Taini Jamison cause of death

Legendary former Silver Ferns coach Taini Jamison has died at the age of 95. A cause of death is yet to be made public. However, considering her age, it is most likely that she died of old-age related health issues.

Born on 23 February 1928 in Rotorua to Te Rangiātaahua Kiniwē Royal (father) and Irihapeti Te Puhi-o-Rākaiora Taiaroa (mother), Jamison studied at Rotorua High and Grammar School. However, she moved to Wellington Girls’ College after following her father’s posting to Wellington after the war.

She later studied at Wellington Teachers’ Training College and while there, joined the Ngāti Pōneke Young Māori Club, which was much in demand to perform at government functions.

She recalled performing for the famous British singer Gracie Fields, when Fields was touring the South Pacific in 1945.

Jamison’s passion for netball began at a young age.

She progressed to the Rotorua representative team, which won the national championships, and was selected for the North Island team three times.

She retired from competition in 1959 and spent the next ten years coaching the Rotorua team.

Jamison coached the New Zealand netball team to victory at the World Netball Championships in Perth, Australia, in 1967.

Four years later, she coached the New Zealand team to second place in the 1971 World Netball Championships in Jamaica, despite the fact that the team had been away from home for nearly four months.

She was the first Mori coach of the New Zealand netball team and is its most successful coach, with a 90% win rate.

Jamison has been involved with Netball Rotorua for nearly her entire adult life, serving as its president from 1981 to 2001.

The Taini Jamison Trophy, named after Jamison, was established in 2008. It is contested when any netballing nation or nations, other than Australia, play the Silver Ferns in New Zealand.

Jamison died in Rotorua on 28 April 2023.