Arguably the greatest midcourter to play for the Silver Ferns, Edge recalls squeezing in to her father’s office at the Four Square in Tokomaru Bay, glued to the television, watching Margharet Matenga shine for the Silver Ferns on the big stage.
Getting to play alongside her "idols" in Matenga and Leigh Gibbs was a dream come true — and winning the 1987 Netball World Cup with them was even better.
In those days, Edge was a "junior" in the Silver Ferns alongside Annette Heffernan — mother of Southern Steel sisters Kate and Georgia Heffernan — and got caught up in the team’s desire to win, having fallen short at the 1983 World Cup.
"There was a real determination to put the record straight for that tournament," Edge said.
"I was just thinking ‘I’ve got to do my job — these guys are the pros’."
The Silver Ferns went through the tournament unbeaten, winning against Australia, England and Trinidad and Tobago in the final round — there were no semifinals or finals back then — to claim the title in Glasgow.
She will reminisce about the good old days tomorrow, when almost the entire 1987 team, including Matenga, who is travelling from the Cook Islands, will gather for a reunion in Dunedin.
They will be without the late Margaret Forsyth, their silky-smooth goal attack, and the late Monica Leggat, their team manager — "that pulls a bit on the heart" — who died in 2021 and 2019 respectively.
The team are hosting a morning tea with Dunedin Netball to share stories about their era and will visit the Sports Hall of Fame, while also catching up with each other.
"They were great days. They really were.
"That was a big part of our lives and we did work really hard, so to meet up with everybody after something really great that we’d achieved is just an honour, really."
Then there was spending time with "super coach" Lois Muir.
"She had a profound effect on a number of us and I think she’s one of the key reasons that we are still all in the game.
"For those of us coaching still, we still use, or reflect back, to what she did for us and the skill work."
Edge, who played 94 tests and captained the Silver Ferns 21 times, is still very involved in the sport since retiring in 1995.
She coached secondary school netball in Auckland, before moving home to Gisborne where she coached both intermediate and secondary school and club teams, while completing a teaching degree.
In 2010, she moved to Wellington, working in coach development, and she is now Netball Wellington’s community performance manager, helping with player and coach development.
She also served as the Central Pulse assistant coach for three years and coached several representative teams.
Helping players, and coaches, excel in the sport was rewarding and inspiring, she said.
"I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t value the organisation that I work for, so we have had great leaders around in Wellington.
"When you’ve got that, and you value that, and they value you — I think that’s the key thing.
"You get enough enjoyment and satisfaction from the people that you work with."
Giving back to the sport that gave her so much was important — and had been instilled in her through her parents from a young age.
"We’re just community people, really.
"It’s just what you do. It’s in the blood I guess."
