Netball: Wai's keenness pushes her back to netball sideline

By Suzanne McFadden

Wai Taumaunu wanted to get a hands-on feel for English netball, but her well-meant efforts ended in disaster.

The former Silver Fern captain, now England netball's national director, ruptured an achilles tendon playing for a workmates' team.

Playing at night outdoors in the thick of an English winter, Taumaunu jumped up to retrieve a ball and thought someone had kicked her from behind.

"I'd wanted to get a feel for netball here. But I ended up in plaster for six weeks. I'm only just walking without a limp, she said.

Taumaunu has just sent the English national squad to New Zealand, to play in the Star Series starting next week. But she is staying put - her work is on the other side of the world.

"It's a desk job. I struggle to get that through to people back home - I'm not the coach," Taumaunu said.

"I'm setting up programmes. At the moment, I'm in the midst of a funding application."

English netball is amply funded by the Government. Corporate sponsorship is virtually non-existent.

"You hear about the wonderful developments with sponsorship in New Zealand, but that's a long, long way down the track in England, she said. "Accessing private funding and media coverage for women's sport here is an uphill battle. I'm learning so much."

By all accounts, Taumaunu has made a huge impression on England netball already.

Says one of the squad members, Tracey Neville: "She's brilliant. It's unbelievable what she's achieved for us already. She just understands what the players need and want."

Taumaunu sees a lot of potential in the 16-strong squad which arrived in Auckland yesterday, but does not know how they will fare against the three New Zealand sides and then Australia in a fortnight.

"They're very young and very inexperienced. But they've improved enormously - even since they beat South Africa in February," she said.

"I suspect they'll struggle more in New Zealand than Australia because the space marking New Zealand use is still a mystery to them."

Most of the players are under 23. There is only one player in the 16-strong squad - Helen Manufor - who played at the last world championships in 1995.

"It's a huge turnover. But this lot have long-term potential. They're certainly keen to learn."

Taumaunu had talked with Netball New Zealand before she left late last year about England getting involved in the Star series.

She has arranged a top-scale itinerary for the English in the build-up to September's world championships. They beat South Africa in a one-off test, by three, early in the year, and after their Australasian tour they meet Jamaica at home.

She will come back to New Zealand with the team for the world championships, but her job will continue in the Northern Hemisphere.

The family are now settling in Hertfordshire in the south. "But I have a very upset little boy who doesn't understand why he doesn't get letters from home."