Netball New Zealand and the country’s five Netball Zones have made a number of recommendations regarding the approaching Community Netball winter season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A meeting with Netball NZ and the five Zones have seen an advisory delivered to all Netball Centres and competition organisers affiliated to Netball NZ, with a decision to postpone all winter competitions until at least Saturday 2 May.
Netball New Zealand’s advisory relates to all Community Netball programmes and activities run by affiliated Netball Centres.
The decision to continue to run Netball programmes at schools (such as trials) fall under the guidance of the School’s rules and policies.
The advisory includes the postponement of pre-season programmes, tournaments, workshops and other community competitions, including social leagues that are currently in progress.
Those involved with Community Netball, including umpires, players, officials, and committees are being encouraged to conduct any essential meetings online whenever possible.
Any Netball Centres or Zones who are yet to hold their Annual General Meetings are also encouraged to conduct these online.
Netball NZ Chief Executive Jennie Wyllie said the advisory to Netball Centres would be effective immediately.
“We are liaising with Government officials at national and regional levels in both health and sport, monitoring developments and will be reviewing the above advisory dependent on the changing environment,” she said.
“The health and well-being of our members is our priority.”
Any clubs in the process of trialling, naming teams and commencing trainings are to also postpone until four weeks before the start of their competition, or the first week in April at the earliest.
The advisory has been delivered to Netball Centres and will continue to be monitored in the coming weeks.
Volunteers are at the heart of Netball and every little bit of help counts when it comes to providing quality Netball experiences for the 140,000 players nationwide.
As the season approaches, Netball New Zealand's Volunteer Advocate, Hayley Griffith, says Centres, clubs and schools are now asking people to put their hand up to volunteer and make the game a success in their own community.
"Netball currently has over 12,000 coaches, over 2,000 umpires and countless numbers of volunteers in administration roles - they give so much to our game, and they tell us they love what they do," she says.
Griffith says it's important we acknowledge that there is a place for everyone to gain the benefits from volunteering - even those that feel they don't have the time available.
"Life is busy but it's the smaller roles that make our game run smoothly - recording the statistics, managing the central timing system, sending out the draw, being a taxi-driver, washing the uniforms, organising the quiz night, packing representative team bags, handing out bibs and balls - there really is a role for everyone," she says.
Sport NZ research (Finding and Keeping Volunteers) highlights that sport volunteers benefit in varying ways when they contribute - it helps people build social connections, share knowledge, increase hauora, and gain new skills.
"But most of all they do it because they have a passion for the game," says Griffith.
If you would like to gain the benefits from volunteering this season, please get in touch with your local centre.
Knocking Central Manawa off its Beko Netball League perch will be high on the agenda of the chasing pack as the season opener looms large.
The three-time defending champions are the most successful team in the league which was first unveiled in 2016 in a bid to strengthen the pathways of elite Netball in New Zealand.
Just who stands in their way from a fourth-straight title remains to be seen but there is a generous sprinkling of experience and new talent emerging from the 2020 Beko Netball League to suggest that Central Manawa will remain wary of the challengers.
They themselves have changes to the squad which beat Waikato-BOP in last year’s Grand Final, particularly in the shooting circle with Saviour Tui elevated to the ANZ Premiership and Monalisa Groom unavailable due to injury.
The return of shooter Jermaine Howard-Vallance will provide new coach Anna Andrews-Tasola with some experience on attack while last year’s Tania Dalton Scholarship winner, Paris Lokotui, gives Manawa a strong option on defence.
Their season opener sees them take on the only other team to have lifted the spoils, the Southern Blast, with the inaugural league winners now under the watchful eye of former Silver Fern Jo Morrison.
She is without both Heffernan twins this season with Kate and Georgia earning Premiership contracts, but she will have one half of another southern set of twins, with Sophie Erwood, sister to the Southern Steel’s Abby Erwood, back in Blast colours.
Morrison is not the only former Silver Fern to guide a BNL team this season with Mary-Jane Araroa back with last year’s finalists, Waikato-BOP, and Temepara Bailey taking on the head coach role with the Northern Comets.
Waikato-BOP will again be spearheaded by dynamic midcourter, Ali Wilshier, who was named the 2019 Beko Netball League Player of the Year, while promising young shooter Khiarna Williams will anchor the shooting circle.
Meanwhile, Bailey will tackle a dual coaching role this season as she continues to act as assistant coach to the Northern Stars in the ANZ Premiership while also picking up the head coach role for the Comets for the first time.
Stars training partners Nanise Waqaira (formerly with the Northern Mystics) and Oceane Maihi along with Kolose sisters, Jaymie and Tori, will feature for the northern side in the BNL.
Their neighbours, the Northern Marvels, are again coached by Ripeka Pirie and will turn to the experience of attacking playmaker Filda Vui who has played since the league started.
Mainland will also turn to the experienced head of Nicola Mackle through the middle with Lily Marshall and Lily Fletcher two players to watch on defence.
They have a new coach in Andrea Cousins who has stepped up from her role as assistant last year.
The 12-week round-robin competition concludes at the TSB Arena in Wellington where the Grand Final will be played on June 21.
NZ Strong Northern Marvels | Coach: Ripeka Pirie
Christie Anderson
Danielle Binks
Emily Burgess
Asher Grapes
Courtney Katterns
Holly Mather
Grace McCarthy
Seroya Nankivell
Nirah Nathan
Anania Piri
Alyssa-Jean Savelio
Jessie Taylor
Emma Thompson
Halaevalu Toutaiolepo
Jazmin Tufuga
Filda Vui
Northern Comets | Coach: Temepara Bailey
Izzy Chan
Patricia Furival
Chonaire Huriwai
Jaymie Kolose
Tori Kolose
Vika Koloto
Tamara Leoni
Oceane Maihi
Christina Oscar
Lisa Putt
Ivana Rowland
Nanise Waqaira
Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty | Coach: Mary-Jane Araroa
Dannielle Dephoff
Georgie Edgecombe
Quantelle Hira-Kapua
Manaia Hutana
Emma Johnson
Ellie McManaway
Brooke Neilson
Anahia Noble
Jade Poi
Hannah Ridling
Greer Sinclair
Katie Te Ao
Emily Ussher
Khiarna Williams
Aaria Williams
Ali Wilshier
Central Manawa | Coach: Anna Andrews-Tasola
Allie Dunn
Colleen Faleafaga
Jermaine Howard-Vallance
Paris Lokotui
Parris Mason
Grace McLean
Emma-May Murray-Fifita
Bianca Nagaiya
Caitlin O'Sullivan
Parris Petera
Charity Polu
Leehava Saverio
Danielle Tafili
Api Taufa
Salote Taufa
Ofa Vatikani
Netball Mainland | Coach: Andrea Cousins
Tiuana-Marie Aiono
Rachel Albiston
Jess Allan
Jenna Barrett
Manaia Feather
Lily Fletcher
Zoey Flockton
Hannah Glen
Emma Hartnell
Charlotte Knight
Nicola Mackle
Laura Mann
Lily Marshall
Lina Pale
Tiana Placid
Natasha Ryan
Southern Blast | Coach: Jo Morrison
Annabel Angland
Ella Brown
Sophie Erwood
Maddie Feaunati
Kate Hartley
Sara McCarthy
Mara McCurdy
Holly Munro
Grace Namana
Kiana Pelasio
Lauren Pickett
Meg Sycamore
Meleitia Tatupu
Taylor Thorne
Della-May Vining
Georgia White
A pilot group of 15 teenaged Southland girls has embraced a cross-code initiative which could help keep young athletes involved in sport.
Inspired by Invercargill Netball Centre (INC)and Southland Basketball (SBA), the introduction of its Cross Codes Initiative has seen Southland take the lead in the recently launched Sport NZ Balance is Better campaign.
Aimed at improving youth sport, the campaign has called on parents, coaches and administrators to ensure athletes have a balanced approach to sport. The evidence-based campaign highlights that early specialisation and overloading of players at a young age can lead to burn out and injury.
“I had found that in the 14-16-year-old age-group of Netball girls, there was a group of them that were cross-coding, mostly with basketball, because generally those two codes cross over,” INC Development Officer Jodie Whitson-Morris said.
“There was a feeling both sports were pulling from the same pool of girls and we wanted to make it easier for them. We didn’t want them to feel like they had to choose which sport they went for or suffer from burn out.
“Last year the nationals for basketball and Netball at that age-group were a week apart and some of these girls did both and came out of that two weeks absolutely exhausted, so that’s how we started this.”
At the end of January, INC and SBA facilitated a pilot group of 15 girls, inviting them to discuss the varying challenges and what they would like to see happen.
“We just wanted their voice and the feedback was amazing,” Whitson-Morris said.
“They were really open and honest about how they were feeling and their challenges. They gave us some great ideas for the next steps.”
The initiative has resulted in the co-designing of a training calendar to ensure the athletes are not overloaded, trialling a combined strength and conditioning programme and communicating with high school coaches so they are aware of cross-coding athletes.
Sport Southland has also come on board and subsequently coaches and parents who attended a ‘Cross-code info’ night on February 25.
“We weren’t sure what to expect, who would come or how many and we ended up with a room-full which included other sports, coaches, parents and some of the girls from our pilot group,” Whitson-Morris said.
“It was another interesting discussion which basically boiled down to us all being there for the athlete and what can we all do to help that athlete. It has opened a huge conversation which is great because that’s what we want.
“If successful, then we can broaden our age-group and work with other sporting codes. In the meantime we will be keeping the other codes in the loop with what we are doing.”
One involved in the pilot group is 15-year-old Southland Girls High School student Lucy Shirley, who, ideally, would like to continue playing both codes, but said without the intervention of this initiative, the likely outcome was burn out.
“This has been a really good start,” she said.
“It will help us out to not be over-loaded with other trainings and stuff and just working together makes everyone understand what we’ve got on our plates.
“Sometimes if we’ve got lots of fitness trainings (for both codes), in one week we might be doing a couple of fitness trainings for each but we really only need to be doing one or two.
Hopefully, our on-going discussions will help with that. All the girls think what’s happening is great and that people are wanting to support us which is really positive.”
This year’s National Umpire Squad has been announced, including two new umpires who have made the squad for the first time.
Marlissa Howard and Michelle Stagg are among the 14-strong squad which will umpire at top level netball events this season.
“We’re really excited with the depth in our squad. The blend of internationally recognised Umpires and those who are developing their craft is exciting,” said National Technical Officials Manager Garratt Williamson.
“The culture in our team is strong and we can’t wait to get started in the ANZ Premiership and Beko Netball League.”
In addition to the National Umpire Squad, three Umpire Coaches and four Umpire Selectors have also been named.
The ANZ Premiership begins on Sunday 15 March with the Beko Netball League following a week later from 21 March.
2020 NATIONAL UMPIRE SQUAD
Umpires
Angela Armstrong-Lush
Josh Bowring
Myron Elkington
Gracey Farquharson
Gareth Fowler
Ann Hay
Marlissa Howard*
Jess Lea
Sasha McLeod
Ken Metekingi
Zak Middleton
Cory Nicholls
Kristie Simpson
Michelle Stagg*
* Named to the squad for the first time in 2020.
Umpire Coaches
Fay Meiklejohn
David Pala’amo
Jan Teesdale
Umpire Selectors
Colleen Bond
Pam Clayton
Kirsten Lloyd
Sheena Tyrrell
Tania Dalton Foundation, created in honour of the sporting legend, has named the third-year intake of deserving recipients for its Scholarship Programme.
The Foundation exists to inspire young people to be the best they can be through sport, by coordinating a range of programmes aimed at making a positive and measurable impact.
Four Netballers have been named for 2020 including Ivari Christie (Morrinsville), Khiarna Williams (Whakatane), Fiapalagi Lai Kong (Christchurch) and Parris Mason (Taranaki).
The main initiative for the Foundation, launched two years ago, is the Scholarship Programme which honours Tania’s passion for supporting young women in sport.
Founder and husband, Duane Dalton, says the programme supports talented young sportswomen from all kinds of circumstances or those who will benefit from the unique and valuable support the Foundation can provide.
“We’re in our third year now, with the 2018 scholarship recipients in their final year of the programme. I am proud, as would Tania, of the impact these girls are having in their respective sport and community,” says Duane.
The programme provides girls opportunities to connect with like-minded athletes and with experienced mentors. The support from these mentors, scholarship funders and the community is testament to the incredible person Tania was.
“Following Tania’s footsteps, we’re encouraging these girls to see themselves as future role models and leaders in their communities, finding ways to work alongside and inspire them to realise their ultimate dreams. And we’re looking forward to helping our 2020 scholarship recipients achieve success just as we have in previous years.”
Scholarship Recipients Class of 2020:
Ivari Christie (Netball) - Morrinsville
Khiarna Williams (Netball) - Whakatane
Fiapalagi Lai Kong (Netball) - Christchurch
Parris Mason (Netball) - Inglewood, Taranaki
Maama Vaipalu (Volleyball) - Papatoetoe, Auckland
Tara Turner (Touch Rugby) - Whangarei
Mile Naime (Athletics) - Manurewa, Auckland
Alana Paewai (Basketball) - Hamilton
Patricia Maliepo (Rugby) - Panmure, Auckland
K’Lee Begbie (Rugby) - Putaruru
Terri MacDonald (Water Polo) - Hamilton
Kenya Watene (Rugby) - Kaitaia
SKY Sport and Netball New Zealand have joined forces to ensure today’s Netball Australia Bushfire Relief Match will be screened live in New Zealand.
Netball Australia has coordinated the one-off showcase match between the Origin Diamonds and the Suncorp Super Netball All-Stars at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney to raise funds for communities affected by Australia’s devastating bushfires.
World Cup winning Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman will lead the All Stars team which features many of the world’s leading players against the Origin Diamonds, who will be coached by Lisa Alexander for the final time after eight years in the role as the Australian Diamonds head coach.
Bushfire Netball Relief Match
Live3.00pm on Sky Sport 3
Replay9.00pm on Sky Sport 3
SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL ALL-STARS
Coaches: Briony Akle (NSW Swifts) and Julie Fitzgerald (GIANTS Netball)
The Origin DIAMONDS
Coach: Lisa Alexander
The International Netball Federation (INF) has announced the latest update of its rules of the game.
The updated rules are effective from 28th February, 2020 to reflect the amendments to the 2018 rules that were approved at the latest INF Congress.
CLICK HERE to view summary of changes
CLICK HERE to buy International Rules of Netball – 2020 Edition
Netball NZ is one of five sports which has joined Sport NZ in efforts to improve youth sport calling on parents, coaches and administrators involved at a grassroots level to help implement changes as sports prepare for the upcoming winter season.
“We believe changing the attitudes and behaviours of those delivering or influencing grassroots sport, whether parents, coaches or administrators, will be the single biggest success factor in addressing the current problems in youth sport and keeping young people in the game,” said Sport NZ’s General Manager of Community Sport Geoff Barry.
“Together with the five sports we are today launching a six-week public awareness campaign to raise awareness of how we need to change youth sport and what parents, coaches and administrators can do to contribute to this. To support them, Sport NZ has also launched the balanceisbetter.org.nz website, which provides information and resources for those delivering grassroots sport.”
Those changes to youth sport, which include encouraging young people to play multiple sports rather than specialising early, and an emphasis on fun and development over winning, also continue to be driven by Sport NZ and the five sports.
An additional five sports will sign the Statement of Intent in March, after working closely with Sport NZ since September.
“For Netball NZ we now have 75% of our Netball Centres implementing our Year 7 and 8 Player Development Programme which has replaced the traditional Year 7 and 8 representative structure,” said Netball New Zealand CEO Jennie Wyllie.
“We also announced changes to our national age group competition structure which will be implemented in mid – 2020. Since September we have also introduced a national youth board and we will have a youth representative on our Netball New Zealand Board by March this year.”
In addition, Sport NZ is making committing to the philosophy of the Statement of Intent a condition of its investment into national sport organisations from October this year.
“This is a powerful statement from Sport NZ about the importance of these changes. It will take time and a lot of consultation within each sport for big changes to flow through, but having all sports stating their commitment to change sends a strong message to those involved in the delivery of youth sport,” said NZ Cricket Project Lead Martin Snedden.
NZ Football, meanwhile, has started to phase out its traditional Federation Talent Centre programme.
“NZ Football and our federations are working to improve the capability of clubs to provide quality development programmes for a larger group of players. Given that youth players develop at different rates, it is critically important that we have more players involved in development programmes,” said NZ Football CEO Andrew Pragnell.
Rugby has recently made changes at both a provincial and national level. In November last year the Northern Region Rugby Council announced it would no longer undertake representative Provincial Union based initiatives below the Under 16 age group, while nationally New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has also introduced new programmes for junior rugby to reflect the changing needs of young people. These include the introduction of non-contact forms of rugby into older age groups including teenagers, and 10-a-side rugby for Under 11s.
“The changes we and other sports are implementing will have significant impact, but the outcomes we’re seeking require a much bigger team effort from the wider sporting community. That’s why we need to encourage those delivering sport at grassroots level to look at ways they can play their part too,” says NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson.
To find out more about the campaign visit keepupwiththeplay.org.nz
Nine dedicated individuals have been recognised for their contribution to Netball having been awarded the prestigious Netball New Zealand (NNZ) Service Award.
The recipients, who come from Netball Mainland, Netball Central and Netball Northern, were honoured at the 2020 Netball New Zealand Annual General Meeting at the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday.
The award recognises an individual who has given significant service to the sport, often across a number of areas, enhancing Netball at local level, regionally, nationally or internationally.
Those to be honoured this year included experienced New Zealand Under-21 coach Yvette McCausland-Durie, who was nominated by Netball Manawatu.
To be considered for a NNZ Service Award, all recipients must have received a service award and/or life members award in their regional entity or centre. The board of NNZ can also nominate someone in recognition of their service at a national and/or international level.
2020 NNZ Service Award Recipients:
Karen King (Netball South Canterbury, Mainland)
Fay Trezise (Netball South Canterbury, Mainland)
Fay Selby-Law (Netball Manawatu, Central)
Yvette McCausland-Durie (Netball Manawatu, Central)
Lynette Imrie (Netball Hutt Valley, Central)
Kay Jenkins (Christchurch Netball Centre, Mainland)
Robyn Daly (Christchurch Netball Centre, Mainland)
Lee McKenzie (Christchurch Netball Centre, Mainland)
Robyn Garner (Howick Pakuranga Netball Centre, Northern)
Northland Netball’s Maxine Shortland has been announced as the newest member of the Netball New Zealand (NNZ) Board at NNZ’s Annual General Meeting in Christchurch.
Her successful nomination, which took place at the 93rd AGM at the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday, sees her replace Southland’s Debbie Hodges who steps down from her board role after six years.
With 40 years of experience in Netball, Shortland has covered most roles including player, manager, coach, administrator, and parent netball convenor and governance management.
She is currently sitting on the Whangarei Netball Centre in Northland – a region where she was born and bred, and still resides.
Shortland said she was looking forward to joining the Netball New Zealand Board bringing her personal interest in exploring governance and leadership processes.
“What I would like to bring to this role in particular is my governance experience, mostly within the community and emerging/start-up business sectors,” she said.
She is an accomplished community and business leader and brings 25 years of governance and senior management experience from charitable, voluntary, government, non-government organisations and within the Maori management sector.
Shortland remains a board member of the New Zealand National Lotteries Grant Board and Springboard Trust and has experience with Public and Private Sectors.
She was Chief Operating Officer at Ngati Hine Health Trust for five years up to 2017 where she was responsible for ensuring efficient and effective business operations.
Shortland remains a member of Global Women (New Zealand), and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
The Cadbury Netball Series has been announced as a finalist for Best Sports Event 2019 in the annual New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) New Zealand Event Awards.
Spanning 18 categories, the 2019/2020 NZEA New Zealand Event Awards recognises excellence of events that bring visitors to New Zealand and entertain local Kiwis.
The Cadbury Netball Series, played in June 2019, provided a landmark moment for the sport of Netball, with the Silver Ferns playing games against the New Zealand Men's Netball team, Fiji Pearls and an All Stars side in a world first at Pulman Arena in Papakura which was televised live on Sky Sport.
The series provided a moment in history which generated local buzz and global exposure, providing an important piece of the puzzle helping in the success of the Silver Ferns at the Netball World Cup.
The Cadbury Netball Series is one of five events nominated for Best Sports Event 2019, along with the HSBC New Zealand Sevens, Anchor AIMS Games, Hot Springs T20 Christchurch Black Clash and IRONMAN New Zealand.
The NZEA NZ Event Awards winners will be announced at a gala evening hosted at The Pavilion, Old Government House Lawn, in Auckland on May 11.
Best Sports Event 2019 Finalists - Sponsored by Fresh Info
Cadbury Netball Series (Netball New Zealand)
HSBC New Zealand Sevens (New Zealand Rugby & 37 South Events)
Anchor AIMS Games (AIMS Games Trust & Tauranga City Council)
Hot Springs T20 Christchurch Black Clash (Duco Events)
IRONMAN New Zealand (IRONMAN Group)