New Zealander · Rotorua, New Zealand · Born 23 October 1995New Zealand midcourter who captained Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and represented the Silver Ferns at Commonwealth level.
Samantha Winders (née Sinclair) was born on 5 June 1995 in Rotorua, New Zealand, and grew up dreaming of the Silver Ferns while excelling across multiple sports at John Paul College, where she was deputy head girl. She was selected for the FAST5 Ferns in 2016, helping New Zealand win that year's Fast5 World Series, before making her full Silver Ferns debut in early 2017. A tenacious wing defence and centre known for her calm distribution and defensive work rate, Winders went on to win 47 Test caps for New Zealand, representing the Silver Ferns at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and helping the side win the 2021 Constellation Cup — New Zealand's first series win over Australia since 2012 — for which she was named the Silver Ferns' Player of the Year. She spent nine seasons captaining her hometown franchise, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, before a final domestic stint at Southern Steel and a move to Australia's Suncorp Super Netball competition with Giants Netball in 2024. After retiring, she took on a netball injury-prevention role with ACC's NetballSmart programme in the Bay of Plenty.
Silver Fern midcourter and Magic captain
Career Honours
- Commonwealth Games bronze 2022
- Silver Ferns international
- Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic captain
New Zealander Athletes