Silver Ferns star Kelly Jackson opens up on New Zealand netball’s darkest hour
Friday, 10 October 2025
Senior Silver Fern Kelly Jackson’s voice breaks when she reflects on the ugly situation netball in New Zealand finds itself in.
The sport has experienced its darkest chapter in this country with decorated coach Dame Noeline Taurua stood down for the rest of the year and her future in the job appearing over.
It has been a harrowing time for the game with Silver Ferns players and Netball New Zealand slammed on social media platforms.
The Silver Ferns head into next week’s four-match Constellation Cup against Australia, starting in Melbourne next Friday, as reigning holders. Ordinarily, that would have been a positive storyline, but all anyone is talking about ahead of the series is Taurua and how NNZ reached this messy situation.
Players arrived for a training camp in Auckland on Tuesday with the Taurua coaching saga again looming large over them.
Jackson was named as interim vice-captain for the Constellation Cup and November’s Northern tour on Thursday, while Karin Burger will be captain for those series.
Jackson, the most capped (75 tests) and longest tenured (debut in 2017) player in the Silver Ferns squad, was saddened to see netball in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Taurua was stood down 11 days before the Taini Jamison Trophy series started, stemming back to a training camp in Sydney in January, where a group of players raised concerns about her leadership and communication style.
“You never want that type of stuff being said about your team and a team you put so much love and time and energy into. As players we invest so much into this dress and to see that stuff being said about us really hurts, particularly when they start targeting us players,” Jackson said.
Some Silver Ferns players had been savaged online with unhappy fans even sliding into their direct messages. Experienced shooter Maia Wilson, who made herself unavailable for selection, told the Mandate Podcast she came under attack from anonymous fans, blaming her for the fall-out, despite not knowing anything about the saga herself.
Wilson was among the 15-player group to attend the Silver Ferns’ training camp in January, where issues in the environment surfaced.
Jackson had not been abused online, staying away from social media and netball articles on the internet, which she said was the smart thing to do.
She described the Taurua coaching situation as horrible for the players, who had received well-being support through the ordeal.
“The last few months actually have been hugely challenging both mentally and emotionally. It’s not a situation we want to be in.
“First and foremost I just care about this team and the players within it and the management and all the fans. It’s a pretty heartbreaking situation, but at the moment all we can do as players and a Silver Ferns team is to try and move forward.”
Jackson has spent much of her Silver Ferns career under Taurua, having made her debut under previous coach Janine Southby in 2017.
The Ferns squad is clearly split into those who back Taurua and a minority who do not. Burger and star shooter Grace Nweke have both publicly endorsed the embattled coach.
Asked how she had found Taurua as a coach, Jackson said: “I’ve got a huge respect for Noeline. She’s got an incredible amount of game smarts and she’s done so much for this team and for netball in New Zealand.
“It is heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking for her. It’s heartbreaking for everyone involved in the situation, for Netball New Zealand. The biggest thing we can take away from this is no-one wanted this to happen.”
Jackson was unwilling to go into the specifics of the Sydney camp, but acknowledged Silver Ferns training camps were never easy. There were always tough conversations and moments where players were held to account.
“All camps are pretty tough around here. What’s gone on wasn’t down to that particular camp and I just respect the process and can’t say too much about it personally.”
The Silver Ferns pushed aside the drama of the Taurua coaching situation to sweep South Africa 3-0 in the Taini Jamison Trophy, including a last-gap win in the final test in Invercargill.
World champions, Australia, will be a completely different proposition with the Diamonds desperate to get their hands back on the Constellation Cup after a surprise 3-1 series defeat last year.
Australia thumped South Africa 67-40 in Wednesday’s second test in Wollongong after a tighter match in Saturday’s opener, winning 64-53.
Getting out on court against South Africa had been therapeutic for the players after the highly challenging build-up to the series, Jackson said.
“In the end netball became the easiest part of the job with everything else going on.
“I probably put it down to my experience and maturity in the environment and being able to compartmentalise what’s going off-court to what’s going on-court and just being able to push that to the side and focus on what’s in front of me.”
AT A GLANCE:
Silver Ferns squad to play Australia
Karin Burger (capt), Maddy Gordon, Catherine Hall, Georgia Heffernan, Kate Heffernan, Kelly Jackson, Parris Mason, Grace Nweke, Kimiora Poi, Mila Reulu-Buchanan, Martina Salmon, Carys Stythe, Elisapeta Toeava, Amelia Walmsley.
Constellation Cup schedule
Friday October 17: Game 1 at John Cain Arena, Melbourne, 9.30pm
Wednesday October 22: Game 2 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, 9.30pm
Sunday October 26: Game 3 at Globox Arena, Hamilton, 4.10pm
Wednesday October 29: Game 4 at Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch, 7.40pm