Taurua returned home yesterday after a three-week professional development stint with the New South Wales Swifts, strengthening the connection between the Silver Ferns and the Australian Super Netball club.
The Swifts are home to Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke and coach Briony Akle, who is a specialist coach with the Silver Ferns. Taurua previously spent nine days as a specialist with the club last season.
Taurua joined the Swifts for their past three games, the Swifts beating the Adelaide Thunderbirds 65-57, the Queensland Firebirds 71-63 and the Melbourne Vixens 59-51 to remain the only unbeaten team after five games.
Those games allowed Taurua to sight Jamaicans Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, who is now pregnant, Latanya Wilson and Romelda Aiken-George, Ugandan shooter Mary Cholhok and English Roses Imogen Allison and Helen Housby.
Netball New Zealand head of high performance Stephen Hotter said the relationship benefited everyone and helped build connections.
‘‘Coaching opportunities such as this engagement are essential for Dame Noeline to stay sharp and engaged at an elite level during the domestic season,’’ Hotter said.
‘‘It also enables Noeline to observe top international talent and note the progress that they’ve made in their game and it enables us to stay connected and support Grace where needed.’’
Taurua had been impressed by Nweke’s performances in the tough league, where she already looked fitter, stronger and had adjusted her game.
Nweke leads the competition with 249 goals from 266 attempts — Melbourne Mavericks Jamaican shooter Shimona Jok is next on 235 — and is third for offensive rebounds with 15.
Nweke is ineligible to play internationally at present due to NNZ criteria requiring players to hone their craft domestically in New Zealand.
Taurua told Newstalk ZB last week her stance had not changed on wanting Nweke to be available for the Silver Ferns, but understood the NNZ board’s point of view as well.
She hoped they could meet in the middle in the near future.
Taurua is no stranger to the Australian league. She was the inaugural coach of the Sunshine Coast Lightning and led them to back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
She returned home in time for the ANZ Premiership season, which got under way at the weekend.
