Jennie Wyllie resigned as chief executive of Netball New Zealand on December 18. David Cooper is in charge in the interim.
The Silver Ferns’ next scheduled fixture is at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in July. It will be the first test for coach Dame Noeline Taurua since she was stood down in September.
A handful of New Zealand’s best players have moved to Australia’s Super Netball, causing a reshuffle of talent on both sides of the Tasman.
Last year was was perhaps the most turbulent 12 months in New Zealand’s netball history. The national body struggled to secure a new ANZ Premiership broadcast deal, implemented new test eligibility criteria and oversaw the standing down – and subsequent reinstatement – of Dame Noeline Taurua as SilverFerns coach. It culminated in the resignation of Jennie Wyllie as chief executive.
As the dust settles on 2025, the Herald has talked to ex-Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering, former Silver Ferns Marg Foster and Louisa Wall, and veteran netball broadcaster Jenny Woods about what they want to see from the sport in 2026. NNZ has yet to appoint a new CEO, the Silver Ferns have the Commonwealth Games approaching, and the ANZ Premiership and Super Netball [SSN] have both been revamped in personnel.
What do we need to see from Netball New Zealand in their hunt for a new CEO?
Louisa Wall:
A permanent CEO should be appointed by the first quarter of 2026. Rebuilding trust requires stable leadership, and pursuing something as complex as transtasman league participation demands capability and confidence at the executive level.
An interim structure cannot credibly lead major commercial negotiations, licensing applications, or international partnerships. Rather than focusing on specific names, the priority should be appointing someone with proven governance experience, strong commercial acumen, and a deep understanding of high-performance systems. That person must also be committed to fair process and transparency, because trust will not be rebuilt without them.
I think they should take their time with it. We’ve got an interim CEO at the moment anyway. So it’s not like they don’t know what’s going on.
Jenny Woods:
NNZ needs to get cracking with this appointment. I don’t imagine it’s been sitting around over the Christmas break, twiddling its thumbs. The likes of Julie Paterson, currently head of the board at Tennis New Zealand, and Fran Scholey, CEO of Special Olympics NZ, must be somewhere near the top of the list. They might want to take their time, without rushing into an appointment.
Marg Foster:
Hopefully, by the end of the month, we will have the most amazing CEO, and we are all going to wrap support around and get our sport back to being number one.
The biggest thing is having that charisma to be able to promote our sport. You’ve got to be able to mix it and smooth it. Just be able to be that helicopter-type of leader that everything’s well in order because you’ve got the right people working for the organisation.
Jennie Wyllie resigned as CEO of Netball NZ after the reinstatement of Dame Noeline Taurua as Silver Ferns coach. Photo / Getty Images
Gold rush
Is it realistic to expect the Silver Ferns to win Commonwealth Games gold?
Yvonne Willering:
Absolutely [they should win gold]. It’s not like they haven’t had games against these different competitors. England has just played Jamaica, but Jamaica wasn’t at full strength. So, it isn’t like it’s realistic going into the Commonwealth Games. If we have that element of the unknown, that actually isn’t a problem. And absolutely, we’re right up there.
I know that they’ve had their problems, but talk about the players that are going to be selected and what the requirements are. So I absolutely expect them to perform with credit.
The expectation that the Silver Ferns remain competitive at major events is unchanged.
However, long-term success is shaped by the quality of competition athletes are exposed to week in and week out. Suncorp Super Netball is currently the most commercially successful and competitive domestic league in the world.
If Australia is prepared to invest significantly in expansion, growth, and Olympic ambition, including towards Brisbane 2032, then New Zealand must ensure its athletes are operating in environments that match that intensity. Results matter, but systems and structures ultimately determine whether success can be sustained.
Jenny Woods:
Barring any further injury to Sunday Aryang (Australia) and Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard (Jamaica, pregnancy), I would expect the Silver Ferns to do well. It’s a young, exciting squad.
The Silver Ferns won nine of 12 test matches in 2025. Photo / Photosport
Domestic season
There’s been a lot of ANZ Premiership player movement in the off-season. What do you expect from this year’s competition?
Jenny Woods:
The Tactix are going to have a job on their hands successfully defending their title. They thoroughly deserved their win in 2025 after having come close so many times before. The Tactix are very much in rebuild mode, and it will be good to see how champion coach Donna Wilkins handles this situation. To me, she has all the credentials of a future Silver Ferns coach, so this will be the test.
What’s going on with the Magic? They’ve now lost Ameliaranne Ekenasio, who’s chosen to return to the Pulse. I can’t help but think coach Mary-Jane Araroa will need a bit of “magic” to make the play-offs.
On paper already, we’re probably all saying the Stars must get off that bottom position. They’ve got some really key players, and obviously combinations for the Silver Ferns playing there. But what I’m looking for in ANZ is that at least it’s competitive, and we don’t have one-sided matches. I’ve probably been a bit critical, saying it’s turning into a bit of a development league, but look at it positively: it provides opportunities for others to step up into a more dominant potential for Silver Ferns selection.
Marg Foster:
I’d really love to see the likes of Netball New Zealand stepping up in terms of ensuring that the package and what they’re presenting as a championship in New Zealand is exciting, entertaining, and is bringing through some really talented young netballers as well.
The offshore players
Where do we stand with the Kiwis playing in Australia’s Super Netball competition?
Suncorp Super Netball should become the elite transtasman competition, potentially including two New Zealand teams if they meet the expression of interest criteria around commercial viability and strategic alignment. At the same time, the ANZ Premiership has an important role to play as a strong national competition and development pathway. It should be clearly positioned to support emerging talent, regional identity, and progression into the elite professional environment.
Jenny Woods:
The fact there will be nine New Zealanders playing in the Suncorp Super Netball will draw a lot of eyes from this side of the Tasman. That they’re spread around nine teams can only be a good thing. It could be a smart decision by Sky to sign up to broadcast the SSN on this side of the Tasman. New Zealanders can already watch it, but that’s only by paying for Netball Pass through World Netball. Now that the ANZ Premiership is out of the Sky stable, they may see themselves as being free to show some top-class netball.
Marg Foster:
I’d love to see the players really making an impact in their Australian teams. For New Zealand athletes to bring their bit of spice and bring their flair and the New Zealand way of playing, probably ranked as the number one netball league in the world. Love to see them all succeeding and playing amazingly, really offering Australia just a little bit of New Zealand flair.
Suncorp Super League is going to attract a lot of interest because of the number of players that we have involved in there. Certainly, I’ll be looking at that, and certainly Dame Noeline Taurua will be looking at that.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.
