Dame Noeline Taurua (left) and her assistant Debbie Fuller (right). Photo / Photosport
By Bridget Tunnicliffe of RNZ
Dame Noeline Taurua’s coaching bench will have a new look to it at the Commonwealth Games with long-time Silver Ferns assistant Deb Fuller to coach the Malawi Queens.
Fuller has been appointed as the new high-performance netball consultant for the Malawi Queens on a one-year contract.
In an announcement on its website, the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) said Fuller brought a wealth of international expertise to support the team’s preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2026 Africa Netball Cup.
“A highly respected figure in the global netball community, Debbie is a former elite player and an accomplished coach with over 25 years of experience in the sport. She has served as assistant coach for the New Zealand Silver Ferns from 2018 to 2025, contributing to significant international successes.”
“We are grateful to Jane Patterson, interim CEO of Netball New Zealand, for allowing Debbie to support NAM in this endeavour, and for understanding our efforts in strengthening our high-performance and organisational capability under a new management structure. Netball New Zealand views this as a positive opportunity and one that aligns with its broader objectives of supporting global netball relationships.”
Fuller told RNZ her contract with Netball New Zealand ended in December and a friend in England connected her to the role.
“Netball NZ and Noles [Taurua] have been super supportive of the opportunity to work with Malawi Netball. It has been in discussion since late November last year,” Fuller said.
NAM president Vitumbiko Gubuduza said the organisation was confident that Fuller’s strategic, athlete-centred approach will inspire the players and help unlock the full potential of the Queens squad, while training the next generation of coaches.
As head coach, Fuller will interview and select her management team, including an assistant coach and manager, who she will lead during her contract.
Patterson was announced interim CEO in mid-January, following the resignation of Jennie Wyllie in December after what was a disastrous year for the national body.
In September, Taurua and her Silver Ferns coaching team were suspended over concerns about the high-performance environment, sparked by complaints from some of the players.
Taurua was later reinstated, with Netball New Zealand saying the two parties had agreed to embed changes to the Silver Ferns’ programme and environment.
It wasn’t clear what would happen to Fuller, her long-time assistant coach, or specialist coach Briony Akle.
In early January, Stephen Hotter resigned from his role as Netball New Zealand’s head of high performance, which he had held since the start of 2023.
In mid-January, Netball New Zealand also announced Chelsea Lane’s appointment as the Silver Ferns’ head of performance.
Netball New Zealand said Lane would help to “assemble the team that will take the programme forward” and strengthen leadership within the Silver Ferns’ high-performance programme.
Fuller was reappointed Silver Ferns’ assistant coach in 2024, a few months after Taurua reapplied and was reappointed.
Like Taurua, Fuller went through an interview process and was up against other candidates.
In 2019, the pair pulled off a remarkable victory at the World Cup in Liverpool.
During their partnership, the duo also enjoyed two Constellation Cup victories over rivals Australia and a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Malawi, who are currently ranked eighth in the world, have been ranked as high at fifth.
Fuller is due to arrive in the country on February 21 for a training block with the Malawi Queens.
– RNZ