An obituary from Trevor Rowse.
21 November 2005

Everyone who saw Rose Fletcher pitch was impressed by the slim young girl who had started in the outfield and moved to the pitching mat after she watched Brian Wareham’s pitching style.

There was no coaching for pitchers when she started in the late 1940s so they all did in their own ways with the women using slingshot or figure eight pitching styles. But there was Rose, hurling the ball in windmill fashion and scything her way through the batters.

Her pitching, so different from the more genteel routines of the others, always stood out and opened the door to many who followed, such as Hall of Famers Cheryl Kemp and Debbie Mygind, who went on to win the 1984 world title.

When Rose toured Australia in 1948 with the first New Zealand team to travel overseas, she was a sensation with her windmill pitching style.

In Australia the girls were given a great welcome and softball boomed.

That speedy delivery had already attracted attention at home where she was starting up a twenty year career at the top, notably with the Richmond club and the Auckland team.

Five years of cancelled national women’s series cost her chances to take more than the one national club title, but Richmond totally dominated the Auckland competition from 1946 to 1951.

Rose was always open and friendly, and one of the champions in a time when Auckland softball led the country in standards and spectator interest. Her Richmond team, in their distinctive uniform, became the most known women’s team in the land as photographers flocked to show off the “sweater girls” in their distinctive maroon tops with hooped sleeves.

Rose started with the Auckland team in 1946 and, with two seasons out playing in Australia, played through to 1966, with many years as captain, North Island rep and NZ rep, in the days when international games were counted on one hand. Auckland won eight national titles in her time.

The highlight of her career was the return to Melbourne for the 1965 women’s world series, eventually won by Australia from the United States. New Zealand finished fourth.

There was a playing spell in Melbourne with the Posties club and Rose returned to coach the Auckland side plus the Glenfield women and was a selector for both North Shore and Auckland women’s teams as well as playing for the Auckland Evergreens. She also guided the Evergreens for a time

She was the first woman named in the NZ Hall of Fame and ended her softball career as manager of the winning Auckland team in 1970.

Rose’s sister Therese, now Hansell, a teacher at Richmond Road School for many years, was also a member of those sides.

Rose had been living in Australia for a number of years and will be remembered for taking the women’s game to a new level as well as her friendly manner with everyone.