Netball Series: Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua to miss upcoming series with Covid-19

New Zealand coach Dame Noeline Taurua. Photo / Photosport

Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua will miss the upcoming Netball Series after testing positive for Covid-19.

Netball New Zealand confirmed Taurua has not joined the Silver Ferns in camp and will aim to link up with the team later this week after completing self-isolation and producing negative tests.

Assistant coach Debbie Fuller will step into the head coach role with Reinga Bloxham, who was due to guide the New Zealand A side, to act as her assistant.

The New Zealand A team will now be co-coached by Marianne Delaney-Hoshek and Yvette McCausland-Durie in the series, which also features matches against the NZ Men and a NZ mixed invitational team.

Netball NZ head of high performance Keir Hansen said while it was hugely disappointing not to have Taurua with the Silver Ferns, they had prepared for various scenarios in the current climate.

"Covid is very much still playing a part in the sporting landscape and our planning leading into the Cadbury Netball Series included the options we would need to take if management were affected," he said.

"Dame Noeline will remain in touch with the team remotely and will return as soon as she is allowed to. But this will also be an opportunity for our high performance coaches to step into the breach and continue the hard work to prepare our athletes for the Commonwealth Games."

Fuller, who was Taurua's assistant at the successful 2019 Netball World Cup campaign, said she was happy to step up in the absence of the Silver Ferns head coach.

"The Cadbury Netball Series is a really important part of our preparation for this month's Commonwealth Games, so our goals remain the same as far as getting as much out of these matches as possible ahead of our trip to Birmingham for this pinnacle sporting event," she said.

"I'm looking forward to working with Reinga to ensure we don't miss a beat in our build-up to the Games and we can't wait for Dame Noeline to return to camp once she has completed her Covid protocols."

Matches over the four days, which will include a final on Saturday, 16 July, will be broadcast live on Sky Sport while the Silver Ferns' matches against NZA, NZ Men and the mixed invitational will also be simulcast live on Prime.

Netball Series schedule

Wednesday, 13 July

6pm – NZ Men v Mixed Invitational
8pm – Silver Ferns v NZA

Thursday, 14 July

6pm – Mixed Invitational v NZA
8pm – Silver Ferns v NZ Men

Friday, 15 July

6pm – NZA v NZ Men
8pm – Silver Ferns v Mixed International

Saturday, 16 July

2pm – 3rd v 4th
4pm – 1st v 2nd