Kruze Tangira: Former Men's netball skipper and commentator on the resignation of Jennie Wyllie as Netball NZ CEO

The resignation of Netball New Zealand CEO Jennie Wyllie had to happen. 

That's the view of former New Zealand men's netball skipper and commentator Kruze Tangira.  

Tangira told Heather du Plessis-Allan he believes the drama around the standing down then reinstatement of head coach Dame Noeline Taurua has plagued the year. 

He says it started all the way back in January at the Sydney training camp, and it’s taken until December for there to be a real resolution. 

It was unfortunate that Taurua had to lose her job and have her name tarnished in the process, Tangira told du Plessis-Allan, but change needed to happen in order to rebuild the reputation of netball within New Zealand. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the inevitable has happened at Netball New Zealand following
the Dame Nolene Todo a drama. CEO Jenny Wiley has
resigned from her role, saying she's planning to focus on
family and look ahead to new opportunities. Cruiz tang Eda
is a former New Zealand men's netball captain and he's
close to many of the players and the Silver Ferns
and he's with us morning.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Cruise, good morning. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, thanks for being with us. Listen. It feels to
me like this had to happen.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
What do you think, Yeah, I think I would have
to agree with you, Heather. I think this has kind
of been a long time coming in terms of the
process that this has been through. I mean, it started
all the way back in January at the Sydney training
camp and it's taken until December for there to be
kind of rare resolve. Unfortunately, Nolan had to be kind of,

(00:45):
you know, lose her job and her name kind of
tarnished in that process. But I think changing had to
happen in order to rebuild the reputation of netblew within
New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, how the player is going to feel about this,
because it does feel like one camp has beaten the
other camp, right, the camp being Dame Knowles's camp, has
beaten the players camp, which I would imagine Jenny was
part of.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, yeah, one percent. And it's interesting because you know,
I've spoken to a few of the girls and like,
I'm not trying to set aside the whole incident that happened,
because I do believe there was probably some players that
did feel kind of, you know, not not treated respectfully
for lack of a better word. However, there was a massive,

(01:29):
massive divide between the players and obviously the coaching stuff,
and it's tough when you know those kind of common
aspirations don't aligne And I think with Nolan coming back now,
obviously she should be reinstad in next year. I think
a lot of work has to go into just kind
of rebuilding the trust between the players and Noline and

(01:50):
getting back on board and everyone on the same page,
because of course there's a common Roth games coming middle
of twenty twenty six and they need to be on
board if they want to, you know, do well in
that competition.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
I think Dame Knowles is actually going to end up
coaching the Silver Ferns Again.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
I personally believe she will. I don't believe she would
have put up a mass of fact that she has
if she didn't feel like she would add more value
to this team. Yeah, as I just mentioned, I feel
like there's the trust has been severed between the playing
group and her, just based on everything that happened and
the process that the way that the process has been handled.

(02:25):
But I do believe she will come back. I mean,
I think most of the Nipple public want her to
come back as well, given how much she's achieved and
within the Silver Ferns and just Nipple in general. But
it will take a long time to kind of get
back to that point where everyone is on the same
page and they have that common goal that they want
to striffle.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
How much of the other problems like the decline of
the domestic league and the problems with the broadcast deal
and all that stuff can be laid at the feet
of Jenny as well.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I don't know if I mean it takes a team
to kind of run a institution like Neple New Zealand.
I wouldn't put the entire blame on her because it's
you know, it's not just her kind of managing these deals,
as other people on board as well. I think the
reputation that these kind of mishandles have added to it

(03:17):
has been quite severe. Like I don't think the reputation
of netball within New Zealand has been the best of
the last couple of months, pretty much a whole year
and now that we don't have a broadcast stale for
twenty twenty seven. Yeah, as you mentioned, teams have been dropped. Well,
teams have pulled out, should I say, from the national
netble leg which is a huge pathway for young girls
coming through, particularly down in the Southland region. But I

(03:40):
wouldn't put the entire blame on her. Blame on her,
I think I do think it's like a team that
are kind of making these decisions. But yeah, a lot
of more if it needs to be done in order
to kind of regrow I guess that the growth and
the want of netble and New Zealand. You know, we've
got a lot of young girls turn into the likes
of sevens and rugby because the opportunity is the better,

(04:02):
the pathways are clearer, and we can't lose more more
players to different codes around or sorry across New Zealing.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
Yeah, Cruz, it's good to talk to you. I really
appreciate your time. It's Chrus Tangead, a former New Zealand
men's men's netball captain and also a netball commentator.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio