Michael Rooke, Getty Images
Dame Noeline Taurua’s story is the stuff of Kiwi sporting legend – a once-overlooked, inspirational coach who managed to turn around a struggling Silver Ferns side from a lowly fourth-place Commonwealth Games finish through to World Cup glory less than a year later.
Heck, she even received a damehood for her efforts. But Noeline – or “Noels” to anyone who knows her – doesn’t focus on fairy tales or rest on laurels. In fact, she’d just rather get on with it.
“If I’m known for any saying, it’s probably ‘no muck around’!” she laughs.
There’s certainly no muck around right now as she and her squad get ready for the Netball World Cup, the sport’s most prestigious prize and, these days, a hotly contested one with competition coming in blazing from all corners of the globe.
And as the Silver Ferns aim to defend their 2019 title, their fearless leader has her eyes firmly on the trophy as the days count down to the first centre pass in South Africa.
A golden moment between Dame Noeline and captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio in 2021.
The run-up to the World Cup has been years in the making, with Noeline and her team focusing on building depth, connections and determined, talented players. For Noeline, it’s been chaotic, intense and fun all at the same time – like a ringmaster controlling an organised yet ever changing circus.
“Well, to be honest with you, sometimes I feel more like the clown,” she laughs. “But here’s the thing – man, I love what I do. There’s laughing, there’s crying, there’s entertainment, but really there’s so much joy in netball and now that we’re here at the World Cup – with these amazing skill sets being shown off and teams coming together – it’s such a privilege to be part of that.”
In what is surely a good omen for this year’s World Cup squad, Noeline says she has the same “feel” about her team as she did back in 2019, when the Ferns were able to snatch the title away from Australia by one goal.
“The work we’ve done since then has been set up for South Africa and we’re going for the win. I’m really pleased at where we are, and we have quite a nice balance between experienced players and the new generation coming through. And the work we’ve done in the past two or three years is really going to set us up well for the future too.”
It’s work that’s needed as netball goes from strength to strength across the world, with serious competition coming from the likes of England, South Africa, Jamaica and, of course, Australia, as well as up-and-coming countries.
“Any team can win on a given day – and that’s so fantastic for the sport,” says Noeline. “There are the mainstays of course, but South Africa at home is going to be interesting. We were there in January and that crowd just went off, and with six months under their belts… They’re ones to watch. Uganda gave us a bit of a tickle and Malawi is always up there too. The African and Caribbean style is so unorthodox and brilliant, so I don’t think you can count any of them out, which is really exciting.”
It’s been months of watching players in the ANZ Premiership compete for the little black dresses, but Noeline’s role goes much deeper than just picking the best players for the team. It’s succession planning, strategising, team bonding and identifying how to get the best out of individuals – like doing one big jigsaw puzzle.
“My job is pulling it all together – the physical, the mental, the nutrition, all of it – and providing a direction forward and identifying our purpose. Honestly, the days I’m actually out on the court coaching are luxuries!”
And for Noeline personally, she’s heading into her second World Cup campaign with a little more experience under her belt, so she knows full well what’s ahead of her. It’s allowed her to have balance in her own life as she counts down to the “big dance”.
“I’ve been around the traps for so long, I’ve pretty much got it all sorted regarding work-life balance now,” she nods. “Every year has intense moments, but you learn where the gaps are for the rest and that hasn’t changed for this year. I enjoy it so much and it’s good fun!”
Balance has always been a huge part of Noeline’s ethos – her thinking is that good, happy people make good, happy players. It’s a thread that runs through her entire approach to building her netball teams.
“I’m a strong believer in that. It’s the same for anyone – if you can be happy in yourself, it influences and connects with everything else in your life. And that’s what I look for in a player – that’s when you really see the poetry or the art of our sport on the court. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing that in South Africa!”
