Senior Silver Fern Grace Nweke says she does not regret her outspoken support of suspended coach Dame Noeline Taurua which made headlines recently – but says she could have expressed herself better.
Nweke, the captain of the Silver Ferns for the third and final Test against South Africa, made clear her support of a head coach controversially stood down after a recent review into the team environment when the goal shoot took the microphone and addressed a television audience and Invercargill crowd two weeks ago.
"Going forward Noels, if you're listening, we love you and we miss you and we want you back here, you've done so much for this group and the work you've done this whole year, you deserve to here and we want you back Noels," Nweke said at the time.
Nweke’s message poured fuel on a fire which has consumed the sport in New Zealand since Netball New Zealand suspended Dame Noeline and her staff before the Taini Jamison series – a suspension subsequently extended to the rest of the year. Netball NZ have not revealed the reason for the suspension.
The standing down of Dame Noeline Taurua lingers over the Constellation Cup opener. (Source: 1News)
Interviewed today before boarding a flight for Melbourne, where the Silver Ferns will play the first of four Constellation Cup Tests against Australia (the others are in Sydney, Hamilton and Christchurch), Nweke was asked whether she stood by her comments.
“Absolutely,” Nweke replied. “I think if I could do it over I would choose my words a bit more selectively.
“But, reflecting, I don’t regret what I said. I’m confident and feel strongly about my position but also I fully back the girls here and the team and the job to do.
“I can’t change the results of the mediations and what’s going on but I know we have the full support of Netball New Zealand and there’s a shared view and connection in our playing group that we want to succeed and perform well in this series and I feel that unity will guide us to go forward and get the success we need.”
Asked whether her comments were planned or “on the spur of the moment”, Nweke replied: "It was definitely spur of the moment… I knew I had to acknowledge Noeline and, in that moment, my mind went blank.
“I was a bit rambling… but I spoke from the heart and quite candidly. I just wanted to reiterate my support for Noels and that it’s a shared sentiment within our group.”
The fallout from Netball NZ’s decision to suspend Dame Noeline has been significant, with selector Gail Parata resigning recently and further stating this morning that “heads need to roll” at the organisation.
Yvette McCausland-Durie, brought in for the series against the Proteas, will continue as interim coach for the Constellation Cup series and November's tour to the UK.
RNZ has reported that some players felt the environment within the Silver Ferns camp was "psychologically unsafe", but Parata stated that the review process was flawed and that there was no transparency.
On the eve of the Constellation Cup series, Nweke said it was important to “compartmentalise” as New Zealand sought to defend their title against the Diamonds.
“There’s a lot of buy in and belief and determination to do the job and we know what it takes,” she said.
“We’ve been there before. It’s an exciting opportunity for us to show some resilience and some mental fortitude and really band together for this series.”
Nweke, who played for the NSW Swifts this year and received a dispensation from Netball NZ to represent the Silver Ferns, added: “The environment has definitely shifted and is heading in a more positive direction. The biggest thing is having consistency and knowing who our coaches are for the rest of the year.
“Personally, I feel I’m in a much better place, accepting the circumstances and being able to lean on my teammates.”
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