Noeline Taurua

Dame Noeline Taurua DNZM (born 26 March 1968) is a New Zealand international netball coach and former representative player. She is currently head coach of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns.

Dame Noeline Taurua
DNZM

Taurua in 2020
Personal information
Full name	Noeline Taurua
Born	26 March 1968 Papakura, Auckland, New Zealand
Netball career
Playing position(s): GA, WA
Years	National team(s)	Caps
1994–99	New Zealand	34
Coaching career
Years	Team(s)
2002–13	Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic
2016	Southern Steel
2017–19	Sunshine Coast Lightning
2018–present	New Zealand
Medal record Representing  New Zealand World Netball Championshipsh 1995 Birmingham Netball Commonwealth Games 1998 Kuala Lumpur Netball

Playing career

Taurua was a member of the Silver Ferns from 1993–99. During that time she won a silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur[1] and a bronze medal at the 1995 Netball World Championships in Birmingham. A knee injury in 1999 ended her playing career, having played in 34 test matches for the Silver Ferns.[2]

Coaching career

In 2011, Taurua acted as unofficial assistant coach to the Silver Ferns alongside Ruth Aitken[3] The follow year she accepted an official position as Silver Ferns assistant coach after being offered the role several times.[4] In domestic netball, Taurua coached the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic from 2002–13, leading them to two National Bank Cup titles (2005, 2006) and one ANZ Championship title (2012).[5]

In 2013, Taurua decided to finish her coaching duties for the Silver Ferns after performing in the role for 1.5 seasons for family reasons [6] She also stepped down as head coach of the Magic after spending 11 years at the franchise.[3] Her replacement at the Magic was former New South Wales Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald.[7] Taurua later accepted a role as head coach for the Southern Steel in their final ANZ Championship season in 2016.[8]

After the dissolution of the ANZ Championship in 2016, the Sunshine Coast Lightning announced the signing of Taurua heading into the 2017 season of the Suncorp Super Netball league in Australia. Taurua coached the Lightning to back-to-back premierships in the new competition, before being selected as the head coach of the New Zealand national netball team in August 2018.[9] During her time as Silver Ferns head coach, New Zealand won the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series and 2019 Netball World Cup.[10][11] As well as being the national team coach, Taurua continued to coach the Lightning in Australia. On 20 August 2019, Taurua announced her departure from the Lightning after her third year coaching the team.[12] She departed the Lightning having coached them to two consecutive premierships (2017, 2018) and one minor premiership (2019).

Awards

• 2018: Queensland Sport Coach of the Year[13]
• 2018: Tai Tokerau Māori Sports Awards – Coach of the Year[14]
• 2019: Matariki Awards – Te Waitā Award for Sport[15]

In the 2020 New Year Honours, Taurua was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball.[16]

References

1. "Profile at the New Zealand Olympic Committee website". Archived from the original on 20 December 2010.
2. Egan, Brendon (30 August 2018). "New Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua's resume speaks for itself". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
3. "Netball". 1 NEWS.
4. "Taurua accepts Silver Ferns assistant coach role". Stuff. 19 June 2012.
5. "Netball: At last! Magic claim win for NZ". nzherald.co.nz. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
6. "Netball: No Magic wand for Silver Ferns - Sport - NZ Herald News". The New Zealand Herald. 16 March 2013.
7. "Fitzgerald appointed new Magic coach - ANZ Championship". www.anz-championship.com. 5 July 2013. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
8. "Noeline Taurua new Southern Steel coach". The New Zealand Herald. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
9. "Noeline Taurua To Assume Dual Coaching Role". Suncorp Super Netball. 30 August 2018.
10. Egan, Brendon (29 October 2018). "Fast5 Ferns hold off Jamaica to win thrilling Fast5 World Series title". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
11. Egan, Brendon (22 July 2019). "Netball World Cup: Silver Ferns upset Australia to capture title". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
12. "Sunshine Coast Lightning Coaches Announcement". Sunshine Coast Lightning. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
13. "Taurua takes out Queensland Coach of the Year". Sunshine Coast Lightning. 30 November 2018.
14. "Taurua honoured in Maori Sports Awards". Silver Ferns website. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
15. "Māori making a difference rewarded at Matariki Awards". The New Zealand Herald. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
16. "New Year Honours 2020: The full list". The New Zealand Herald. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.

External links

• Silver Ferns profile: Noeline Taurua