2:54 pm today

Southern Steel netball coach announces decision to step down

2:54 pm today
Head Coach Reinga Bloxham of the Steel looks on. 2018 ANZ Premiership netball match, Stars v Steel at Pulman Arena, Auckland, New Zealand. 29 July 2018 © Copyright Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung / www.photosport.nz

Head coach Reinga Bloxham of the Southern Steel. Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung / Photosport

Southern Steel netball coach Reinga Bloxham will leave the team she has led to two ANZ Premiership titles at the end of the current season.

After eight seasons at the helm and guiding the team to titles in 2017 and 2018, she planned to pursue coaching opportunities overseas.

Bloxham joined Tactix coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek who two weeks ago announced she was stepping down.

The Steel were sitting in sixth and last place on the ANZ Premiership standings after a 2024 season to forget with 11 losses from 13 games.

Losing top quality shooter and England import George Fisher to a serious knee injury has not helped their results on the scoreboard.

Bloxham acknowledged it had been a challenging time.

"It certainly has been a tough couple of seasons," she said.

An international coaching gig had always featured as part of Bloxham's long term plan, she said, without revealing what her next job would be.

"The opportunity to have international experience has been one I am fortunate to have had with Wales last season as part of the Netball World Cup and that fuelled my passion for it," she said.

Steel chief executive Sonya Fleming said the head coach role would be advertised from Monday.

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