Former Cook Islands netball player and coach Anna Andrews-Tasola will be tasked with replacing the most successful coach in ANZ Premiership history.

Andrews-Tasola, who has been the Central Pulse assistant for the past two seasons and specialist shooting coach for 2020 and 2021, will take over from the departing Yvette McCausland-Durie next season.

McCausland-Durie is returning to the education sector after a stellar nine years as Pulse coach across three different stints. She guided the Pulse to three ANZ Premiership titles (2019, 2020, and 2022) and five grand finals.

The Pulse 2023 season ended on Sunday (New Zealand time), losing a thrilling elimination final 53-52 to the Stars in Porirua.

“It’s been amazing working with Yvette,’’ Andrews-Tasola said.

“She’s super supportive. She’s been a great role model for all of us, as women, so it’s really important that we continue the strong legacy and foundation that’s been built. I hope that she leaves knowing that we’re going to work really hard to make sure that we continue to do well.

“I know I’ve got big shoes to step into and all I can do is try my best. While there is change, we have got an exceptional group of women from our players to our support staff and we want to try and minimise the disruption, try and keep the foundation, and continue to build on that.”

Netball Cook Islands secretary Tekura Moekaa said Andrews-Tasola coached the national team to gold medal win at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa.

“Netball Cook Islands would like to congratulate her on her appointment at the Pulse Coach 2024,” Moekaa said.

“Also keeping in the same vein as the Pulse team – Netball Cook Islands would also like to congratulation Tiana Metuarau (co-captain of the Pulse team) of Mauke, Cook Islands lineage, for her selection as a travelling reserve for the Silvers Ferns to the Netball World Cup to be held in South Africa in July.”

Involved as a player and coach for the past 25 years in New Zealand, former shooter Andrews-Tasola played domestic netball for the Wellington Shakers and Western Flyers, while also representing the Cook Islands at World Cup level.

She moved into coaching, working her way through club, national age-group teams and as head coach of the Cook Islands’ side that won the gold medal at the 2019 Pacific Games and bronze at the Singapore Nations Cup. Andrews-Tasola then became assistant coach with Central Manawa in the National Netball League (NNL).

She spent six successful years with Manawa, three as head coach, last year winning the NNL coach of the year award, while also being Pulse assistant.

“For me, it’s not around the title of being head coach. I just want to be a really great coach and a great person,’’ she said. “I am honoured to achieve this opportunity and now I just want to continue to improve, grow and work really hard for our amazing netball community.

“What I’m really proud of as well is that I’ve come through our Netball New Zealand coaching pathway, through community coaching, performance coaching and now through High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) Te Hāpaitanga, the women’s programme which supports women coaches from across all sports to be better.’’

Previously, Andrews-Tasola achieved her NNZ Community Coach Award and NNZ Performance Coach qualification.

Te Hāpaitanga is a holistic coach development initiative enabling more females to pursue and maintain careers in high performance coaching in New Zealand.

The 18-month initiative provides a range of opportunities for a number of future female high performance coaches to test and develop their coaching capability, and to develop new skills to navigate a complex and challenging career in high performance sport.

- Stuff / CI News