Netball: Southby names Ferns support staff

Newly appointed Silver Ferns netball coach Janine Southby. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby has today named her support staff to the national programme, with former New Zealand Under-21s coach Yvette McCausland-Durie named as assistant coach.

McCausland-Durie has been appointed through to the end of the next World Cup in Liverpool in 2019.

The former Central Pulse coach will join medical lead Melinda Parnell, physiotherapist Brett Woodley and mental skills coach Renzie Hanham as part of the Silver Ferns new support team.

Netball New Zealand head of high performance Steve Lancaster said he is pleased to secure a coach with extensive experience at all levels of the game in New Zealand.

"Yvette has over 10 years high performance coaching experience as part of the NNZ High Performance Coach Pathway, is a graduate of the HPSNZ Coach Accelerator Programme, and guided the New Zealand U21 team to silver at Netball World Youth Cup 2009," Lancaster said.

McCausland-Durie has a reputation as a strong development coach, having previously served as assistant coach for the NZ U21 team in 2005, where the team delivered gold, before taking up the head coach role in 2009. She also coached the Pulse in the ANZ Championship from 2009-2011, when the team was largely filled with under 21 players.

She currently coaches the Central team in the Beko Netball League.

McCausland-Durie said she is excited to support Southby during what is an exciting time for New Zealand Netball.

"I'm passionate about Netball and high performance sport. I believe the Silver Ferns are the pinnacle women's sport brand in New Zealand and it's an exciting time to be involved," McCausland-Durie said.

"Coaching is a privileged position and it's an honour to be appointed to this role."

The first challenge for the new Silver Ferns coaching duo will be the August quad series, featuring Australia, England and South Africa.