New Zealander · Te Kūiti, New Zealand · Born 9 April 1974New Zealand midcourter who represented the Silver Ferns and later became a television presenter and sports broadcaster.
Jenny-May Clarkson (née Coffin) was born on 9 April 1974 in Te Kūiti and grew up in the small King Country town of Piopio, the youngest of six children. While working as a police officer in Hamilton, she earned selection for the Silver Ferns in 1997, going on to play 26 Tests for New Zealand and serving as vice-captain in 2001. A versatile, zippy midcourter, Clarkson represented the Silver Ferns at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, winning silver, before retiring from international netball at the end of that year to focus on a career in broadcasting that began in local radio in Hamilton. She went on to become one of New Zealand's most recognisable sports broadcasters, working for TVNZ and Māori Television across roles as a reporter, netball commentator and newsreader, and co-hosted TVNZ's Breakfast programme from 2020 to 2025. She has also represented New Zealand at national level in touch rugby, worked as an assistant coach for the Northern Mystics, and published a memoir, Full Circle, reflecting on both her sporting career and personal life.
Silver Fern midcourter who later became a prominent broadcaster
Career Honours
- Silver Ferns international
- Commonwealth Games silver 2002
- broadcaster after retirement
New Zealander Athletes