Noeline Taurua set to keep Silver Ferns job

Dame Noeline Taurua will be revealed as the Silver Ferns head coach for a second time on Friday, RNZ understands.

Netball New Zealand will make an announcement at 2pm but sources have told RNZ that Dame Noeline has been reappointed.

In February Netball New Zealand said it would advertise the job, with Dame Noeline’s contract coming to an end and the popular coach welcomed the process, saying she would reapply.

Dame Noeline answered an SOS to take over the Silver Ferns in 2018 and took them to a remarkable World Cup victory in 2019.

The Ferns are currently ranked second in the world but had their worst ever World Cup finish last year when they finished fourth in South Africa.

An independent panel shortlisted three candidates after a first round of interviews.

It is believed that Tactix coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek and former Australian Diamond shooter Vicki Wilson were in contention.

Wilson was previously an assistant coach with the Silver Ferns under Waimarama Taumaunu.

The panel consisted of a senior leader from High Performance Sport NZ, a Netball New Zealand board representative, the head of high performance from a national sports organisation outside of netball, a former player, and Netball NZ’s head of high performance Stephen Hotter.