Press Release

December 6, 2015

Taurua appointed Steel head coach

New Zealand’s most successful ANZ Championship coach Noeline Taurua will be at the helm of the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel next year.

Taurua replaces Janine Southby who, after four seasons with the Steel, was recently appointed head coach of the Silver Ferns.

A former Silver Fern, Taurua guided the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic to the 2012 ANZ Championship title and to the semi-finals every year of her six-year tenure with the franchise. Previously, she had coached the Magic for five years in the National Bank Cup.

Her passion for coaching is reflected in her undertaking a Masters of Science in Performance Coaching with the University of Stirling in Scotland.

After spending the past year as assistant coach to the Mystics, Taurua was excited to return to a head coaching role.

“It's really come out of the blue but opportunities like this don't come around too often," Taurua said.

"Honestly, for a long time I've always, even as a player, held the Southern Sting and Steel in high regard, not just for their performances out on court but the professionalism of the whole franchise. I've got a lot of history on the other side of the pendulum but it's a very fond history.

"That stadium was just a place where the opposition would never want to go. It's just that hum and vibrancy of such a passionate netball community that I'm excited to be part of now."

She rated the Steel's roster highly.

"The players are young and they are talented which is fantastic. There were a few games last season where we only just lost against some real powerhouses so the potential is definitely evident," she said.

"It's now seeing what we can do to take it up another level in terms of consistent performances out on court."

Southern Steel chief executive Lana Winders said Taurua’s vast experience would have an invaluable impact on the franchise.

"Noeline now has seven ANZ Championship campaigns to her credit and the knowledge she has absorbed during that time is extensive,'' Winders said. 

“We have an incredibly talented team of players at the Steel, the core of which have been together now for a number of campaigns, so it will be exciting to see what emerges with an injection of new ideas.” 

Taurua’s reputation for putting emphasis on a successful team culture would prove beneficial.

“Cultivating a positive environment where players feel supported and can excel in their netball goals is a key focus for us and I believe Noeline will continue to build on the great platform which has been established in recent years,” Winders said.

The 2016 ANZ Championship will run from April through until July, with the Steel hosting seven round robin home games; five at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill and two at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin. Opposition includes all New Zealand teams, along with the defending champion Queensland Firebirds, the West Coast Fever and the Melbourne Vixens.

Existing Steel members can now renew their seats this week before they are released for new memberships sales to the public from December 14.

Ends