Ruth Aitken

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title: "Ruth Aitken" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["new-zealand-netball-coaches", "new-zealand-netball-players", "dames-companion-of-the-new-zealand-order-of-merit", "1956-births", "living-people", "sportspeople-from-paeroa", "new-zealand-national-netball-team-coaches", "anz-championship-coaches", "waikato-bay-of-plenty-magic-coaches", "1979-world-netball-championships-players", "northern-mystics-coaches", "sportspeople-awarded-damehoods", "national-bank-cup-coaches", "20th-century-new-zealand-sportswomen"] description: "New Zealand netball player and coach" topic_path: "geography/new-zealand" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Aitken" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary New Zealand netball player and coach ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox netball biography"]

Field	Value
honorific-prefix	Dame
name	Ruth Aitken
honorific-suffix
image	Ruth Aitken DNZM (cropped).jpg
caption	Aitken in 2022
fullname	Ruth Ellina Aitken (Née: Fathers)
birth_date
birth_place	Paeroa, New Zealand
positions	WA
nationalyears1	1979
nationalteam1	New Zealand
nationalcaps1	3
coachyears1	1998–1999
coachteam1	Counties Manukau Cometz
coachyears2	1999–2001
coachteam2	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
coachyears3	2001–2011
coachteam3	New Zealand
::

|honorific-prefix = Dame |name = Ruth Aitken |honorific-suffix = |image = Ruth Aitken DNZM (cropped).jpg |caption = Aitken in 2022 |fullname = Ruth Ellina Aitken (Née: Fathers) |birth_date = |birth_place = Paeroa, New Zealand |death_date = |death_place = |height = |school = |university = |occupation = |relatives = |spouse = |marrieddate = |children = |positions = WA |nationalyears1 = 1979 |nationalteam1 = New Zealand |nationalcaps1 = 3 |coachyears1 = 1998–1999 |coachteam1 = Counties Manukau Cometz |coachyears2 = 1999–2001 |coachteam2 = Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic |coachyears3 = 2001–2011 |coachteam3 = New Zealand |medaltemplates = Dame Ruth Ellina Aitken (née Fathers; born 31 July 1956) is a New Zealand former international-level netball player and former head coach of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns.

Biography

Aitken was born in 1956 in Paeroa. Her parents were Phil and Dorothy Fathers, who moved from Auckland to Paeroa after Aitken had children; that way she could continue with the travel required for her netball coaching career.

A former goal-attack, Aitken represented New Zealand in the 1979 World Netball Championships in Trinidad and Tobago, playing two warm-up games and then in one match against Ireland.

Aitken became coach of the Silver Ferns in 2001, replacing Yvonne Willering. In late 2011, she retired as coach of the national team – and was later replaced by assistant Waimarama Taumaunu. In December 2012, it was announced that Aitken would take over as Technical Director and National Coach of Netball Singapore. She is a member of the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand.

Honours and awards

At the 2003 Halberg Awards, Aitken was awarded Coach of the Year. In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Aitken was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball, alongside Silver Ferns captain Casey Williams. In the 2022 Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours, she was promoted to Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball.

In 2024, Aitken was an inaugural inductee to the Netball New Zealand Hall of Fame.

References

References

1. Aitken, Ruth. (September 2002). "Ruth Aitken (nee Fathers) – Family History". Ohinemuri Regional History Journal.
2. [http://www.zeus-sport.com/NZOC/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?print=&id=0&mode=bio&ContactID=2333 New Zealand Olympic Committee profile]. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
3. Rattue, Chris. (7 October 2006). "Ruth Aitken profile". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
4. NZPA. (23 February 2008). "Aitken re-appointed for four more years". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
5. (10 Dec 2012). "NETBALL SINGAPORE ANNOUNCE NEW NATIONAL COACH".
6. "Ruth Aitken ONZM". [[Sports Tribunal of New Zealand]].
7. Johannsen, Dana. (6 June 2011). "Honours for Ferns' coach and captain". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
8. (6 June 2022). "The Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
9. (24 February 2025). "Netball New Zealand start Hall of Fame". [[RNZ News]].

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