Staff

Carolyn Young

I am humbled to have been chosen to lead Netball Central Zone and am excited to build on the good work that has gone before me as, so together, we can take the Zone to the next level. My knowledge of netball as a player, coach and volunteer, together with my experience in business and working with the vast experience we have in our Zone will be keys to our success.

My vision is to empower women through achievement on the netball court. My goals are simple:

• build a pathway from community teams, through representative and high performance opportunities, to the Haier Pulse; and

• for the Pulse to demonstrate the highest level of professional competence – through an unmatched record of winning, sportsmanship, and providing role models for our community.

I enjoy working collaboratively and am looking forward to building on the relationships I have started with our stakeholders, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters, all of whom are integral to achieving our goals for the Zone.

My goal is to develop the talented players we have within the Zone and provide a clear pathway to representative and high performance opportunities that will see the flow of players from within the Zone come through into the Pulse team.
I look forward to meeting you courtside! 

Waimarama Taumaunu

Director of High Performance

Wai joined Netball Central Zone as Director of High Performance in 2016.

The former Silver Ferns captain and coach has carved out a strong netball pedigree across all facets of the game over the last 30 years and now turns her hand to helping foster the next generation of talent in her home region.  Wai will work closely across the Central Pulse and Beko teams as well as Centre representative level while providing support to the various deliverers in these areas.

Wai’s vision in the long-term is working towards creating a home-grown Pulse team that wins. Wai sees her role as ensuring that we have a seamless and effective pathway for players that extends from their local Centres right up to the Pulse.’

Wai has twice been honoured for her services to netball, receiving a MBE in 1992 and an ONZM last year and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

Stuart Savage

Community Netball Manager

In May 2015, Stuart Savage was appointed to the role of Community Netball Manager for Netball Central Zone, the primary purpose of this role is to lead community netball within the Central Zone. The role will input into and ensure effective delivery of a coordinated Community Netball Plan, which will grow and sustain participation numbers for players, coaches, officials and administrators.  In 2011, Stuart gained his MA in Sport Development at Manchester Metropolitan University and has experience of working with National, Regional Sports Organisations and Professional Sports Clubs in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.  In 2008, Stuart gained his Postgraduate Certificate of Education and has taught Physical Education in the United Kingdom previous to taking up his role with Netball Central Zone.

Lenore Anderson

Finance & Administration

Lenore joined Netball Central Zone in March 2013 as the Finance Administrator and has brought tremendous enthusiasm to the role. She has plenty of experience of working in netball, having previously been employed by the Netball Wellington Region between 2000 and 2005, and is delighted to once again be involved with netball in the Zone.

Pelesa Semu

Performance Manager/Beko Head Coach

Pelesa joined Netball Central Zone in November 2017 as the Performance Manager and the Head Coach for the BEKO National League team.  A Wellington stalwart, she has a long pedigree in netball, having played in representative age group teams, Wellington NPC representative, a former member and captain of the Capital Shakers, NNZ U21 squad and NNZ Academy squad, member of the Premier 1 club team with P.I.C and former Samoan international during her playing career.   With a growing resume, first fashioned as a player before turning her hand to coaching, Pelesa has built on her experience as a coach over the last 10 years forging a successful record at secondary, club, age-group and NPC level. 

Pelesa is responsible for the delivery of the BEKO programme, programmes for New Zealand secondary school players as well as talent identification and development whilst also supporting the Centres within the Zone and their work with age-group programmes.  Pelesa vision is to grow, improve and retain players in the Zone while building a successful succession plan in the pathway to the Pulse.

Irene Van Dyk

Junior Development Officer

I have been playing netball for the last 34 years of my life and some of it competitive.  I am in this lucky position to give back to what netball has done for me.  I really believe in our junior programme in NZ and are super excited about being involved with it.  There is something very rewarding working with people with the same passion and vision as you.

Tash Rowlands

Tash joined Netball Central Zone in February 2017 and brings with her 5 years of experience as a Facilitator and Coach Developer within the Zone.  Tash brings with her 5 years of experience as a Facilitator and Coach Developer within the Zone.  She started coaching while a secondary school student in the Wairarapa, played age group reps and premier club netball in the Wairarapa and Hutt Valley and is closing in on 15 years of head coaching roles.  Tash spent over 16 years with MSD including roles in leadership, management and training.  Tash was awarded the PCQ from Netball New Zealand in December of 2016 and is looking forward to supporting coaches and centres within the Zone.

Vai Tuita’alili

Event Co-Ordinator

Full Samoan from Lauli’i and Poutasi Falealili, Vai joined the team at the end of 2016 and oversees all aspects of planning, running and managing all our home games for both Pulse and Beko. Mother of two handsome boys (Hosea and Israel) Vai comes from working with MSD for 15 years and has been involved in netball with Convent Old Girls in the Hutt for many years. Vai has managed both representative level as well as Beko and has been around netball most of her life. She is excited to be of service to our Pulse Community and hopes that all fans, players and kaimahi workforce behind the scenes and during the game have an awesome experience.

Yvette McCausland-Durie

Pulse Head Coach

Yvette McCausland-Durie was appointed to the Central Pulse head coach role in August 2016.

With over ten years’ high performance coaching experience as part of the NNZ High Performance Coach Pathway, McCausland-Durie is a graduate of the HPSNZ Coach Accelerator programme. She guided the New Zealand U21 team to silver at Netball World Youth Cup 2009, and was assistant coach to the team that won gold in 2005.

The inaugural coach of the Netball Central team in the Beko Netball League 2016, she also coached the Central Pulse in the ANZ Championship (2009-2011), the NZA team in their games versus England (2014) and the Aotearoa Maori U20 team (2016). She is currently the Silver Ferns assistant coach, appointed to the part-time role in May 2016. A qualified educator, McCausland-Durie has a Masters of Education (second class Honours), a Post Graduate Diploma in Sport Management, a Bachelor of Education (Physical Education) and a Diploma of teaching. She was previously the Director of Learning, Teaching and Sport at Manukura (Secondary School with years 9-13) and in 2017 commences a full-time coaching role in the PULSE environment.

Sandra Edge

Pulse Assistant Coach

Sandra considers it a privilege to be working in High Performance environment assisting Yvette in the role of the Pulse Assistant Coach for the 2017 season. Sandra has had a lifelong love of the sport and as a player represented Poverty Bay, Wellington, Waikato, Southland and Auckland, and played 94 tests for New Zealand. With over 30 years coaching experience including secondary school, club and representative levels she still feels she is learning and continues to enjoy being challenged. Sandra has received an MBE for services to netball and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

Jo Holmes

Pulse Operations and Team Manager

Jo joined the Central Pulse as Team Manager in January 2012, following 16 years working at High Performance Sport New Zealand. Jo is responsible for all off-court requirements for the team including travel and logistics for ANZ Premiership matches, trainings and activities, game management, player schedules, management of player promotional requirements with sponsors/community, player/coach management support, coordinating/supporting service support staff and financial management of the team budget.

Jo brings to the Zone a wealth of team management experience gained from six seasons with the Central Pulse in addition to Team Manager roles with the New Zealand A (2016), New Zealand Fast5 Ferns (2014) and seven years managing the Wellington NPC team