'Beautiful to play with' - tributes flow for former Silver Fern captain Ana Noovao

Former Silver Fern captain Ana Noovao, who has died age 58, has been admired for the strength of her convictions and remembered as a trusted teammate by those who played with her.

The netball community is mourning the loss of Noovao, who died on the weekend after battling a long illness.

The midcourter played for New Zealand between 1989 and 1992, picking up 23 test caps.

She made her Silver Ferns debut in 1989, aged 21. When Waimarama Taumaunu retired in 1992, she was named the 15th captain of the Silver Ferns.

Former Silver Fern shooter Leoni Leaver came through the netball ranks in Auckland at the same time as Noovao.

"We both played together at College Rifles in the domestic league when it was known as the Bendon League, we were both really young. We also played in the New Zealand Young Internationals, Auckland Under 21, and then the Silver Ferns," Leaver said.

Leaver said Noovao had natural leadership qualities.

"Oh gosh, like you trusted Ana, and she was a captain that was very loyal, a captain you could just rely on her. She gave it all she had on court, she was a real feisty wing attack and beautiful to play with and you always felt safe in the team with Ana."

Noovao was a creative wing attack and Leaver said she was lucky to have been fed by her.

"I'm so blessed to have played with Ana, she was such a good wing attack and she was strong and she'd just come out for the ball and turn and release a pass in that mid-court, yeah it was amazing."

Leaver said when Noovao was made Silver Ferns' captain, it was a huge source of pride for her family and the Cook Islands community.

"She cherished her culture, where she came from, she was Cook Island through and through and did a lot for the community, and it would have been a proud moment for them to have Ana captain the Silver Ferns."

Later, Noovao played two seasons for the Cook Islands, before coaching the national side to seventh place at the 2007 World Netball Championships in Auckland.

Generations of South Auckland schoolgirls also came through her coaching sessions at local schools, and after moving to Queensland she kept playing and building the game in her new community.

"She will be remembered as being so beautiful inside and out. She was very much into the church too and I always remember she had this big cross on her wrist," Leaver said.

"The phone's been ringing ... we've all got on the phone and reached out to each other and the old College Rifles players, we're looking at getting together to celebrate her and just remember all the moments that we had together.

"We did so much together and back in those days, we would go back to College Rifles and bring out the guitar, you know our social life was just as good as our playing life."

Joan Hodson first met Noovao when they played together for Auckland, and were later Silver Ferns' teammates.

"We both grew up in Manurewa, in South Auckland, and I knew of her. She started off as a wing defence and I think that's why that made her such a gifted wing attack because of the pressure she used to play on them."

Hodson said Noovao had a quiet natural leadership style and stood true to her convictions.

"Ana was very religious so she made a point that she was not going to play on a Sunday, sticking to her religious beliefs but she knew that it took her away from the team and those were probably the times we got the most flogging was on a Sunday.

"She stuck to her guns in terms of her beliefs and that was part of her leadership too, she quietly went about things and definitely made up for it when she could come back and play," Hodson said.

Former Silver Fern Teresa Tairi paid tribute to Noovao in a social media post.

"I feel extremely fortunate to have had the privilege of playing with and alongside Ana, representing both Auckland and the Auckland Cook Islands netball teams," Tairi wrote.

"Ana will always be remembered as one of the Cook Islands' finest netballers of her time - admired for her determined spirit, tenacious skills, and the quiet humility of her faith. Her contribution to netball, her strength of character, and the beautiful person she was will not be forgotten."

In a social media post, former Silver Margie Foster said Noovao was "inspiring".

"Ana was one of the best roomys, she was an awesome captain, very calm and steady. I am devastated she has left our world early."