Former New Zealand Silver Fern Casey Kopua has revealed she was 14 weeks' pregnant with her second child during her triumphant gold medal win at the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup in July.

The star-defender, 34, was named player of the match in the Ferns' historic 52-51 win over Australia in Liverpool after some game-changing moments of brilliance from the 6ft 1in Kiwi.

Kopua made her debut in 2005 but despite 111 test match appearances and two Commonwealth gold medals, a World Cup title had eluded her when she first retired to have her first daughter Maia, who is now three.

It was the World Cup dream that tempted her back onto the court and with the medal firmly in her trophy cabinet she has now retired for good to focus on her family life.

"It's totally all worth it," said Kopua, of her return to the game.

"When you've got the belief like that, there's nothing that can stop you. I love my team and my support so much and I'm so glad that I came back," added the self-proclaimed 'fossil' of the Silver Ferns.

The legendary defender discovered she was pregnant when she returned home to Waikato.

"I took the test because I was feeling unwell," she said, then adding jokingly "when I told my husband Terry he was like 'are you sure?' Because we didn't see each other that much before the World Cup."

In 2012, she married Terry Kopua, who is a Te Matatini National Kapa Haka performer and admits she only managed to catch up with the highlights of the final last week, supported by him saying: "I got hot and flustered and my husband had to remind me that we actually won.

Tennis royalty Serena Williams famously won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant with her first child.