• Source: Georgia Heffernan

      • Georgia Heffernan is a New Zealand netball international. Since 2018, she has played for Southern Steel. Her mother, Annette Heffernan, her aunt, Maxine Blomquist, her sister, Kate Heffernan and a cousin, Shirley Langrope, are all New Zealand netball internationals. Her mother and aunt were the first set of sisters to play international netball for New Zealand. At the 2024 Netball Nations Cup, herself and her sister became the third set. However, the Heffernan sisters are the first sisters to actually play in the same team at the same time. As well as playing netball together for New Zealand, the Heffernan sisters have played together in several teams, including Southern Steel and the Otago Sparks women's cricket team.


      Early life, family and education


      Georgia is the daughter of Noel and Annette Heffernan. Her mother, her aunt, Maxine Blomquist, her sister, Kate Heffernan and a cousin, Shirley Langrope, are all New Zealand netball internationals. Her father played rugby union for Canterbury Country.
      The Heffernan family live on their sheep and beef farm, near Tapanui, West Otago. The Heffernan sisters attended Tapanui's Blue Mountain College and St Hilda's Collegiate School. Georgia attended Otago Polytechnic, where she studied veterinary nursing.


      Playing career




      = St Hilda's

      =
      In 2016 and 2017, the Heffernan sisters were members of the St Hilda's Collegiate School team that won back-to-back South Island secondary school netball titles. 2016 was the first time St Hilda's had reached the final five stage and final of the tournament. In the 2016 final, Georgia scored 25 from 35 as St Hilda's defeated Marlborough Girls' College 38–37. She scored the winner in the final seconds. In 2016 the St Hilda's team assistant coach was their mother, Annette Heffernan.


      = Netball South

      =
      Between 2017 and 2019, the Heffernan sisters played for Netball South in the National Netball League. Ahead of the 2018 season, while playing for Netball South, they were also named as training partners for Southern Steel. After recovering from an ACL injury, Georgia was also included in the 2021 squad. The team was now renamed Southern Blast.


      = Southern Steel

      =
      Since 2018, Georgia has played for Southern Steel. She made her senior debut for Steel in the 2018 Super Club tournament. During the 2019 ANZ Premiership season she made five appearances. She also played in the 2019 Super Club tournament. On 28 June 2020, during a Round 3 match against Northern Stars she suffered an ACL injury after landing awkwardly. Georgia subsequently missed the rest of the 2020 season and the whole of the 2021 season as she recovered. Since 2022, she has been a regular member of the Steel team. Her sister, Kate Heffernan, also plays for Steel.

      ANZ Premiership statistics

      Sources:


      = New Zealand

      =
      Heffernan played for New Zealand in the 2022 Fast5 Netball World Series. On 5 November 2022 she made her Fast5 debut against Uganda. In July 2022 she played for a Mixed Invitational team in the Cadbury Netball Series. During the series she played against the senior New Zealand team, featuring her sister Kate Heffernan. It was the first time Georgia and Kate had played against each other.
      On 20 January 2024, Heffernan made her senior debut for New Zealand against Australia during the 2024 Netball Nations Cup. She was originally only selected as training partner for the series. However, after impressing in training, Noeline Taurua promoted her to the starting seven. With her sister, Kate, already an established member of the team, the Heffernan sisters now became the third set of sisters to play international netball for New Zealand. The first set were their mother and aunt, Annette Heffernan and Maxine Blomquist. However, the Heffernan sisters are the first sisters to actually play in the same team at the same time.


      Cricket


      The Heffernan sisters are also notable women's cricket players. Georgia has represented Otago at under-15, under-16 and under-21 levels. Georgia and Kate Heffernan also won national titles representing St Hilda's Collegiate School. In 2018, Georgia played for Otago Sparks, once again alongside Kate.


      References

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