Ata glance
any head coach without support on game day.
‘‘I would like to think I’m a bit of a supporting actress for the head coaches, plus also support the teams as well in these times.
‘‘Some have assistant coaches, or are available at certain times, and some coaches don’t.’’
Only the opening round of the premiership was possible in midMarch before New Zealand went into lockdown. Tonight’s game between the Mystics and Magic will mark 95 days since a premiership match was played.
The Silver Ferns’ calendar for later this year is uncertain with September’s Quad Series, which would have involved Australia, South Africa, and England, already canned as expected.
Netball New Zealand are optimistic the annual Constellation Cup series against Australia will go ahead, but that will depend on border restrictions and a possible trans-Tasman bubble.
Taurua was excited about the premiership’s return and said the competition would be a perfect gauge of where the country’s top netballers were at as they move into the new World Cup cycle.
The next pinnacle event for the Ferns will be the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where they will look to rebound from a horror showing at the 2018 Games under previous coach Janine Southby, where they failed to medal for the first time, finishing fourth.
‘‘I feel that we’re looking not
Round two (all at Auckland Netball Centre):
■ Tonight 7pm: Magic v Mystics
■ Tomorrow 5pm: Steel v Tactix
■ Sunday 5pm: Stars v Pulse
■ Monday 7pm: Stars v Tactix
Points after round one: Pulse 3, Magic 3, Mystics 3, Stars 1, Steel 0, Tactix 0.
only at the next cycle, but also 2027, if we can be smart around selections, and also the support and growth of our players. If we do it right we should have quite a good Silver Ferns team coming through for two cycles.’’
There was bright young talent emerging with Mystics players, Grace Nweke, Tayla Earle, Saviour Tui, Pulse trio Tiana Metuarau, Renee Savai’inaea and Maddy Gordon, and Steel defender Taneisha Fifita among the contracted players eligible for the New Zealand under-21 side’s Youth World Cup campaign next year.
Taurua said it boded well for the depth of New Zealand netball in the long run and was a luxury they had not always enjoyed.