Josie Seymour, the rising netball talent, who will be coached by Silver Ferns legend mum at World Youth Cup
Saturday, 9 August 2025
Playing on the side of the court as a toddler while her Silver Fern mother trained, Josie Seymour was always destined to be a netballer.
The daughter of netball legend Julie Seymour and former All Black and sevens star Dallas Seymour, is writing her own sporting story.
This week, Christchurch-based Seymour, 20, was named in the New Zealand under-21 squad for September’s Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar on Spain’s south coast. Silver Ferns shooter Amelia Walmsley headlines the team with New Zealand aiming for their third straight title, a feat no side has previously managed.
It will be a family affair with Julie, who captained the Silver Ferns and played 89 tests, head coach.
“First time putting the fern on and representing my country, so I’m very excited and very honoured I’m one of the small group of athletes that get to this [tournament],” Josie said.
Selection for the Netball World Youth Cup has been a two year process with aspiring players closely monitored across the country. A New Zealand under-21 squad travelled to Canberra in January for a tri-series tournament.
There was one final chance to impress at a three-day trial in Auckland last week, which Josie described as nerve-racking for the players.
When assistant coach Te Aroha Keenan called to inform her she had made the side, Josie was justifiably delighted.
Predominantly a wing defence, 1.80m tall Josie can switch to goal defence, her main position through secondary school at St Margaret’s College. She has occasionally been used at centre at training, the position Julie thrived in at the elite level.
It always seemed inevitable Josie, who is in her final semester studying nursing at Ara, would get into netball. After all, she was frequently on the side of the court at training as a youngster when Julie was playing for the Canterbury Flames, sometimes even in a pram as a baby.
“She’s certainly grown up on the side of the netball court, that’s for sure. While I was still playing she was very young, but in those days some of the mums had to take a kid along to trainings at times,” Julie said.
“Literally at times we had all the kids playing on one court and [Flames coach] Marg [Foster] coaching us on the other… [Manager] Gail [McLauchlan] would look after them on the side with the lunch boxes and take them off to the toilet.”
This has been a whirlwind few weeks for Josie.
She made her ANZ Premiership debut for the Tactix in their final round game against the Mystics. Selected in the game-day squad for the elimination final and grand final, she was part of the Tactix’ history-making first title win.
No-one was prouder than Canterbury netball favourite Seymour seeing her daughter don the Tactix dress. “It’s been a while since a J Seymour has been wearing the red and black, so it was certainly pretty cool to see her step out on court,” Julie said.
Josie was a key member of the Tactix’ second-tier Mainland National Netball League (NNL) side, who beat Central Manawa 48-44 in the final to capture the title for the first time.
Being coached by her mother is nothing new for Josie.
Julie organised impromptu after school netball sessions for Josie and her classmates at Queenspark School when she was seven and she never looked back.
She has coached her throughout much of Josie’s netball journey, including her three years in the St Margaret’s senior A side, along with long-serving coach Helen Belcher.
“It’s been good because mum has coached me from a very young age, all the way up to the end of high school, so we were definitely able to build that player-coach and mum-daughter relationship really well,” Josie said.
When Julie coached Josie through the grades she had always been another player on the netball court, wanting to impart her with knowledge, but not be overbearing. When the training session or game was over, it was back to being mum.
“For some people that parent-child coaching thing doesn’t work or they don’t want to keep pursuing it, but we’ve always found it pretty seamless and easy,” Julie said.
“When she gets into that athlete [mode] and I’m in that coaching role she’s very much another athlete within my group, but also something super special we’ve always shared together is that love of the game.”
The road to elite sport is always packed with ups and downs for athletes. Having parents who had played at the highest level had been invaluable for Josie, navigating the challenges along the way.
“They have been amazing. They definitely know me inside and out, what I need, and I’m a very tough player on myself, so they always have the best advice for me and it just lifts me up and it’s exactly what I need.”
New Zealand’s opening game is against African nation Zambia on September 20. Also in pool A are hosts Gibraltar, Malaysia, and the Cook Islands.
AT A GLANCE:
New Zealand under-21 squad for Netball World Youth Cup: Amelia Walmsley, Charlotte Manley, Ella Southby, Josie Seymour, Kaiya Kepa, Kate Taylor, Khanye-Lii Munro-Nonoa, Laura Balmer, Losa Fifita, Sarah Guiney, Serina Daunakamakama, Taiana Day.