Robyn Broughton, 80, who sparked the Southland netball dynasty, died on Wednesday after a recent illness.
She coached the Southern Sting to seven titles between 1998 and 2007, with an impressive 82% win record, before leading the Southern Steel from 2008 to 2011.
She then spent four seasons coaching the Central Pulse.
Internationally, she served three years as Silver Ferns assistant coach in the early 2000s, lead the FastNet Ferns to a series title in 2010, and coached the World 7 to victory over Australia in 2009.
She was remembered at the national championships in Dunedin yesterday, with players wearing black armbands and Hutt Valley singing a waiata to Invercargill as a mark of respect before their clash.
Former Southern Sting and Steel stalwart Wendy Frew, who was first recognised by Broughton as a year 10 pupil at Verdon College, paid tribute to a mentor who looked after players on and off the court.
"She was just one-of-a-kind with her netball brain and then off the court she really took everyone under [her] wing," Frew said.
"I think the thing with Robbie, she was obviously a fantastic netball coach ... but more importantly she looked after you off the court and made sure everything was ticking along and she grew us all as people off the court.
"She was like a second mum to all of us."
Frew said she learnt many life lessons from Broughton, who was a stickler for the basics of the game.
"She just had a way of getting the best out of people and bringing you that confidence as a player."
Former Silver Fern April Ieremia also paid tribute to Broughton, having played alongside her daughter, Kirsty, in Canterbury.
"She’s a classic example of a giver. Like unconditional love, where they just keep giving, giving, giving for the better of the game and the player," Ieremia said.
Netball South chief executive Sonya Fleming credited Broughton for igniting southern pride, which continued to "burn bright".
Broughton was made a life member of both Netball Southland and Netball New Zealand.
She was appointed an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to netball in 2012.
Two years ago, Netball New Zealand — which is planning a tribute to Broughton at the Silver Ferns v Australia game in Invercargill next month — named a trophy in her honour, the Robyn Broughton Trophy.
The trophy is is awarded to the ANZ Premiership coach of the year.
