Linda Vagana, MNZM

New Zealand Order of Merit

The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...

 (born 23 July 1971 in Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand) is an international netball

Netball

Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...

 coach and former representative player from New Zealand. Vagana played as a circle defender, and was a member of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, from 1993 (joining the squad at the end of 1992) up until 2002, earning 61 caps. She was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

New Zealand Order of Merit

The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...

 the following year for her services to netball. Domestically, she played for the Northern Force

Northern Force

The Northern Force were the northern-most team in Netball New Zealand's former premier competition - the National Bank Cup. For the 2008 ANZ Championship the Force merged with the Auckland Diamonds to create the Northern Mystics....

 in the National Bank Cup

National Bank Cup

The National Bank Cup was the pre-eminent national netball competition in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship.-Format:...

 from 1998–2005.

Vagana currently coaches the Samoa national netball team

Samoa national netball team

The Samoa national netball team represent Samoa in international netball tests and competitions. The team are coached by former Samoa and New Zealand representative player Linda Vagana. As of 26 July 2011, Samoa are 13th in the IFNA World Rankings...

, and is the General Manager of Duffy Books in Homes

Duffy Books in Homes

Duffy Books in Homes is the trading name of The Alan Duff Charitable Foundation. It is a New Zealand registered, literacy-focused charitable organization which has links to similar organisations in the USA and Australia.-History:...

. She is the cousin of rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 players Nigel Vagana

Nigel Vagana

Nigel Vagana is a retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand and Samoa international representative centre, he retired as the Kiwis' all-time top try-scorer with 19...

 and Joe Vagana

Joe Vagana

Joe Vagana is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. During his career Vagana played for the Auckland Warriors and the Bradford Bulls and also represented both Samoa and New Zealand in international competition...

.