Fuller and Taurua put friendship on ice for 60 minutes

Team-mates, opponents, coaching confidantes – Debbie Fuller and Noeline Taurua’s two-decade friendship and rivalry will come full circle today.

In 1992 Fuller and Taurua linked up in the Pacific Island Church team in Wellington under former Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu.

On the training court Taurua, a goal attack, and Fuller, goal defence, fiercely contested everything.

‘‘I think she was more competitive than me, to be honest, and very much a fitness person,’’ Taurua said. ‘‘All the time we were banging up against each other.

‘‘There was that competitiveness to get something over each other. We just rode each other hard all the time but there was always that support when we were away from the court.’’

That friendship has strengthened on and off the court, with Courtenay Place a favoured haunt in the pre-professional era where they would socialise.

‘‘Those were always good times. We always worked hard, played hard and partied hard and forged very strong bonds.’’

Fuller and Taurua both progressed through the ranks – alongside the likes of Bernice Mene, Tanya Dearns and Julie Seymour – eventually ending up at opposite ends of the court for the Silver Ferns in the mid 1990s.

As they moved into coaching they first became rivals, with Taurua guiding the Waikato BOP Magic to success and Fuller taking charge of the Northern Mystics.

In 2014 the pair joined forced as coaching partners at the Mystics.

But this weekend they will sit opposite each other in the courtside chairs in Taurua’s 100th trans-Tasman match as a coach. Her New Zealand conference-leading Southern Steel will be favourites against Fuller’s struggling Mystics in Dunedin.

While they live five minutes from each other in Mount Maunganui, and Taurua’s daughter often babysits Fuller’s children, their friendship will be set aside for 60 minutes today.

‘‘Of course there is friendly banter. In this competition the coaching community is small so when you have a relationship with someone like that, you’re always going to support each other through moments in the tournament,’’ Fuller said. ‘‘We’re really lucky in netball to have those dialogues and then be able to say, ‘right we might not be able to communicate for the next couple of weeks but after the game we can catch up’.

‘‘There’s that respect for each other’s space.’’

Taurua has struggled with the break in contact with Fuller.

‘‘I’m looking forward to getting this game out the way so I can support her more and she can do the same with me.’’

Given the form of the two teams this year, Taurua will be favoured to take bragging rights.

The Steel have already locked up a playoff spot, leaving the Mystics, Mainland Tactix and Magic to scrap for the second finals berth.

The Mystics’ prospects aren’t helped by their injury battles. Promising defender Holly Fowler is out this week with a foot complaint, joining Ferns star Kayla Cullen on the sideline.