Dame Noeline Taurua affair exposes deep cracks in Netball New Zealand – Paul Lewis

Transparency was sidelined along with Taurua after those fearsome words: “cultural review”. Two players, acting on behalf of a larger group, had previously gone to the NZ Netball Players’ Association, apparently complaining about Taurua’s leadership and communication style. There was the unforgettable allegation some Ferns felt “psychologically unsafe”.

The whole business stemmed from a training camp in Sydney in January – yes, nine whole months ago – where the Ferns apparently lost all four matches against the Swifts. That sparked the player complaints which were formally raised with NNZ but, after months without resolution, the Players’ Association pressed for an independent review.

Taurua and others questioned the subsequent review findings and the review itself. According to former selector Gail Parata (who resigned last month over Taurua’s treatment), seven players were interviewed as part of the review. Some reports maintained 24 other players and support staff could also have been interviewed.

The Silver Ferns celebrate victory over Australia in Hamilton. Photo / Photosport

Taurua was stood down after it seemed she and NNZ couldn’t agree on subsequent proposed changes to the Silver Ferns’ high-performance environment (changes that now appear to be partly, mostly or completely in place). It looked like Taurua might be lost to the sport – all because a governing body and a players’ association wanted change but provoked a coach who felt her authority and integrity in question.

Did it really need to be this way? There’s a lot we still don’t know but NNZ has not come out of this well. What was wrong with shelving matters until after the international series – a quiet, behind-closed-doors exploration of all issues with both parties after a full and frank investigation into the thoughts of the entire playing and coaching squad?

Pressing ahead with the status quo may have made things awkward in the camp – but these are professional sportspeople. Instead, to many, the lack of information after the dramatic dropping of a popular coach looked as if the presumption of innocence had also been dropped, NNZ seemingly siding with a few players, weakening Taurua’s authority.

Dame Noeline Taurua will return as Silver Ferns coach. Photo / Photosport

Some onlookers quoted player safety using the high-performance situation surrounding Olivia Podmore’s death and the review which led to Cycling New Zealand making big culture and personnel changes. Yes, but the background to that tragedy involved adultery, an inappropriate relationship, bullying, mockery and a “boys club”. There’s been no hint of anything of that gravity but the following damaging developments before, in and around the Taurua affair must, by any reasonable analysis, threaten the wellbeing of the sport in New Zealand:

Broadcast rights negotiations with Sky broke down – with domestic netball staying on TV only after NNZ was forced to pay TVNZ for production and delivery costs of its games, increasing netball’s financial burdens.  Several players have already voted with their wallets, joining Australian teams for next year’s Super Netball season. Other senior players, including former skipper Ameliaranne Ekanasio, have made themselves unavailable for the Ferns over the past 18 months, raising doubts around depth and worsening international results.Despite denials, players were clearly divided, with Grace Nweke’s impassioned “Noels, we love you, we miss you…” on-court televised speech evidence. Some wore wristbands with “NT” written on them on court. Contract confidentiality means they cannot speak openly. The second loss to Australia saw current captain Karin Burger and stand-in coach Yvette McCausland-Durie blame mental lapses for the heavy defeats, though they beat the Australians in the third game, hours after Taurua’s reinstatement. Burger said there were “things in the background” she described as “clogging our brains”. The Taurua controversy, shrouded in mystery and conjecture, did not go down well with an uninformed public. Social media lambasted the players. Some media commentators cast some Ferns as soft, whiny youth, unfamiliar and unhappy with the demands of elite sport, running to administrators when the coach demanded more.

Add all that up and it appears netball itself is psychologically unsafe” at present. There’s only one place to sheet that home to. The word “management” to describe the Taurua affair seems to be missing a prefix – and it seems a safe bet another “cultural review” may soon be on the way for NNZ, maybe focusing on governance and performance

Paul Lewis writes about rugby, cricket, league, football, yachting, golf, the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.