Coaching in Wales similar yet different: Bloxham

Otago Daily Times

a day ago

From Wyndham to Wales, netball has taken Reinga Bloxham around the world.
The former Southern Steel coach is wrapping up her inaugural season at the helm of the Cardiff Dragons in the Netball Super League in the United Kingdom.
The Dragons, who sit at the bottom of the table, head into their final game after recording their second win of the season over the Leeds Rhinos last weekend.
"The good thing is I think my team's been improving each week, so I'm really proud of that," Bloxham told the Otago Daily Times from Wales yesterday.
"I think the second half of the season we've had some great performances, but again probably just a little bit inconsistent."
Bloxham, who stepped down after 11 seasons with the Steel last year, including eight at the helm, has loved her first season overseas.
"It's funny because you think 'oh it's still netball' when you're coaching.
"There's been things that are really similar, but in the same sense quite different as well."
Among the differences was the mix of players in her squad — three Australians, a South African and an English player blend with the Welsh contingent — making for a hybrid style.
"For me it's been great because I've had to learn the players.
"It did take me quite some time in the preseason to work it out and maybe even a couple of games in to really see it.
"That's been great in terms of coaching because I've had to really look at what our strengths are.
"It's provided that freshness and that growth in thinking about what am I going to do as a coach."
There has been a big push to make the Super League more professional this season.
Australia's Super Netball was in a "different league" but Bloxham said there were similarities, and differences, between the UK and the ANZ Premiership.
"The best way to describe it for me is over here they've got some great structures, they've got some really quality players who play with speed.
"But I talk to the girls about if we had to play against a New Zealand side, I think the physicality of some of the New Zealand players is what this side of the world would struggle with the most.
"There's a different level of physical robustness is probably how I would best describe it."
The two-point shot has been added in the UK this season as well and Bloxham said there were some "two-point bomb queens" among the teams.
The Dragons led by as much as 11 points in some games, only to have that shut down in minutes thanks to two-pointers.
Seeing the different tactics across the world had been intriguing, she said.
"I was watching ANZ the other day ... a lot of team aren't using the two-point time unless they have to.
"Whereas here, everyone uses it — it's just part of the game.
"For my team, we've been really competitive in the one-point time and then as soon as it's got to the two-point time, that's where we've probably fell short a few times.
"To be fair, I think for myself as a coach, the second half of the season I'm finally getting it right."
While Bloxham was initially hesitant about the change, she enjoyed it now.
"At the start I wasn't 100% sure how it was going to look.
"But I actually do like it, because tactically as a coach it makes you really think about how you're going to play that last five minutes."
Bloxham has watched every game of Australia, New Zealand and the UK leagues this season — "my weekends consist of watching netball from morning till night" — and she remained invested in the Steel, staying in touch with coach Wendy Frew.
Bloxham said the Steel's connections were finding their feet, and felt for them with another injury-plagued preseason, but was heartened by their performances.
"In that Magic game when they came out I just thought 'this is amazing', because you can see the potential of what can happen when it all sort of falls into place.
"I definitely think it's there.
"Watching them at times I just think 'oh my God, they're playing some really beautiful netball', so I know that they'll be searching for a little bit more consistency and being able to do that for a bit longer."
Bloxham will wrap up the season before heading home to reconnect with her family in the coming months and head back to Cardiff for the 2026 season.
"I feel like I've got a lot of knowledge in my toolkit now to sort of take into next season, which I'm excited about."