Suzanne McFadden for LockerRoom

The hunt is on to fill the two most powerful roles in Netball New Zealand. But who’s equipped to take on the vacant chief executive and board chair positions – and right now, who would want to?

In the wake of the acrimonious Dame Noeline Taurua saga, the sport is struggling to get back on its feet. Its CEO for the past nine years, Jennie Wyllie, departed with no farewell a week before Christmas, and four of Netball NZ’s seven board members – including chair Matt Whineray – have this week announced they’re stepping down.

After a two-month stand-down that stunned a nation, Taurua is back in her head coach role, working towards July’s Commonwealth Games, but without her trusty assistant of the past seven years, Deb Fuller. No longer contracted to Netball NZ, Fuller will coach the Malawi Queens instead. The role of assistant Silver Ferns coach should be advertised soon.

Then there’s another key leadership position up for grabs at Netball NZ: head of high performance. Stephen Hotter also resigned in December, after three years in the role.

In the meantime, NBA trailblazer Chelsea Lane has taken up an interim role as head of performance with the Silver Ferns, working expressly with Taurua to ensure this year’s Commonwealth Games campaign is successful.

Netball in New Zealand isn’t exactly rudderless right now. Interim chief executive Jane Patterson will continue in her role, “providing stability, clarity and support”, until a new CEO is found.

But before that happens, a replacement board chair must be appointed. And in an unprecedented move by the sport, the vacant chair role will be advertised over the coming week – with Whineray’s replacement almost certain to come from outside the existing directors for the first time.

To steady a listing ship, former Netball NZ chair Kereyn Smith has stepped back into the fray to support and rebuild the board as the sport enters a “new chapter”. That begins with a pinnacle year for the Silver Ferns, and a revamped ANZ Premiership – missing a decent handful of its biggest names – and now broadcast free-to-air.

Kereyn Smith: "Netballers are deeply passionate people." Photo / Photosport

Smith has one of the most impressive resumes in New Zealand sport. A life member of Netball NZ and inaugural inductee to the Netball Hall of Fame, she’s also been vice-president of World Netball and spent more than a decade as CEO of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

She’s seen as a change agent – brought in as transformation director at Cycling NZ in 2022, after a damning report into cycling’s culture and athlete wellbeing following the death of Olivia Podmore. At the end of last year, she was called in to help the Netball NZ board during the upheaval and to keep the netball community in the loop.

Reversing the reputational damage that’s been done to netball over the past six months will require transparency, openness and authenticity from the new leadership, Smith believes.

And the sport’s leaders will need to win the “trust and confidence” of their large netball community to take the sport forward.

Because it’s now obvious the connection between the wider netball community and the top echelon of the sport has become tenuous.

“Netballers are deeply passionate people, and they want their sport led and managed in a way [in which] they have full trust and confidence,” she says. “It’s really about mana, and respect, and doing what you say you’ll do. It’s a tough financial environment, and so you’ve got to be honest and real.

“We’ve got to really work on how we shore up competitions, broadcasting, and those areas that seem to be a bit gnarly at the moment, for all sports.”

Netball isn’t the only major code on the lookout for new leadership – both NZ Rugby and NZ Cricket are still without permanent CEOs. It may mean having to cast the net beyond our shores.

Departed CEOs: Mark Robinson (left, NZ Rugby), Jennie Wylie (Netball NZ) and Scott Weenink (NZ Cricket). Photos / Photosport

But Smith is confident netball will attract a high-quality chief executive because of the sport’s unique characteristics “that stand it apart from other sports in New Zealand”.

“Netball has commanded mana and held its position as the leading sport for women in New Zealand for 100 years. It’s still a growing sport with a massive social impact – it’s hugely important for women and girls of all cultures across New Zealand,” she says. “I think we’re undercooking just how significant netball is in our country. And how important the Silver Ferns are.”

Smith doubts potential contenders will be hesitant in coming forward.

“Ambitious people will see this as a major opportunity to make a difference. Netball has been through challenging times before, and good people have stepped forward. I’m confident that will happen again,” she says.

When it comes to the board, there’s a growing call for the next Netball NZ chair to have a strong netball pedigree – like the Diamonds’ most-capped international Liz Ellis, now in her second year as chair of Netball Australia.

But while Smith agrees netball experience is valuable, she believes candidates must primarily bring strong governance skills and proven leadership experience.

Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua has returned to her role. Photo / Photosport

“Liz [Ellis] brought that, plus some, to take up that role in Australia,” she says. “You really have to be capable, confident and able to do this really important role, especially now we’re looking to a new chapter. Someone who can work with the board, the executive team, and the stakeholders to give confidence and direction is the most important thing in my view.”

None of the four outgoing board members has had direct netball experience. Pavan Vyas brought an impressive technology background to the board; former rugby professional Stephen Cottrell works in events and runs a sports advisory law firm; and Aliesha Staples – who founded a technology, film and games company – was chair of the New Zealand Football Foundation and held other governance roles.

The chair for two-and-a-half of the eight years he’s been on the Netball NZ board, Whineray has been a heavyweight in finance.

The only member of the current board who’s played netball to a high level is former Silver Ferns captain Julie Coney, who’s an elected member. It’s understood she’s still considering whether she will stand again at the Netball NZ AGM next month.

Whineray says he accepted there had to be a change of leadership after what he called a “significantly challenging” year for Netball NZ and the wider netball community. He told Newstalk ZB his then nine-year term on the board would be up at the beginning of 2027, and he felt a new chair should be involved in recruiting and working with the incoming CEO.

He pinpointed communication with the community and media, better engagement with stakeholders, and high-performance structures that “work for everybody” as key lessons for the board out of the turmoil, which began with the standing down of the Silver Ferns head coach last September.

Netball NZ’s next step is to form a three-person appointments panel to find the new board members.

Smith is confident the process can be carried out relatively quickly. As she points out, Netball NZ led the way in 1999 as the first sport in the country to appoint independent directors.

“We were a pathfinder in that space. At the time, there were three elected directors, and we advertised out in the market for four independent directors for the first time,” she says.

“It’s been done before, and now it’s about the care and attention in making sure the process works well and delivers a really good board.”

That should at least start netball back on its road to recovery.

This story was originally published at Newsroom.co.nz and is republished with permission.