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April 24, 2026 15 mins

Dame Noeline Taurua is back at the helm of the Silver Ferns. 

After months of turmoil at Netball NZ, the national side is beginning their preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. 

Taurua joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to reflect on the past few months. 

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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed Be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
We're talking now a bit of Netble. We've done plenty
of talking about Nepple over the last six months. He's
been a little crazy is and after months and months,
we're going to be joined by Silver Fern's coach Stein
and Nolin Tode and no secret around the tumult been
happening within Netbule, New Zealand over the last six months.
He joins us now to chat about how he's been
basically getting through it all. Good evening, knowles, how are you?

Speaker 3 (00:36):
I am good, Good to talk to you.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, finally, it's been quite some time. It's been a
tumultuous few months and that's probably an understatement. Hey, before
we look forward and look back, before we look forward,
let's look at the present. You've got a new assistant coach,
Brianie Aikle has been named, of course, straight out of Australia,
straight out of the Swifts, but she spent some time
with New Zealand Nepple, so not exactly a stranger. How

(01:02):
stoked are you with that appointment? Noles?

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Oh, look, fantastic to have Briany on board. As you mentioned,
she has got the connection with the silver Fern. She
was our specialist coach over the last two years. She's
with New South Wales Swifts in the SECN competition, which
is the Australian competition. Got a vast amount of experience

(01:27):
and one of those coaches who have learned her craft
from grassroots right through to the elite and I'm staked
to have her on board actually and to be able
to work with her again.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Ossie Ip super Nepple and of course he's also coaching
a couple of pre key Ferns as well, isn't she.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Well, that's you know that Ip is really important. We
don't have much time when we're actually together, you know,
before we hit the first Test in Glasgow, so you
know that's her day to day grind, so to speak.
In regards to opposition analysis, and some of the players
that are in SECN are in Jamaica, England, you know, Uganda,

(02:11):
all those teams that were going to come up against
in Commonwealth Games.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Right move forward, you have to look at the past.
You can't not recognize what went on. It's been quite
the five months. I think it's about five four and
a half five months with New Zealand Netball. It has
been quite the tumult. I think I could say a
lot of information being exchanged, a lot of talking, a
lot of non talking as well. My first question to

(02:35):
you after all of this, Noline, are you okay? How
are you mentally? Because that would have been a hell
of a toll on you, a strain over you over
that time since you got stood down.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Oh look, that's very lovely of you to ask me
that question actually about myself as a person, and definitely
look at what was challenging. That's probably you know, another
word that may be a bit more than that. But
it's always like in times like this, it's always quite
an interesting thing. Once again, your family always behind you,

(03:07):
so you'll have the support. They tell you what you
want to know and what you don't want to know,
but they're always there, thick and thin.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
You know.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
My friends popped up. I've got great support by even
my workmates and the general public in the network community.
So you know, so that that all happened and it
still is now in regards to that support, I'm quite
proud of myself to be honest, you know, to be
able to come through something like that, And as you said, mentally,

(03:37):
you know, your own health and wellbeing takes a toll,
but you do a lot of work on yourself, you know,
and and look within and answer those questions whether you
know you want to keep going or not. And I'm
really proud that I'm still here one hundred percent behind
the silver ferns and definitely about leaving the legacy and

(04:01):
the black dress and a better place. So you know,
for me, what more than coming into a pinnacle event
such as the Commonwealth Games. And you know, I'm so
honored once again to be in my position.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
It's been along, as I said, tumultuous process. What did
that reveal to you about you said you looked introspective
about yourself and about the way netballnew zeand operates because
everybody has to take a deep look at themselves, the systems,
the processes.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Is there a.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Big revelation What did you actually pick up out of
that period that you can really run forward with.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah. Look, I've been spending the morning with Jane Patterson,
who is our interim CE and one of the things
that we wanted to do was a combined media engagement
with the media, and it's been really interesting to listen
to her and what they've been doing, what she's been doing.

(05:01):
And I think we align a lot of times in
our values one about people and about communication and about
alignment and getting on with the job of what's best
for netball. And it feels like over the year, and
especially for me over the six months, those have been
the key themes that have underpinned the discussions that have

(05:25):
happened behind the scenes. But you know, like we're really
forward facing it the moment and you know, our sport
has taken a battery. But I mean, I wasn't in
the cargo last week, got such love and sawce Steel
you know, play amazing game against stars, and I think, man,
that's what it's all about, you know, you know, the

(05:47):
honest communication and as I say, the relationships. And you know,
we've we all look at ourselves and what you can
do better, but also how we can strengthen what we
do well. And that's been a great revelation that I've
been listening to Jane Patterson this morning, so I'm along
the home lines is who you know, we learn, we

(06:09):
do things better, We look at the things that we
do well and then what else, what's what's ahead of us,
and you know, everybody knows that there is a lot
especially with us in regards to the Commonwealth Games.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
So it's initiated positive change because that's all you can
get out of this. If nothing's gone forward and it's
the well done, even though it's taken a long time,
there's no point engaging. So out of the records of this,
you think there's a bright future for Netborn News ELM
because as you said, they took a hell of it
during that time. Nols.

Speaker 3 (06:41):
Yeah, I'd love to say so. You know, like one
of the things that we actually talked about, I had
a little bit of a laugh, you know, like it
come from the ashes, you know, like you know, like
a lot of a lot of sports, you see when
things when when things don't go well, then you break
that relationship or people go, and certainly people have gone,
but there's still there's still so much strength in our sport,

(07:05):
whether that's from the community or at the elite level
any so many people who want to help and support
the sport to be better but also to remain in
front of the public eye. So we all, we all
have a role in that and there's always learnings that
needs to happen from the organization, from the Silver Friends,

(07:28):
from everybody. But if we have the intent to ensure
that our sport is positive seen in the light as positive,
I think we're in a good stage at the moment
where we can move forward. And I feel this morning
with our combined media engagement that actually is a good
start for us.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Name Nolane Todou are joining us on the show. And
you know, there's love and passion out there. I've never
taken so much talk back around netball before in my life.
That's twenty five years. People are very passionate about sport
at it that is a huge possible and keep looking forward.
As far as the players coming up with the Calm Games,
a lot of these players have that they've gone off.

(08:11):
They've been given leave to disappear over to Australia, which
is great for their game and I suppose their wallets
as well. You've been over there connecting with the team
and the players. I'd expect to be some quite tense
or or delicate conversations with some of the players after
what's happened. How did that unfold with these players.

Speaker 1 (08:32):
That have left?

Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, look, you know players, you know either shift or
they go from one competition to another, which you know,
some have for either for a meriody of reasons, whether
it's performance, whether it's another opportunity to bet in themselves,
you know, whether it's a new lifestyle you know. So

(08:54):
it's usually my hand on my heart has been really positive,
you know. So I have spent a bit of time
in Australia. We're lucky that Australia organize that all the
teams that had New Zealand players will be playing in
the one space. So we went off to Queens Queensland

(09:16):
and once again had the opportunity to talk with the clubs.
The coaches with the S and C staff work with
the players on their one plan. So there's an alignment
between the priorities of what the athlete wants to work
on and then and also an understanding from Netball New

(09:38):
Zealand as to how we can support either the club
and the athlete. So have really open discussions, a lot
of hugs, and I feel that the motivation and the
energy is really high. We've also done that in New
Zealand as well with all our Silverfun Squad members and
over the upcoming few weeks will be out and about

(10:01):
on the ground, which gives me an opportunity hopefully to
get on court as well with so of the club.
So a lot of love happening at the moment and
just the pure commitments to ensure that our legacy of
our sport and there's sewer Ferns can be as better
as it can be than it was last year.

Speaker 2 (10:20):
A lot of love, you said, deep conversations because some
of these players that go one that we don't know
one hundred percent were maybe in the camp that said
we can't quite deal with Dame nol Lean. Did you
guys address that as far as the differences between yourself
and some of the players, was that opened up and
discussed or that I'd say, was that pimple popped nols?

Speaker 3 (10:40):
Oh, look, you know I've been really this is from me. Actually,
I've been really respectful and I'm very clear about what
my job is in regards to heir coach, what needs
to happen in regards to Commonwealth Games and the pathway
or the planning that goes underneath that. I've been really
respectful in regards to ensuring that I don't push myself

(11:03):
on a person. And I've always got the saying, you know,
if that was my kid or my child, what would
I want somebody? How would you want them to be treated?
You know, so you know if somebody is for some reason,
if they have if I've got a pimple on my
face that they want to pop when they're ready and
they want to pop it, or they want to have
a chat about how we're going to get the medication,

(11:26):
or I'm popping their pimple one or the other. I
think time will come, you know, for that to happen.
But you know, we've got to start from somewhere. And
from my perspective, it's been really positive and as I say,
it's been quite cool just to see everybody again. But
I'm always very open to have those discussions.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
And do you feel like it's very much of a
change of environment. It has to be you initiate change,
you work with it. And I'm not quite sure whether
you are collaborating with the players or the people running
net on his own or you're being dictated do I
don't know if it matters, but there is a change
of environment. Are you feeling that you have the trust

(12:08):
and the confidence of the players. That's the key thing.
Been a coach and a players is that open at communication?
Are you trusted? Are you confident you're going to get
the best out of these players?

Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, I am confident if I if I'm going to
be honest, I'm confident at myself without talking talking it up.
But I'm also confident in the planning the supports that
have been put around not only the athletes but also
the staff as well, and ensuring that we do watch

(12:41):
right all in all in the aim or performing so
over the I think since January, Netborn New Zealand employed
Chelsea Lane to come in as a consultant to help
support me in the lead up for the Commonwealth Games,
and people who sort of maybe maybe not no Chelsea,

(13:01):
but she's got a wealth of experience at the high
performance level in national New Zealand and international as well.
You know. So we've been able to work through a myriad,
myriad of factors making sure that we tick all the boxes,
that that also includes the Players Association Netball New Zealand
and that we cover everybody, you know, the athlete, the staff,

(13:26):
and that everybody has a voice. And so far, I
think we're heading in the right direction. And you know,
we don't have long until we come together, so we
want to make sure that we all tick off those
boxes and everybody's happy.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
Well that was the next question. When do you actually
get access to all of these athletes from all over Australasia.
When do you actually start working towards Calm Games.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
Yeah, look that's the juicy bit because so we select
the Commonwealth Games team on the first of June and
then from the sort of belongs or the team sort
of comes under New Zealand Olympic Committee, so they will
announce the team. So it's not actually that long. The

(14:11):
Grand finals for A and Z. We go away two
weeks after the Grand finals and the Grand finals at
e SECN like they finish it on Saturday or so,
and then we're in camp on Monday for three days.
So time is an essence. We have twelve ols on court,
you know, so we're going to be running hot and

(14:35):
once again at that point where we're out there to
perform and hopefully enjoy ourselves while we're doing it.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
It's all about joy, Dame Knowles, and one last thing,
a bit of a bit of knitting to look after.
Who do you actually report to? Now? What's the structure
looking like? Because there's not a there's an acting CEO
in Onli Fournia that the chairs gone, the boards turned
to pieces. Who's your direct boss? Who do you report to?

Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, so I've probably got two avenues that I can
One is Chelsea Lay who is that direct connection piece
to either the CEO or the board. But also, you know,
just recently or actually over a few months now of
actually developed a lovely connection with the interim CEO Jane Patterson.

(15:22):
So the good thing about the organization you can pretty
much go anywhere. So have those two direct links. Yeah,
nice and simple.

Speaker 2 (15:31):
Well, we're looking forward to seeing you where you're happiest
to back on court again, backing instructions, getting the most
out of your players, and looking forward to gold medal
success at the Calm Games. You hope, real pleasure, Dame Nolin.
It's been so long since I've chatted. I've missed you.

Speaker 3 (15:49):
I've missed you too, and thank you so much for
the core. Thanks guys.

Speaker 1 (15:54):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news Talks
they'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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