Netball is New Zealand's Game

I have been involved in netball ever since I started school and wasn't allowed to play rugby with the boys (oh how times have changed).  From frosty Saturday mornings at the courts to late nights in the arena.  Playing, sitting on the sideline, supporting, managing, coaching and umpiring.  At the end of 2019 I retired from everything except the supporters role.  Let's have a look at the sport which is still the most popular women's sport in terms of participation and visibility in New Zealand.

HISTORY

 Basketball originated in the United States in 1891 by James Naismith as a 9-aside game for baseballers and footballers during their off season. The rules of the game were adapted by a teacher Senda Berenson to suit her female students creating a popular team game which was introduced in New Zealand in 1906. Women’s basketball (9-aside) became so popular amongst young women that it was the first organised sport for females in multiple centres around the country in 1912.  The national organisation (now Netball New Zealand) was formed in 1924.  The first national tournament took place in Dunedin in 1926. International competition commenced in 1938.

The 7-aside version of the game (still being referred to as basketball) was adopted in New Zealand in 1959, in line with the rest of the world (although there was a modified game originating from England and known as netball played in some schools between 1923 and 1956 which was 7-aside). However, it wasn’t until 1970 that New Zealand adopted the word “netball” for this popular sport. 

 (Marfell, A. E. (2011). Netball in the lives of New Zealand Women: An Intergenerational Study (Thesis, Master of Sport and Leisure Studies (MSpLS)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/5347)

THE RULES

Netball Umpires today would be astounded by the seeming simplicity of the rules James Naismith developed for his new game. Fitting onto one page there were only 13 of them and they included simplified versions of the ones we know today such as:

1.  The ball may be thrown in a direction with one or both hands.

2. A player cannot run with the ball… (although allowance will be made for a man who catches the ball while running at speed)

3. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking, in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed

While New Zealand rules evolved in isolation to the rest of the word but with the formation of the International Netball Federation in 1960 a standardised set of rules was developed.

Today the International Netball Federation (INF) reviews the rule book every four years (generally in conjunction with the World Cup tournament) and netball umpiring is regarded almost as a sport of its own with umpire qualifications from grass roots through to international levels and umpire coaches to assist. The 40-page pocket size rule book contains 42 different headings. Other officials include scorers and timekeepers who can also undertake qualifications.

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/5701 A girls’s game – and a good one too – a critical analysis of New Zealand netball by Geoffrey Andrew, 1997.

UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

If I thought I had it bad with some of the uniforms I have worn in the past, it’s nothing on the very early days when modesty required far more coverage. 

Footwear has also undergone an evolution with companies now bringing science to netball-specific footwear (as opposed to the boots and streetwear that was once worn).

While the game was originally designed to be played with a soccer ball, today’s netballs are also especially designed (and despite the specifications in the rules, seem to be so much lighter than the old leather balls I started playing with).

Netball has and is still played on range of different surfaces from grass to concrete and for many today indoors on wooden sprung floors (which my body can attest puts far less stress on the joints).

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Women undertaking physical activity has been a subject of much suspicion, debate and research. Netball is no exception to these conversations as can be evidenced by some of the different research resources available on DNZ.

A GIRL'S GAME...

"A girls' game - and a very good one too" stated governor-general Lord Bledisloe as he opened the eighth New Zealand netball tournament in Dunedin in 1934."  Extract from an unsourced newspaper report of Lord Bledisloes's speech, NNZ Archives.

Certainly, when I was growing up, you would have been hard pressed to find a male near the netball courts on a Saturday morning. Netball was considered to be a “girls” game. However simply by virtue that it was women controlling and running the games and organisation reveals a strong independent (feminist) streak amongst those involved.

... OR NOT

In 2019 in preparation for their World Cup campaign, the Silver Ferns play the NZ Mens time officially for the first time. For many years these games had been practice affairs behind closed doors. TV coverage brought the games into living rooms around the country. This highlighted that once again, and as it was in its early days, netball is a game for both men and women.

Numbers at my small country primary school meant that our netball team had two boys playing in it (although that meant I felt even more the injustice of not being able to play in the school rugby team). Currently boys are able to play in school teams (with some limitations) up to Year 8. 

In the mid-1980’s the first National Men’s tournament was held. There is currently a separate New Zealand Mens and Mixed Netball Association running a number of national tournaments as well as sending teams to compete internationally.  Men are also involved at all levels of the game in a variety of roles including as umpires, coaches and managers.

EVOLVING FORMATS

Not only has netball evolved from a 9-aside to a 7-aside format, but other variations to the game have also been made.

The current Mother Earth futureFERNS game has evolved to introduce netball to our youngest players. Grown from a previous incarnation known as KiwiNetball it progresses youngsters through four different stages from Year 1 (5-6 year olds) through to Year 7 & 8 year olds.

In the same way that cricket has evolved shorter and faster versions of the game, netball has followed suit. This has led to the Fast 5 format featuring five players a side, rolling subs, shorter quarters, power plays and super shots. New Zealand are the current holders of the Fast Five World cup, having beaten Jamaica in the final in 2018. 

FOR ALL AGES

The evolving formats of the game meant that netball could be played by all ages from the very young right through to the Master's games and the new Walkikng Netball format.

POPULAR CULTURE

Netball became more prominent in society, especially once it was regularly televised.  Advertisers jumped on board.  Some players crossed over into reality TV and made regular magazine appearances.

Bit's and Pieces

Not fitting into any other category but some of these images have to be shown.  From the uniforms to the reporting.  Playing in all weathers (I would be rich if I had a dollar for every time I was contacted to see if the game was still on because of a bit of rain).  

Some of my heroes

 SILVER FERNS

The New Zealand national team is the Silver Ferns. They played their first international fixture in 1938 (going down to Australia – the start of an intense rivalry). Each Silver Fern who pulls on the black dress is given a number. To date (March 2020) 175 players have had the distinction of playing for their country. The team has won five World Cups (coming runners up eight times) and has won two Commonwealth Games Gold and three Silver Medals). The team are currently World Champions, beating Australia in the 2019 final 52-51. They were subsequently recognised at the 2020 ISPS Handa Halberg Awards with six awards including the Supreme Halberg Award. 

Silverferns.co.nz

WORLD CHAMPIONS 2019

Against the odds, this seems like a great place to finish my story.  Long may we reign.