Dame Noeline Taurua has been influential in helping the Silver Ferns back to the top of world netball after the infamy of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Brendon Egan speaks to some of the people closest to her to find out what makes the netball supercoach so successful.
Former Silver Ferns captain and defender Casey Kopua:
Her soul and character:
“She is a beautiful human, a beautiful person, and wants to get the best out of you as a person and a player. She can put that together on a court and find ways that work for you as an individual and brings it out in you. She’s just a real good time. She keeps things simple, she has lots of fun, but when you’re working, you’re working.”
Inclusivity:
“I’m obviously not like a midcourter, I wasn’t the fittest person there was, but we made it work for me and I ended up being the fittest I’ve ever been. She just finds different ways to make you tick as well as work hard, but also enjoy it. The biggest thing was the journey we had with those girls [at the 2019 World Cup].”
Innovator:
“She’s an out-of-the-box thinker too, so it’s not just standard or repeating or recycling the same old knowledge or words or stuff like that. She definitely makes you think and takes you out of your comfort zone as well and makes you try different things as well.
“I think you have to have that and you’ve got to have the right balance and she does that. You can have a relationship and a friendship with her, as well as her being your coach at the same time.”
Silver Ferns assistant coach Debbie Fuller, who also played alongside Taurua:
Motivator and supportive:
“She was fast [as a player], read the game like a pro, but most of all she brought others into play meaning that she worked her unit to play well. Players who lacked confidence always shone through after playing with Noels as she gave them little bits of direction and nous that brought out their best.”
Her dependability and toughness:
“Our coaching relationship is based around how we craft a programme of learning for our team. Then I would describe our relationship as something that the sport of netball gives to all of those involved in it – it’s a sisterhood that goes beyond the game. You have spent time with people in exciting big moments of sporting pressure, so you build a sense of resilience and confidence that holds you up in other areas of life. You will always have shared experiences of the feeling of having everything work for a moment in time – it is those moments and memories that last forever.”
Former Silver Ferns captain and defender Katrina Rore:
Authenticity:
“I think she sticks by who she is and what she believes in and what she does. No matter whether you’re winning or losing, or she’s getting criticised or the people around her are being criticised, she won’t go away from how she ticks and how she works because she knows what she’s doing will pay off in the long run. I feel like she trusts her processes so much that they will always come to fruition. She doesn’t stop doing that for everybody.”
Meticulous planner:
“I know that she crosses the ts and dots the is and potentially does that also behind the scenes without people realising how much extra work she puts in. I just appreciate that she’ll never stop how she works because of anybody else. She will always stick to her guns and how she works. She trusts her processes and she believes in her ability and will never change that and obviously the outcomes speak for themselves.”
Holistic approach:
“I feel like successful coaches are proving that if you are looking at the whole person and not just the player you’re going to get more out of them. If there’s personal matters or anything going on that will always come first, not the netball side, which is pleasing. It means you can relax and be yourself in a netball environment knowing if anything external is happening that will always come first and that’s a great thing.”
Former Australian coach Lisa Alexander, who coached against Taurua in the 2019 Netball World Cup final:
Her aura:
“She’s a people person and she’s a wonderful person. I absolutely love her as a colleague and a friend. I don’t particularly like her when we’re facing each other across a netball court. Any other setting she’s definitely got the aura and I think you call it a particular name over there, mana, she’s got it in spades – she’s amazing. Amazing spirit, beautiful heart, gorgeous person. You guys are so lucky you got her when you did.”
Humble personality:
“She has had the licence and moral authority to do what she needed to do to get New Zealand back to where they should be and she does it with a very humble approach. She’s very humble, but she’s very insistent and when she looks at you with those eyes. I would run over broken glass for her as well.
“We’re great mates. I haven’t [called her] for a while, but it doesn’t mean I can’t pick up the phone and go, ‘G’day, how are you going?, what do you think of this?’. We can pick up things very, very quickly.”
Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering, who has worked as a defensive specialist under Taurua:
Her preparation:
“Preparation is probably one of the main things. Preparation and communication. She thinks about everything, the good and the bad probably - what could possibly happen. I believe they will go into this World Cup having done all the preparation they could possibly do.”
Ability to see the big picture:
“She’s not only looking towards the Ferns, but she’s also put structures into place. She’s very inclusive of the ANZ [Premiership] coaches. It’s not like she’s just focused on her own task with the Silver Ferns. There is a caring for netball as a whole in New Zealand and I think that’s a great quality about her.”
Passion for the sport:
“I just love seeing the passion more than anything else. The main thing with Noels is she has a plan every time and she’s so committed to the sport.”