Former Silver Ferns captain Gina Crampton has announced her retirement from professional netball at age 34, ending a career that spanned 15 years at elite level.
Crampton's final match came in Sunday's ANZ Premiership elimination final, where the Tactix fell to the Southern Steel in Invercargill. She left the court during the second quarter after falling severely ill in the changing rooms before kickoff, according to Tactix coach Donna Wilkins.
The midfielder debuted for the Silver Ferns in 2016 and went on to earn 70 caps for New Zealand. She played a central role in the team that claimed the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool and later led the side as captain at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
"Netball has given me more than I could ever express," Crampton said. "I've had unbelievable experiences, been to training hell and back with my teammates, created treasured friendships and got to share it all with my family along the way."
Raised in Wellington, Crampton built her reputation with the Southern Steel, where she led the franchise to consecutive ANZ Premiership championships in 2017 and 2018. She was voted Player of the Year in the ANZ Premiership in 2019 and claimed the same honour in the ANZ Championship in 2016.
Silver Ferns head coach Dame Noeline Taurua praised Crampton as "a real student of the game, with a special ability to put the ball into space, and the technical nous to know when to hold possession".