Netball: Taurua signs up for new role at Mystics

Noeline Taurua (left), with Khao Watts, will help Debbie Fuller at the Northern Mystics next year. Picture / Christine Cornege

Noeline Taurua, the coach behind New Zealand's sole transtasman league premiership, will take on an assistant role at the Northern Mystics next year.

The former Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic coach has signed on as Debbie Fuller's sidekick.

Taurua will also lead a new coaching development programme in the Northern Zone aimed at building coaching depth in the region.

After heading the Magic programme for six seasons, including taking them to the title in 2012, Taurua stepped down from the franchise at the end of the 2013 season to take on new challenges. Over the past year she has been involved with several programmes overseas including Scotland, Fiji and Cayman Islands, helping with everything from high performance programmes to strategic planning and setting up constitutions.

The former Silver Fern is also studying towards a Masters of Science in performance coaching with the University of Stirling in Scotland.

She said the time away from the ANZ Championship had allowed her to gain a new perspective on the game and she is looking forward to being involved with the competition once again without the pressure that comes with being head coach.

"Being a head coach is a 24/7 role - you're always thinking, always strategising and depending where you are on the table it really affects your headspace," she said.

"I'm really looking forward to just being able to be really hands on and assisting Debbie in any way she needs without having that cloud over my head all day. Where I am in my life at the moment and with my coaching, this role is just ideal."

Mystics chief executive Julie Paterson said it was a huge coup for the franchise to have such an experienced coach to assist Fuller. It was Fuller who initiated Taurua's appointment after approaching her long-time friend and former teammate and convincing her to be involved with the Mystics programme.

"Part of the review [of the 2014 season] recognised that the ANZ Championship is a hugely challenging competition and to have inexperienced coaches coming into the role adds further pressure on the head coach," said Paterson.

"I don't like to always cast an eye over to Australia, but when you look at the specialist coaches and the technical expertise they have on some of their benches, we realised this is an area where we are lacking."

Taurua, a former shooter, will be overseeing the talented but notoriously inconsistent Mystics attack end and said she was looking forward to working with the likes of Cathrine Latu and Maria Tutaia.

"I don't see myself as a big saviour - definitely not - I'd be stupid if I went in there with that attitude," said Taurua. "But hopefully I can add to what they already have and make a difference."