Leeds Rhinos Netball have strong foundations for the future says Tracey Robinson

The Australian leaves Leeds after today’s Vitality Superleague finale at London Pulse, just five months after succeeding Dan Ryan as the team’s second ever head coach.

Robinson has to leave because of a Visa issue relating to her previous history coaching in the game.

While frustrated at the circumstances and not being able to see the job through, Robinson feels she can look back with pride on the role she has played in helping establish a foothold for netball in Yorkshire and in the elite tier.

Rhinos missed out on the top-four play-offs but are on course for a second successive finish in the top half of the 11-team table. They have also grown the game by playing in front of thousands in Leeds and multiple hundreds in Hull and Sheffield.

“The Rhinos programme is definitely in a strong position,” she said. “One of the things I’ve got experience in is around programming, what needs to happen. I’ve had some good chats with Rhinos behind the scenes suggesting certain directions they should go in, they’re a young developing franchise.

“Things need to be changed to make it more streamlined and more practical for the club to maintain excellence within the programme. But I think the club is happy in the direction they’re going. You just look at our two games at first direct Arena; there were over a thousand more people at that second game. Netball is a big sport in this area and the club is really behind getting it being as high-functioning as possible.

“We’ve got some good young juniors in the team but also some good young juniors in the pathway, that was the commitment I felt was really important.

“We want to get the players out of the Yorkshire region. There’s heaps that turn up and support us at games.

“That’s a positive for me that I’m leaving some really strong foundations behind.”

Robinson is leaving the club because England Netball have a criteria that coaches must have coached at the top level in Australia in the last five years. It had been six in Robinson’s case.

Rhinos were successful in appealing that to the Home Office, but although Robinson does now meet the criteria the Home Office won’t grant her a Visa because she is only here on appeal.

“The club wanted me to stay, I wanted to stay, it’s one of those things neither I or the club can control,” she says.

“It seems a bit strange but it’s out of my hands, the club has to move on and I have to move on.

“It is frustrating, and the club has been really good exploring every avenue trying to fix it, but we’re at the stage now where we’ve got to move forward.

“The players have responded positively since the news, we’ve won games.

“They had a coach last year, a coach this year and it’ll be a new coach next year, so they’re used to change.

“The victory over Saracens Mavericks last weekend was a testament to the bond that they have.”