Leah Shoard (born 23 May 1986) is an Australian

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

player in the

ANZ Championship The ANZ Championship, also known as the Trans-Tasman Netball League, is a former netball league featuring teams from both Australia and New Zealand. Between 2008 and 2016, it was the top-level league in both countries. The competition was owned ...

, playing for the

Southern Steel Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball South in the ANZ Premiership. Netball South is the governing body that re ...

in New Zealand. She played for the

New South Wales Swifts New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have represented Netball New South Wales in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team wa ...

in the 2008 season, having previously been signed for the

Sydney Swifts Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team based in Sydney. Between 1997 and 2007, they represented Netball New South Wales in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Together with Sydney Sandpipers and Hunter Jaegers, they were one of three te ...

and

AIS Canberra Darters Canberra Darters are a former Australian netball team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The team was originally formed as a partnership between the Australian Institute of Sport and Netball ACT. Between 2003 and 2007 they played ...

in the

Commonwealth Bank Trophy The Commonwealth Bank Trophy, also referred to as the National Netball League, was the top level national Australian netball league between 1997 and 2007. The league was organized by Netball Australia. Its main sponsor was the Commonwealth Ba ...

. While she was not signed up for the Swifts for the 2009 season, in December 2008, the

and

Netball New Zealand Netball New Zealand is the national body which oversees, promotes and manages netball in New Zealand, including the Silver Ferns. In 2019, 137,713 players were registered with Netball New Zealand, the governing body for organised netball in the co ...

announced that Shoard was allowed to join the New Zealand franchise in 2009, due to star shoot

Donna Wilkins Donna Wilkins ( née Loffhagen) (born 29 April 1978 in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a New Zealand representative in netball and basketball. She married Southland farmer Mike Wilkins on 17 March 2007. Wilkins returned to the Southern Steel for t ...

being unavailable for the first two rounds after the birth of her first child. Despite the eligibility rules for New Zealand franchises, the Steel fought to include Shoard over a New Zealand player, saying they needed a relatively experienced player to take the goal attack positions in the opening games. In 2010, Shoard currently plays for the

West Coast Fever West Coast Fever is an Australian netball team based in Perth, Western Australia. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they competed in the ANZ Championship. Between 1997 and 2007, as Perth Orioles, th ...

in hopes to gain more court time after playing for one quarter for the Swifts in 2008 and two quarters for the Steel in 2009. In 2009, she only had one attempt and missed, giving her the lowest shooting percentage score of 0% (0/1). Should Shoard scored that attempt, she would have been the top of the shooting table at 100% (1/1).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shoard, Leah 1986 births Living people Australian netball players Sydney Swifts players New South Wales Swifts players Southern Steel players West Coast Fever players AIS Canberra Darters players Australian expatriate netball people in New Zealand New South Wales state netball league players Place of birth missing (living people)