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As the world champion Silver Ferns ball team arrives back in Aotearoa, the spotlight is on coach Noeline Taurua, and has brought back memories her high profile father.
MP Willie Jackson says Taurua's ability to get the best out of her players highlighted the folly of Netball New Zealand not even giving her an interview when the job came up three years ago.
He suspects that may have been in part because of the activities of the late Ngāpuhi kaumātua Kingi Taurua, the leader of protests at Waitangi in his final years and a Radio Waatea kaumātua and broadcaster.
Mr Jackson says her father's fighting spirit can be seen in the result.
"I mean they lost to Malawi for goodness sakes at the Commonwealth Games. They were just on the way down and she has got the magic tough. All I could think about was our old mate, I was thinking about him during the game, I was thinking 'do it for your father, Noeline,' and she certainly did. She didn't just do it for Kingi, she did it for all of us, so one of the proudest moments I have ever had in terms of watching sport," he says.
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