, where she runs a coach-corp programme that encourages corporates to allow employees time off to coach sport in schools. Mene has obviously been persuasive, with 35 coaches already on board.

She has also moved into television work, joining Liam Jeory in fronting The Knowledge Breakfast which will run for eight weeks from May 25.

"We were recording at the weekend and I was really nervous because it is the first time I had used an autocue, but it turned out to be fun."

Along with fiancee Dion Nash, Mene is planning a two-month trip to South America.

Nash, who also struggled with injuries during his career, announced his retirement from cricket last week but it hasn't meant the pair have seen more of each other. Mene said they had been passing like ships in the night recently.

On the netball front, she was delighted with the Sting's performance in winning their top-of-the-table clash with the Force at North Shore on Sunday.

"I was particularly pleased with our composure when it was tight in the closing stages.

"Teams always seem to raise their game against us and I think the pressure situations we have been in during the last three years helped us on Sunday."

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