Laura Langman: former Silver Fern expresses disappointment over Dame Noeline Taurua removal

Former Silver Fern Laura Langman has expressed shock and disappointment over the shock decision to stand down coach Dame Noeline Taurua.

Netball New Zealand yesterday announced that Taurua was being stood down for the series against South Africa, starting in 10 days.

Langman doesn't approve of this move - and says this isn't a direction we should want sport to be going.

"Netball used to be a household-celebrated sport - and at the moment, we're just not doing ourselves any favours at all."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Netball New Zealand's decision to stand down Dame Noline Toto
has sent shockwaves through netball. Silverfern centurion Laura Langman has
posted on Facebook that it's gutless and selfish for complaining
players not to be upfront with what the issues are.
Let's talk to her.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hi, Laura, Hi, how are you going?

Speaker 1 (00:16):
I'm very well, thank you. Do you have any idea
what's going on here?

Speaker 3 (00:20):
No?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I don't have any facts.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
I have just had the information that everyone else has.
But it doesn't dull down the shock and disappointment.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I think that's been felt worldwide, worldwide. Do you think Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:38):
I saw tans and Greenway has commented on it.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I just think there's just so many levels to this.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
For me, besides having been a player under Knowles's leadership
for many campaigns, it's just not the way we do things.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Kiwis first and foremost.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Secondly, I don't think this is a direction where we
want sport to be going.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
You know, Nipple used to be a household.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Celebrated sport and at the moment we're just not doing
ourselves any favors at all.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
So apparently this has come down to Dame Nolean's communications style.
Any idea what that means?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:24):
I found that interesting, to be honest, and it's really
interesting the perception of people. I can only comment on
what I know, and I know that people VK Noles
and I like besties and are each other every week
like that is not the case. I have a huge
amount of respect for Noles for what she's done for
me as a personal or player. Her communication style I

(01:48):
think is appropriate for the level that she is coaching.
When you make the elite side, a coach's role is
a facilitata. You've been in the sport long enough, you
know what you're looking for, you know the feel the
need to seek feedback, and I think in an environment

(02:10):
where you can get it yourself from video through like
support staff, you don't need to have the coach petting
in you on the back twenty four seven?

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Did you reckon?

Speaker 1 (02:23):
That's what it is?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Do you reckon?

Speaker 1 (02:24):
That's There may be a generation of young players here
who don't want to have to be told where they
need to brush up and be told that harshly.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Well, look, yeah, no one goes into a one on
one and the expecting to be patted on the back
that's for sure. So I don't know if it's around
those communications. I have heard whispers that the environment was
one people were scared to speak.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Up or do anything wrong.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
And if I'm really being really blunt, I think that's
a cop out. Elite sport level you need to be
able to have those hard conversations. And under every environment
I've been under, Knowles she is one that empowers her
athletes to have those conversations.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
She just like facilitates.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
She wants it to be driven by the player group
because we're the ones that are making the decisions out
on court. We can't wait for court a time, halftime
to come and get a pat on the back or
this needs to be changed. Our game's dynamic, like we
as players need to make decisions. So I think for
players to be like we didn't have a voice, I
think it's a cop out because I blatantly.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Know you would of Yeah, Laura, listen, thanks very much
for talking us through at Laura Langman silver Fern Legend.
I just want to say the support for Dame Knowles,
I think is unreal. We even had Gordon Titchens, the
legendary Sevens coach, get in touch with us We didn't
call him. He called us to tell us he wanted
to support Dame Knowles in this. He reckons the players
have got too much say. He reckons she isn't old

(03:53):
school at all like she's been accused of. In fact,
she's elevated and changes with the times and accepts that
probably his own style would not be acceptable to these
younger players nowadays.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
So there you go.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
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