Sir Gordon Tietjens: Former All Blacks Sevens coach on Grace Nweke calling for Dame Noeline Taurua’s return to the Ferns

The Dame Noeline Taurua coaching saga could be near an end after the Silver Ferns wrapped up their series against South Africa 3-nil.

Game-day captain Grace Nweke took the microphone in the post-match ceremony and called for Taurua to return from her stand down period while under internal review.

She said the coach is missed and they want her back in charge.

Former All Blacks Sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens has voiced his support for Grace Nweke's speech.

"I thought it was well-said and I certainly support everything she said in last night's speech."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
The surprise of the Silver Ferns match last night was
Grace's post match shout out to Dame Nolen Todoer to
return as the coach of the team Noles.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
If you're listening, we love you and we miss you
and we want you back here. You've done so much
of this through and the work you've done this whole year,
but you deserve to be here and we want you
back Nols. So thank you. Thank you to everyone for
supporting us regardless. Thank you so.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Gordon Titchen's former All Black sevens coaches with us.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Titch Hello, Yeah, hi Heather, how are you going well?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Thank you? Were you surprised by that?

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Mayor? I thought it was a great speech, to be fair.
I thought for her that she's the best goal shore
in the world and Netble at the moment, and for
someone so young, and it was quite an emotional speech
and I thought it was well said and I certainly
support everything she said last night's speech.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
What do you think is going on here? Is there
a division between players or is there a division between
players and Netble New Zealand?

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah? I think now the coaches of the boss now,
it's unfortunate. I've got answer to the players Association and
CEOs and high performance managers. Heather. It's a real battle.
And I mean Nolan's the best netball coach in the world,
without doubt, and you know she's got she's she's really
has an approach and she's very very professional, very innovative,

(01:22):
looks for new ways, new systems. But you know, she
she's hot and she's she's a hard task for us.
So it's no different to when I was coaching, and
you have to be the boss. And I think it's
sad how with these Illa netball particularly I think if
I look into a little bit further, how can your
CEO be away that's running New Zella netball the overseas

(01:42):
and not come back to address the issues that we had.
I thought that was just unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
To the affair I think we all did. Can Dame
Nole's come back though, as much as the players might
want her to, just this feels so septic towards her.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, I sat there last night and I thought of
I was in the same situation and obviously coaching some
DJ Forbes in the Europe Russias and they were on
TV and I've been stood down in the same sort
of position as Noline, you know, and I had a
you know, someone like Grace come across and mentioned watching
years last night. I think I'd really think about coming back.

(02:16):
I mean it'd be tough, but I from what I believe,
she's got support of many, many players and they want
her back and we need her and we're coming up
to her, not only a Constellation series, coming up against
Australia and they'll be tough and because you ain't got
to come with games, so we do need her. She's
the best nipple coach in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Do you think she should come back and say, okay,
I'll come back with Jenny Wiley's got to go, man.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
I honestly, for someone that runs New Zealand netball and
not to come back in a crisis, and it was
a crisis quite honestly, on the eve of paying South
Africa not to come back, it says it all for me.
I mean, honestly, in my view, yeah, they look for
a new CEO. And I'm being straight up here. I

(03:02):
just think it's quite quite unbelievable that she didn't return
to you know, she left it with I think it
was mister winnery to control the situation, obviously conveying back
here and that's who she answers to. But quite quite crazy.
He's on holiday now, so let's go out in the
merry around. Doesn't it really feels a bit like that?

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Hey, thank you very much, touch appreciate it. Sir Gordon
Titchen's former All Black Sevens coach is still straight shooting.
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