Clare McMeniman (born 11 July 1985), also known as Clare Ferguson, is a former Australia netball international player. She captained Australia when they won the 2016 Netball Quad Series and the 2016 Constellation Cup. McMeniman was also a member of the

Queensland Firebirds Queensland Firebirds are an Australian professional netball team based in Brisbane, Queensland. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they pl ...

team that won the

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

and 2016 ANZ Championships.

Early life, family and education

McMeniman was raised in

Warwick, Queensland Warwick ( ) is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in southeast Queensland, Australia, lying south-west of Brisbane. It is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs Region Local government in Australia, local go ...

. She is the daughter of Geoff and Anne-Maree McMeniman. Her father, a solicitor, died in 2009 and her mother died in 2012. Her older brother, Hugh McMeniman, is a former Australian rugby union international player. She was educated at Warwick West State School and John Paul College, Brisbane. She also attended the

University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...

where she gained a Bachelor of Science degree in 2007 and a Masters of Speech Pathology degree in 2010. During her playing career, she also worked full-time as a speech pathologist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane.

Playing career

AIS Canberra Darters

Between 2004 and 2006, McMeniman played for AIS Canberra Darters in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Her Darters team mates included Laura Geitz. In 2005 she received the league's Best New Talent award.

Queensland Firebirds

Between 2007 and 2016, McMeniman played for

, originally in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league and subsequently 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 ...

. After helping Firebirds win the 2011 ANZ Championship, she initially announced her retirement. However, after missing the

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

and

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

seasons, she returned to play for Firebirds in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

. She subsequently helped Firebirds win two further ANZ Championships in

and

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

. Together with Romelda Aiken and Laura Geitz, McMeniman was one of only three players who featured in all three Championship winning squads.

Australia

McMeniman was a member of the Australia U21 that won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Youth Netball Championships On 22 October 2014, McMeniman made her senior Australia debut during a Test series against

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Together with

Erin Bell Erin Bell (born 30 April 1987) is a former Australian netball player. Bell's career started in 2005 with the Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. She was the first player in the history of the ANZ Championship to win three premiersh ...

, she subsequently co-captained Australia at the

2014 Fast5 Netball World Series The 2014 Fast5 Netball World Series was the 6th Fast5 Netball World Series. New Zealand hosted Australia, England, Jamaica, Malawi and South Africa in a series, played in November 2014, at Auckland's Vector Arena. With a team coached by Janine S ...

. McMeniman was included in an 18-player squad for the 2015 Netball World Cup but missed out on selection when the squad was reduced to 12. In January 2016 McMeniman captained Australia when they won an away Test series against England. She subsequently captained Australia as they won the 2016 Netball Quad Series. She retired as a netball player after leading Australia to victory in the 2016 Constellation Cup.

Coaching career

In 2014 McMeniman and Laura Geitz established Fuel2Fly, a company organizing netball training sessions and clinics. In 2018 and 2019 McMeniman, now Ferguson, was a member of Lisa Alexander's coaching staff with

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. In 2020 Ferguson joined Roselee Jencke's coaching staff at

Honours

;

Netball Quad Series The Netball Quad Series, also referred to as the SANZEA Netball Quad Series, is an international netball series. The series traditionally features Australia national netball team, Australia, England national netball team, England, New Zealand nati ...

**''Winners'':

Fast5 Netball World Series The Fast5 Netball World Series is an annual international Fast5 netball competition. The competition, which began in October 2009, features modified Fast5 rules, and has been likened to Twenty20 cricket and rugby sevens. The competition is co ...

**''Runners Up'':

;

**''Winners'':

;Individual * Best New Talent ** 2005

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McMeniman, Clare 1985 births Living people Australian netball players 21st-century Australian sportswomen Australia international netball players Australia international Fast5 players Netball players from Queensland AIS Canberra Darters players Queensland Firebirds players ANZ Championship players Australian netball coaches University of Queensland alumni People educated at John Paul College (Brisbane) Sportspeople from Warwick, Queensland Australian netball commentators