Netball is the most popular women's sport in New Zealand, in terms of player participation and public interest. With the national team, the Silver Ferns, currently ranked second in the world, netball maintains a high profile in New Zealand. As in other netball-playing countries, netball is considered primarily a women's sport; men's and mixed teams exist at different levels, but are ancillary to women's competition.
In 2025, 149,930 players were affiliated with Netball New Zealand, the governing body for organised netball in the country. Organised competition ranges from interschool and local club netball to premier domestic competitions such as the ANZ Premiership, with the pinnacle for netball players in New Zealand being selection for the national team.
History
The exact circumstances of netball's introduction into New Zealand are unclear. Reverend J. C. Jamieson, Travelling Secretary of the Presbyterian Bible Class Union, is often credited with organising the first games in 1906, but records indicate that some form of the game was being played at Wanganui High School in 1897. The game spread across New Zealand through primary and secondary schools, although different playing rules emerged in different areas. By 1923, the first representative match was played between the regions of Canterbury and Wellington. The New Zealand Basketball Association was formed the following year, representing the first national governing body for netball. The first New Zealand National Tournament was held two years later in 1926. A New Zealand national team was named in 1938 to tour Australia; games were played with the Australian seven-a-side rules (cf. nine-a-side in New Zealand).
Attempts to adopt an international standard of rules for netball were made in earnest in 1957 in England, along with the formation of an international netball body, the International Federation of Netball Associations. Prior to this, New Zealand and Australia had worked out their own unified rules, in places making reference to netball rules in England. New Zealand national teams played seven-a-side, while domestic teams continued to play nine-a-side. However, the new international rules of netball were agreed upon in 1958, and universally applied in New Zealand by 1961. The first Netball World Championships took place in 1963 in England, with Australia defeating New Zealand in the finals.
In 1970, New Zealand became the last country to adopt the name 'netball', which until that time was still referred to as 'women's basketball'. Eventually, the New Zealand Netball Association was formed from the New Zealand Basketball Association. The 1970s saw an increase in regular tours by the New Zealand national team to other countries, as well as other national teams touring New Zealand. Domestically, mid-week netball became popular amongst housewives, who brought their children with them to netball games. By 1977, 6,058 senior teams and 2,816 primary school teams were registered with the New Zealand Netball Association. New Zealand hosted the fourth Netball World Championships in 1975, coming third behind England and Australia.
In 1991, the New Zealand Netball Association changed its name to the current 'Netball New Zealand'. In 1998, the Silver Ferns won a silver medal when netball became a medal sport at the Commonwealth Games for the first time in Kuala Lumpur; a gold medal would come eight years later in Melbourne. That year also saw the formation of a revamped national netball competition, with ten new teams representing twelve regional entities (each representing one or more regions) across New Zealand, in what became known as the National Bank Cup.
The ANZ Championship came about in 2008 to replace the National Bank Cup. At this time, the trans-Tasman league, became a semi-professional sport.
In 2017, a new era of Netball in New Zealand began- the ANZ Premiership became New Zealand's new elite Netball League. This competition replaced the previous trans-Tasman league, the ANZ Championship. ANZ Premiership features six teams; SKYCITY Mystics, Northern Stars, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, Central Pulse, Silvermoon Tactix and Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel. The Southern Steel were the 2017 champions.
Governance
Netball New Zealand is the governing body that oversees organised netball competition at school, club, regional, national and international level in New Zealand. It was founded from the New Zealand Basketball Association, which was established in 1924, and has helped to organise standard rules of play both internationally and within New Zealand.
Netball New Zealand oversees New Zealand's five netball zones; Netball Northern, Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty, Netball Central, Netball Mainland and Netball South. At a national level, Netball New Zealand looks after all the domestic competitions/teams and major events. In elite domestic netball, Netball New Zealand also supervises the six ANZ Premiership franchises and the national team, the Silver Ferns.Organised netball in New Zealand usually starts at local club or school level at around 5–7 years of age. At this stage, players focus on learning the rules of the game, as well as ball skills and basic game play. Fully competitive netball begins at around 13 years of age, although interschool competition often starts during primary school. At this stage, young players can play for a school team or for an out-of-school club team. School teams compete against other school teams in their region, with the best four teams from each of three national 'regions' competing in the annual New Zealand Secondary School Championships. Exceptional players can be invited to participate in a development camp, from which the New Zealand Secondary Schools team is chosen.
Players in out-of-school club competition compete in regional and regional-representative (national) competitions. Regional development programmes allow selected players to compete in U-15 and U-17 national competitions. After this, players may trial for entry into the New Zealand U-19 and U-21 teams, which compete at the New Zealand Age Group Championships. Open-age regional competition can, for talented players, lead to competing in the New Zealand Netball Championships. Successful players can be chosen to play in a franchise in the ANZ Premiership. From this point, the highest levels of netball in New Zealand are selection for the New Zealand Accelerant squad, and ultimately the New Zealand national team, the Silver Ferns.
Domestic competitions
The first national netball competition in New Zealand was held in 1926.
Presently, the three main national netball tournaments are the National Netball League, the New Zealand Age Group Championships and the New Zealand Secondary School Championships. The National Netball League are contested between regional-representative teams, and provide players for the ANZ Premiership franchises. U-19 and U-21 teams compete at the New Zealand Age Group Championships. The New Zealand Secondary School Championships provides players for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team.
National Netball League The National Netball League is fundamental to strengthening Netball New Zealand's performance pathway, the development of talent, and competitiveness of Netball New Zealand's elite teams. The league consists of 31 games run over 13 weekends, allowing players to continue with work and study commitments, culminating in a Grand Final. The competition includes six teams playing a double round-robin, with 10 matches to be televised on SKY Sport and 21 standalone games.
Pita Pit Secondary Schools Established in 1993, the New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) Netball Champs is one of the most hotly contested annual tournaments on the Netball New Zealand calendar. The event provides an opportunity for the best secondary school teams from the Upper North Island, Lower North Island and South Island to go head-to-head in a battle for the trophy.
Netball NZ Champs U19: Since 1993, the Netball NZ U19 Champs have provided opportunities for the country's best to go head-to-head. Between 15 and 20 Centres compete in this four-day, indoor tournament; a development pathway not just for players, but also coaches, umpires and other officials to gain experience at the next level.
U17: The Netball NZ U17 Champs (est. 2009) is Netball New Zealand's largest event and continues to grow in popularity. Between 32 and 40 Netball Centres compete in this four-day, outdoor tournament – the only domestic event held outdoors. The event is a key stepping stone for players along the development pathway.
ANZ Premiership competition
ANZ Premiership 2017–Current The ANZ Premiership is the premier domestic netball league in New Zealand. The league was formed in 2016 as a successor to the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, which was held from 2008 to 2016. The ANZ Premiership is contested annually by six teams based throughout New Zealand, with a total of 47 games played over 14 weeks.
The inaugural season of the ANZ Premiership was played in 2017, with the Southern Steel emerging as champions. The 2018 season commenced in May 2018. Teams in the ANZ PremiershipTeamColoursEstablishedBaseMain venue*Head coachNorthern Mystics 2008AucklandThe Trusts ArenaHelene WilsonNorthern Stars 2017AucklandBruce Pulman ParkKiri WillsWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic 1999HamiltonClaudelands ArenaMargaret ForsythCentral Pulse 2008WellingtonTSB Bank ArenaYvette McCausland-DurieMainland Tactix 1998ChristchurchWolfbrook ArenaDonna WilkinsSouthern Steel 2008InvercargillILT Stadium SouthlandReinga Bloxham
ANZ Championship 2008–2016
The ANZ Championship was inaugurated in April 2008 as the premier domestic netball competition in both New Zealand and Australia. The competition comprises ten teams, five each from New Zealand and Australia. The ANZ Championship allowed netball to become a semi-professional sport in both New Zealand and Australia.
ANZ Championship franchises Franchise Representative area New Zealand Northern Mystics Northland, Auckland-Waitakere, Counties Manukau Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic Waikato, Bay of Plenty Central Pulse Central North Island, Wellington, Tasman Canterbury Tactix Canterbury Southern Steel Otago, Southland Australia New South Wales Swifts New South Wales Melbourne Vixens Melbourne (Victoria) Queensland Firebirds Queensland Adelaide Thunderbirds Adelaide (South Australia) West Coast Fever Western Australia
National Bank Cup 1998–2008
Elite domestic netball competition emerged in 1998, when the Coca-Cola Cup was changed into a franchise-based competition, with ten new teams representing 12 regional areas. After four years, the competition was renamed the "National Bank Cup". Over its ten-year run, the competition was dominated by the Southern Sting. The final season was played in 2007, with the Southern Sting winning their seventh title. It was replaced in 2008 by a new trans-Tasman competition, the ANZ Championship.
Major events Netball New Zealand has several major events throughout the year:
SuperClub: Super Club, an international competition featuring eight teams from all over the world. The top three New Zealand teams from the ANZ Premiership will qualify for the event, as well as some of the top club teams from around the world.
Netball Quad Series: The Netball Quad Series is contested by four of the five highest ranked nations in netball.
Netball Youth World Cup: Since the inception of the four-yearly tournament in 1988, it was the first time New Zealand had won back-to-back titles, toppling old rivals Australia by three goals in the final of the 2017 edition to clinch a fourth trophy.