Housby’s Heroics – A Snapshot Celebration
THE New Year has brought a new set of honours for decorated English Roses star Helen Housby.
She has been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire as part of the United Kingdom’s 2024 New Year’s Honours list, and comes 10 years after her debut for the Roses as recognition for her services to netball.
It comes off the back of a big year for the shooter, after a grand final appearance in the Suncorp Super Netball, and being named Player of the Tournament at the 2023 World Cup as she and her Roses won the country’s first ever silver medal at the tournament.
To celebrate the achievement, it is time to take a look back and a bit of a snap shot of Housby’s illustrious career.
Her elite career began as a young 18-year-old playing for Manchester Thunder in the Netball Super League. The very next year she tasted success, helping the Thunder win the title in 2014 thanks to her last-second long goal.
She would ultimately play at the Thunder for four seasons before different pastures came calling, and a move to the other side of the world and to the New South Wales Swifts.
It again would not be long before Housby tasted more success, with her Swifts going on to win the Suncorp Super Netball title in Housby’s third season in the competition.
As a youngster, her hero was New Zealand star Irene Van Dyk, but Housby never ended up playing against her hero, with their international careers missing any overlap by months. It was not long before Housby did make her international debut though, taking to the court in a Roses dress for the first time.
Her last-gasp goal in the 2014 NSL Grand Final would not be her only game winning exploits, with her finl second goal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal match a moment no one will forget for a while.
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