Gail Parata resigns as Silver Ferns selector, questions process around Noeline Taurua stand-down
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
The drama keeps rolling on in New Zealand netball with Gail Parata resigning as selector amid the Dame Noeline Taurua coaching saga.
In a lengthy post on Facebook, Parata, a one-test Silver Fern and former top-level coach, said she had made the decision to step down as selector in support of Taurua and how she had been treated by Netball New Zealand (NNZ).
Parata said NNZ’s decision to stand down Taurua had left many across the coaching community stunned and questioning how it had come to this.
She pondered if it could happen to Taurua, any coach in New Zealand could also be affected.
Parata and Taurua were previously four of the Silver Ferns selectors along with former Silver Ferns coach and captain Leigh Gibbs, and Adrianne Hayes, leaving them in a precarious situation.
Two players, acting on behalf of a larger group of players, went to the New Zealand Netball Players’ Association, expressing serious concerns about Taurua’s leadership and communication style after a nine-day training camp in Sydney in January.
It eventually led to NNZ taking the drastic step of standing Taurua down on the eve of the South Africa series, after an independent review into her coaching methods.
“Dame Noeline isn’t just a coach — she’s a master of her craft. Her approach is built on relationships, excellence and foresight. She’s lifted countless players and staff while representing Aotearoa with mana and grace. And yet even she wasn’t protected,’’ Parata wrote.
“If someone like Dame Noeline can be stood down like this, what message does that send to every coach in our system?”
Parata criticised the way the the National Selection Panel (NSP) had operated after Taurua was stood down.
Parata was the only one on the ground in New Zealand with Gibbs and Hayes overseas when the Taurua coaching bombshell was announced by NNZ in September.
“Instead, with my resignation and the stand-down of Dame Noeline, the policy was quickly changed to suit the current situation – reducing the panel from four to three selectors, with the board and Players’ Association sign-off sought afterwards, more or less a rubber stamp after the fact.”
Parata said selection was one of the most critical processes in any high performance environment and the process had been undermined. She believed it had set a dangerous precedent.
“It undermines integrity because over the past few years as a national selector we’ve had many robust conversations about athletes — ensuring each decision was backed by evidence, consistency and fairness.
“This year alone, we watched matches week in and week out, writing feedback for each athlete. That process ensured that even those not selected for the Taini Jamison series and/or Constellation Cup received timely, constructive feedback and clarity around their non-selection and next steps.”
NNZ acknowledged Parata’s resignation on September 17 and thanked her for her contribution as a Silver Ferns selector.
With regard to comments made about the Silver Ferns selection process, NNZ wished to clarify that at all times the process adhered to the agreed selection policy and governance standards, they said in a statement.
“While adjustments were made to enable selections to proceed in a timely and practical manner, these were fully endorsed through the appropriate channels, prior to the selections in accordance with the policy. Netball NZ remains confident that the selection process was fair, transparent, and conducted with integrity.”