Why Commonwealth Games gold would be a telling statement for reinstated Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua

Wednesday, 5 November 2025

Noeline Taurua is back as Silver Ferns coach, but has a difficult task ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

ANALYSIS: Dame Noeline Taurua worked miracles when she guided the Silver Ferns to the 2019 Netball World Cup title.

The decorated coach is going to have to do something similar to lead New Zealand to Commonwealth Games netball gold in Glasgow next year.

Finally reinstated to her role after a ugly 45-day stand-off with Netball New Zealand (NNZ), Taurua did the media rounds on Monday, speaking for the first time since she was sensationally stood down on September 10.

Taurua was her typically honest self, speaking from the heart in the various interviews, but remained careful with her words.

She refused to explicitly criticise any individual and kept it diplomatic when speaking about underfire NNZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie, board chair Matt Whineray, and NNZ’s board.

Dame Noeline Taurua could face a 634-day break between games as Silver Ferns coach when she returns for the Commonwealth Games next year.

When it came to the players, Taurua was unwilling to be drawn into names when speaking about the alleged player complaints made about her and issues in the Ferns’ high performance environment.

Taurua could have easily sounded off, especially when quizzed on her treatment from NNZ, but spoke more about the pain caused, rather than zeroing in on individuals.

Chances are we will never truly know what exactly went down between Taurua, NNZ, and the ill-fated January training camp in Sydney. Taurua even denied any perceived problems came at that camp, further muddying the waters.

She did acknowledge her reputation had been tarnished, telling The Post: “When words like psychological harm and fear are put out there, and you’re not able to talk against that, there is reputational damage; not only for myself but the people that I work with who are amazing, our Silver Fern brand, and netball.”

The Silver Ferns stand for the national anthem in the third Constellation Cup test in Hamilton.

Interestingly, Taurua is still none the wiser about the specific concerns raised about her at the Sydney camp. Some players felt the environment was “psychologically unsafe” and it was escalated to the NZ Netball Players’ Association.

The mighty challenge now facing Taurua is how she pushes aside the drama-filled past eight weeks and gets back to her job of trying to help the Silver Ferns win netball games and major tournaments.

Moving on from the harrowing ordeal will naturally take time, something Taurua does not have.

Complicating the matter is the fact Taurua was not on board the Silver Ferns’ plane to the United Kingdom on Tuesday for their series against Scotland and England.

Dame Noeline Taurua speaks to players during a Silver Ferns netball trial in Auckland in December 2023.

Despite having been restored to the job, Taurua will remain home at Pukehina Beach in Bay of Plenty, rather than deal with the cooler UK autumn.

Interim coach Yvette McCausland-Durie will guide the side on the tour with NNZ stating they wanted to avoid disruption for the playing group. NNZ appears to have missed a trick not sending Taurua away given the minimal opportunities she will have with players before the Commonwealth Games.

Her next time on the sideline for a Silver Ferns’ test is likely to be New Zealand’s opening game of the Commonwealth Games on July 25 next year, which would be 634 days since she hoisted aloft the Constellation Cup in Melbourne in October last year, her last time involved.

There is a chance the Ferns fit in a small build-up series prior to the Commonwealth Games, but it is no guarantee. With a tight time-frame from the end of New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership and Australia’s Super Netball (where several Silver Ferns stars are playing) to the start of the Commonwealth Games, it could be too tricky.

It is unclear whether Taurua will be able to fit in any training camps with the Silver Ferns national squad either before or after their domestic competitions, creating another headache. The Silver Ferns squad are on leave after the UK tour.

When Taurua guided the Ferns’ to a remarkable Netball World Cup title win in 2019, 11 months after replacing Janine Southby as coach, few saw it coming. Not after the side flopped to a fourth place finish at the 2018 Commonwealth Games under Southby, albeit without returning ‘fossils’, Laura Langman and Casey Kopua. They both later returned to play under their long-time mentor Taurua, who first coached them as schoolgirls at the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic.

If Taurua could pull off similar heroics in Glasgow after the coaching furore and minuscule lead-up time with the playing group, it would not be far off the 2019 achievement.