The Australia national netball team, also known as the Australian Diamonds, represent Netball Australia in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Constellation Cup, the Netball Quad Series and the Fast5 Netball World Series. They have also represented Australia at the World Games. Australia made their Test debut in 1938. As of 2023, Australia have been World champions on 12 occasions and Commonwealth champions on 4 occasions. They are regularly ranked number one in the World Netball Rankings.
History Early years On 20 August 1938, at Royal Park, Melbourne, Australia defeated New Zealand 40–11. This was the first netball Test between Australia and New Zealand. It was also the world's first international netball match. The Australia team included Lorna McConchie and the umpires included Anne Clark. Australia were due to tour New Zealand in 1940. However the tour was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II. In 1948, an Australia team eventually toured New Zealand for the first time, winning all three test matches. The Australia team included Myrtle Craddock. In 1956, with a team coached by McConchie and captained by Pat McCarthy, Australia toured England, Scotland and Ceylon. During the tour Australia played their first tests against Ceylon, Scotland and England.
Rivalry with New Zealand One of Australia's main rivals in international netball is New Zealand. Between 1963 and 2015, the two teams dominated the World Netball Championships and Commonwealth Games tournaments. Since 2010 the two teams have also competed for the Constellation Cup. Notable and memorable clashes have included the finals of the 1991, 1999 and 2011 World Netball Championships, the finals of the 2010 and the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the final match of the 2013 Constellation Cup.
Tournament history Netball World Cup Australia has competed at every World Netball Championships and/or Netball World Cup since the 1963 inaugural tournament. Between 1963 and 2015, Australia have won 11 championships. With a team coached by Lorna McConchie, captained by Joyce Brown and also featuring Margaret Caldow and Wilma Ritchie, Australia were the inaugural champions after winning all ten matches during the 1963 tournament. In 2005, the 1963 team were inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In the 1991 final, Australia defeated reigning champions, New Zealand, 53–52 at a packed Sydney Entertainment Centre. New Zealand held a one point lead at each change, Australia then went ahead with minutes to go. With seconds to spare, Roselee Jencke made a match-saving intercept to ensure a one-goal victory for Australia. The match, which was broadcast live on Network 10, was hailed as one of the greatest netball games ever. Bob Hawke, the Prime Minister of Australia and a lifelong sports enthusiast, called it the best sporting contest he had seen. It was also the first of a hat-trick of World titles for Australia. In 1992, the team and their head coach, Joyce Brown, were all awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. In 2012 they were inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In the 1999 final, Australia were trailing New Zealand 28–34 after three quarters. However, they snatched the title 42–41 with a last minute goal from Sharelle McMahon. The win gave Australia its third straight world title. In 2014, the 1999 team became the third Australia national netball team to be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Tournaments Place1963 World Netball Championships1967 World Netball Championships1971 World Netball Championships1975 World Netball Championships1979 World Netball Championships1983 World Netball Championships1987 World Netball Championships1991 World Netball Championships1995 World Netball Championships1999 World Netball Championships2003 World Netball Championships2007 World Netball Championships2011 World Netball Championships2015 Netball World Cup2019 Netball World Cup2023 Netball World Cup
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World Games Between 1985 and 1993, Australia competed at the World Games, winning one gold and two silver medals.
Tournaments Place1985 World Games1989 World Games1993 World Games
Commonwealth Games Australia has competed at every netball tournament at the Commonwealth Games. In 1990 they defeated New Zealand in a one-off match when netball was a demonstration sport. Between 1998 and 2022 they have played in every tournament final, winning four gold and three silver medals. In 1998, Jill McIntosh guided Australia to the inaugural Commonwealth title after they defeated New Zealand 42–39 in the final. In 2002, Australia defended their title, again after defeating New Zealand in the final, this time courtesy of a Sharelle McMahon goal in double extra time.
During the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, McMahon, now team captain, carried the flag for the overall Australia team. In 2014, Australia won their third Commonwealth title after defeating New Zealand 58–40 in the final. Caitlin Bassett scored 49 from 53 at 92% accuracy to clinch the title.
In 2022, the Diamonds also won gold at the Commonwealth Games, defeating Jamaica 55–51. This gold medal was a landmark achievement, as it was Australia's 1000th Commonwealth Games gold medal, making Australia the first nation to reach that milestone.
At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Australia lost their semi final match against Jamaica 46–45 to miss the gold medal match for the first time at the Commonwealth Games. The team won the bronze medal playoff against England 68–50.
Tournaments Place1990 Commonwealth Games1st1998 Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth Games2010 Commonwealth Games2014 Commonwealth Games2018 Commonwealth Games2022 Commonwealth Games2026 Commonwealth Games
Constellation Cup Since 2010 Australia and New Zealand have competed for the Constellation Cup.
Tournaments Place2010 Constellation Cup2011 Constellation Cup2012 Constellation Cup2013 Constellation Cup2014 Constellation Cup2015 Constellation Cup2016 Constellation Cup2017 Constellation Cup2018 Constellation Cup2019 Constellation Cup2021 Constellation Cup2022 Constellation Cup2023 Constellation Cup2024 Constellation Cup2025 Constellation Cup
Netball Quad Series/Netball Nations Cup Since 2012, Australia have competed in the Netball Quad Series, playing against England, New Zealand and South Africa.
Tournaments Place2012 Netball Quad Series2016 Netball Quad Series2017 Netball Quad Series (January/February)2017 Netball Quad Series (August/September)2018 Netball Quad Series (January)2018 Netball Quad Series (September)2019 Netball Quad Series2022 Netball Quad Series2023 Netball Quad Series2024 Netball Nations Cup
Fast5 Netball World Series When competing at the Fast5 Netball World Series, the team is referred to as the Fast5 Flyers. In 2022, Australia won the series for the first time.
Tournaments Place2009 World Netball Series3rd2010 World Netball Series4th2011 World Netball Series3rd2012 Fast5 Netball World Series6th2013 Fast5 Netball World Series2nd2014 Fast5 Netball World Series2nd2016 Fast5 Netball World Series2nd2017 Fast5 Netball World Series3rd2018 Fast5 Netball World Series3rd2022 Fast5 Netball World Series2023 Fast5 Netball World Series2024 Fast5 Netball World Series
Home venues The Diamonds have played their home matches at various home venues around Australia. The courts they most recently used include:
Venue TournamentSydney Super Dome2015 Netball World Cup2019 Constellation CupPerth Arena2019 Constellation CupNewcastle Entertainment Centre2018 Netball Quad Series (September)John Cain Arena2016 Fast5 Netball World Series2017 Fast5 Netball World Series2018 Netball Quad Series (September)2018 Fast5 Netball World SeriesGold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre2018 Commonwealth GamesCoomera Indoor Sports Centre2018 Commonwealth GamesAdelaide Entertainment Centre2016 Netball Quad SeriesMargaret Court Arena2016 Netball Quad SeriesBrisbane Entertainment Centre2017 Netball Quad Series (August/September)AIS Arena2017 Netball Quad Series (August/September)
Notable players Current squad The current squad was selected for the 2025 Constellation Cup. Notable past players Captains
Award winners, Most capped
Head coaches
Years Head coaches 1956, 1963Lorna McConchie1960Eunice Gill1967Margaret Pewtress1971, 1979, 1987–1989Wilma Shakespear1975, 1983, 1991–1993Joyce Brown1985Pamela Barham1990Margaret Corbett1990Gaye Teede1995–2003Jill McIntosh2003–2011Norma Plummer2011–2020Lisa Alexander2020– Stacey Marinkovich
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Sponsorship Sponsors Seasons NotesSamsung 20172019 Origin Energy 2020present
Honours
World Netball Championships/Netball World Cup Winners: 1963, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2023: 12 Runners up: 1967, 1987, 2003, 2019: 4 Commonwealth Games Winners: 1998, 2002, 2014, 2022: 4 Runners Up: 2006, 2010, 2018: 3 Constellation Cup Winners: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023: 11 Runners Up: 2012, 2021, 2024: 3 Netball Quad Series/Netball Nations Cup Winners: 2012, 2016, 2017 (I), 2018 (I), 2018 (II), 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024: 9 Runners Up: 2017 (II): 1 World Games Winners: 1993: 1 Runners up: 1985, 1989: 2 Fast5 Netball World Series Winners: 2022, 2023, 2024: 3 Runners up: 2013, 2014, 2016: 3
References
External links Official team website Netball Australia website