Sixty years ago, a small group of visionary women with little support, helped save New Zealand netball from becoming an international outcast, a decision that has special significance on International Women’s Day.
After holding the rest of the world up with their reluctance to embrace playing seven-a-side netball, the brave administrators of the time, in the face of staunch opposition, pushed hard for change and with the resulting adoption of an international standard of rules, netball in New Zealand has gone on to reap the benefits in spectacular fashion.
From its stuttering beginnings at international level, netball quickly became the face of women’s sport in New Zealand, its evolution continuing to push the sport and its people to new frontiers. Across the eras, key outcomes have produced new norms for the empowerment of women and girls around the world.
On that front, New Zealand has been a leading figure, where netball sits comfortably alongside its male codes as a platform for finely-tuned, professional, high-octane sporting excellence and where its participants are household names.
It is timely that the sixth edition of the ANZ Premiership gets under way this weekend, and with it the celebration of 25 years of elite league netball in New Zealand.
That included the introduction of a new-look semi-profession era in 2008 with the ANZ Championship which marked a defining cross-road for netball and one which produced an immeasurable amount of good for the sport.
In showcasing the best talent from across Australasia, the competition continued to grow in intensity and the quality of performance it delivered. It was further enhanced by the inclusion of imports from around the world, the international flavour heightening interest and stretching the competition’s boundaries
Spanning 17 weeks and with all 69 games televised live each season, it provided a fantastic platform to broaden netball’s appeal which it did in spades. Viewing audiences continued to grow throughout the competition, it proved a viable commercial entity and teams built strong local community support bases.
But most importantly of all, women’s sport, and netball, in particular, gained a new respect. The ANZ Championship allowed it to break through traditional male-dominated barriers to establish its own niche as a top-quality sporting spectacle.
With Netball New Zealand (NNZ) returning to a stand-alone competition in 2017 and with it the launch of the ANZ Premiership, netball has continued to ride the wave as the game raises to new levels of performance and popularity.
As the last country to adopt the international standard of rules, New Zealand netball was quick to embrace the impact, where thousands of women and girls have set the tone through the ages for those who follow.
That is mirrored in equal measure by the huge band of volunteers who ensure netball remains just as vibrant at the community level, the standards and duty of care to the smooth-running at the formative stages flowing through to the reach the latter stages with effective ease.
NNZ will celebrate its centenary in 2024, and there’s a lot to be proud of. Netball has become a significant piece of New Zealand’s sporting landscape and with it, women and girls have shone brightly.
They have been world leaders on their particular stage, not only for their impressive athletic ability but as inspiring role models for all women everywhere.