Source: Radio New Zealand
AAP / www.photosport.nz
The outgoing Netball New Zealand chairperson says changes at the top will help inject new energy into a sport that is facing significant challenges.
The national body last night confirmed that chairperson Matt Whineray and three appointed board members had decided to step down.
It followed the resignation of CEO Jennie Wyllie in December after a disastrous year for the sport, which included the suspension of Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua, who was later reinstated.
The story dominated headlines for weeks and calls for “heads to roll” at Netball NZ were loud.
Whineray denied anyone felt pressure to step down but said the board accepted the netball community expected some changes at the top after a difficult 2025 and new blood would be beneficial.
“It really came out of individual reflections on what was right for them personally and what we think is right for Netball New Zealand going forward. So the opportunity to get some new perspectives, new capabilities, some new energy and really reset the momentum and focus on the really important next couple of years is what we’re all thinking about,” Whineray said.
The national body was working in an environment that had changed rapidly in the past decade, including greater competition from other female codes. The future of the ANZ Premiership was still up in the air, with no broadcast rights agreement in place from beyond 2026.
While participation rates at grass roots are pleasing, Whineray believed the next CEO has a tougher job than what it entailed a few years ago.
“The media landscape, broadcast rights opportunities, and commercial environment has all changed. The person who is heading up a national sporting organisation has to be able to manage the commercials on one hand and balance that with the delivery of the community game and high performance programmes and that’s a challenging space to be.”
Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua after her reinstatement. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
There were eight members on the Netball NZ board, split between four elected members and four appointed members, including Whineray.
Aliesha Staples, Stephen Cottrell, and Pavan Vyas are the other appointed members leaving their roles. Appointed members help ensure a board has a range of skills and experience to call on across a number of fields including commercial, legal, IT and tech.
Cottrell for instance brought 25 years of experience, including strategy and project management roles for New Zealand Rugby. He currently works for a global events and entertainment company, and is a principal in his own sports advisory law firm.
The Netball NZ constitution sets a maximum of three terms of three years. With Whineray’s nine year limit on the board due to finish at the start of next year, he said stepping down now made sense as his replacement will be in charge of recruiting the next CEO.
Jane Patterson was brought in as interim CEO but the board will advertise for a permanent boss in a few months.
The board positions will be advertised soon and an appointment panel will be made up of a couple of board members and one external member, expected to be veteran administrator Kereyn Smith.
Netball NZ has called in Smith, who in recent years has helped cycling and yachting with their issues.
“Kereyn’s been giving us a hand on a number of fronts and helping both within Netball New Zealand but also with our connections with the wider netball community so it’s been very helpful to have her in there, given her really deep experience in sports administration but also really great connections across the netball system.”
Matt Whineray has served on the board for over eight years. Supplied/NZ Super Fund
Whineray said Smith had been involved in looking at some high performance changes but said that was now largely being run by Chelsea Lane, who was appointed as Head of Performance – Silver Ferns, in the new year.
The decision to suspend Dame Noeline and her coaching team in September was met with widespread shock in the netball community. The lack of information led to a lot of speculation and fans vented their frustrations on social media, mostly directed at Wyllie and the board.
Whineray emphasised that the decision to suspend the Silver Ferns coaching team, was a board decision, not driven by any individual.
“The board made that decision on advice from our legal advice.”
He said the board can not make decisions on how the public might react.
“That’s the board making a decision about what’s in the best interests of the Silver Ferns environment and of the players and all of those who are working in the environment. Ultimately we have to wear the public response but you shouldn’t be making decisions like that with an eye on how the public is going to react.
“The board were all involved in this, we were supporting Jennie and working with Jennie through this process and I think the personal insults and the abuse were awful for all involved.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
