Netball: Sighing time for lonely Willering

By Suzanne McFadden

New Zealand netball is on a high, but the Silver Ferns' coach, Yvonne Willering, is feeling a little low.

After raking in a big profit and scoring a trend-breaking win over the Australians, netball yesterday pulled in more money with their first naming sponsorship for the Silver Ferns, from Vodafone.

But in spite of all the good news, Willering says she is a little lonely.

"It's difficult for me on a personal level - I haven't got a team any more," she said. "The trouble is, I always like having a team around me.

"All these players go back to their own franchises for the Coca-Cola Cup. When I see them wearing different colours, it's quite strange.

"It's kind of lonely. People don't like coming over and talking to you for fear of influencing your selections or something."

Willering will not get her team back until June, for the three-test home series against South Africa.

She will be a spectator at the Coca-Cola Cup, which starts in just over a fortnight, watching the national squad members and scanning for new talent.

In May, she will oversee the new Star Series, where zone teams play the English national side.

"I'll have overall control of it, but I won't be coaching the teams," she said.

"It's like a series of trials. I won't state what's to be done, but I'll pick the teams. The coaches will be told that all of the players will get court time, so that we get to see what stage everyone is at."

Those teams will then be whittled down for a Probables-Possibles trial in Taupo to select the team to play the South Africans. That team will be the basis of the Silver Ferns side to play in the world championships in Christchurch in September.

Willering said that although she stuck with her starting seven from start to finish in Saturday night's test, the door is not closed to other players.

"I know that I had two or three other combinations there who could have worked just as well," she said. "It was such a strong team effort out on court it would have been too hard to take anyone off."

Vodafone's deal, for a confidential amount, is over five years. It was signed before Saturday's win.

The mobile phone company is making a big move into sports sponsorship in New Zealand - it has the naming rights for the Warriors and the Otago NPC rugby team.

Pictured: After the win over Australia, Yvonne Willering is beginning to feel a little flat. PICTURE / FOTOPRESS