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Dame Noeline Taurua will return as head coach of the Silver Ferns at the end of this year. Netball New Zealand confirmed her reinstatement after a difficult two-month disagreement that caused tension within the sport and left many fans worried about the team’s future. The disagreement began quietly with a review of the team’s culture but grew into one of the biggest controversies in the sport’s recent history. Just before a series against South Africa, Netball NZ suspended Dame Noeline and her coaching team. This decision followed failed talks about making changes to how the Silver Ferns programme was run. After weeks of intense discussions and help from High Performance Sport New Zealand, both sides finally agreed on changes to improve player wellbeing and performance. These include giving players more say and adjusting parts of the high-performance environment, including staff changes. Even though an agreement has been reached, Dame Noeline will not return until after the current international season. Interim coaches Yvette McCausland-Durie and Liana Leota will continue to lead the team for now. Netball NZ admitted the past few months were tough for everyone involved, including players and their families.
