Lois Muir coached the national netball team for 15 years until 1988 and it was in that role that she became an inspiration for women in all sport, not just in netball.

It said much for Muir’s skills and the respect in which she is held that she was still being sought for coaching positions more than a decade after she had “retired”. Muir was far from just a coach, however.

She played for Otago at both netball and basketball from 1950 until 1964, played basketball for New Zealand from 1952 until 1962 and played netball for New Zealand, when international play was rare, from 1960 until 1964.

She was considered the outstanding player in the New Zealand team that lost the first world title final in 1963 by one goal. Muir has also been in demand as a sports administrator.

Since quitting as national coach, she continued as a national selector and served on several sporting bodies, including Netball New Zealand, the Hillary Commission, the Sports Foundation, the Masters Games and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.