Reinga Bloxham Explained

Reinga Bloxham
Fullname:	Reinga Bloxham
Birth Date:	c.
Relatives:	Georgie Salter (aunt)
Positions:	WD, C
Clubyears1:	1998–2004
Clubyears2:	2006
Clubteam2:	Southland
Coachyears1:	2009
Coachteam1:	Southland LMC
Coachyears2:	2010–2013
Coachteam2:	Southland NPC
Coachyears3:	2014
Coachteam3:	Netball South U23
Coachyears4:	2016–
Coachteam4:	Southern Steel

Reinga Bloxham, also known as Reinga Te Huia, is a former New Zealand netball player and current coach. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she played for Southern Sting. Since 2016, she has served as head coach of Southern Steel in the ANZ Premiership. In 2017 and 2018, Bloxham guided Steel to two successive ANZ Premiership titles.

Early life and family

Bloxham is a Māori with Ngāti Kahungunu affiliations.^[1] ^[2] ^[3] ^[4] She was born and raised in Southland.^[5] Differing sources give her place of birth as either Gore^[1] ^[2] or Wyndham.^[6] She is a niece of Georgie Salter, the former New Zealand netball international.^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10] ^[11] Bloxham is the mother of two children, a son, Te Kaanu (born, c. 2000) and a daughter, Maraea (born, c. 2005).^[6] ^[12] Bloxham is also a primary school teacher.^[5] ^[13]

Playing career

Southern Sting

Between 1998 and 2004, during the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, Bloxham played as a midcourter for Southern Sting.^[6] ^[12] ^[5] ^[14] ^[15] ^[16] ^[17] She was a founding member of the Southern Sting team.^[18]

Southland

Bloxham also played representative netball for Southland in the National Championships.^[19] ^[20]

Coaching career

Southland

In 2009, Te Huia, together with Jo Cunningham, co-coached the Southland team to victory in the Lois Muir Challenge. In 2010 and 2011, Te Huia and Cunningham co-coached the Southland team in the National Provincial Championships. Te Huia was the sole head coach of the Southland NPC team in both 2012 and 2013.^[5] ^[16] ^[17] ^[21] ^[22] ^[23]

Netball South

In 2014 Te Huia was head coach of the Netball South U23 team that finished as runners up in the National U23 Championships.^[24] ^[25] ^[26]

Southern Steel

Assistant coachDuring the 2013 ANZ Championship season, Te Huia joined Southern Steel as a defensive coach, replacing Natalie Avellino as a member of Steel's coaching staff.^[16] ^[17] ^[18] In 2014 and 2015, she served as assistant coach to Janine Southby.^[18] ^[26] ^[27] ^[28] ^[29] When Southby was appointed New Zealand head coach, Te Huia unsuccessfully applied for the Steel head coach position.^[6] ^[13] ^[22] Despite this, she subsequently served Noeline Taurua as assistant coach for the 2016 season and helped Steel finish as minor premiers.^[18] ^[30] ^[31] ^[32]

Head coachIn October 2016, ahead of the 2017 season, Southern Steel appointed Te Huia, now Bloxham, as their new head coach.^[6] ^[5] ^[33] ^[34] ^[35] ^[36] She subsequently guided Steel to an unbeaten season with 21 wins and zero defeats. Steel finished the season as minor premiers and winners of both the 2017 ANZ Premiership and the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club.^[37] ^[38] ^[39] ^[40] In 2018, Bloxham guided Steel to a second ANZ Premiership title.^[12] ^[4] ^[41] ^[42] ^[43]