Rich listers launch private domestic netball league

Netball New Zealand has committed to a minimum five-team private domestic competition for next year, after confirming it signed a non-binding term sheet with rich-listers Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams. 

This could put one of the six current ANZ Premiership teams at risk of being culled – the Stars, the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and the Mainland Tactix are all New Zealand Netball-owned franchises while the Central Pulse, the Northern Mystics and the Southern Steel are owned by the Central, Northern and Southern zones. 

Auckland FC investors Mowbray and Williams will determine the competition format, the team structure and the season dates. 

The long-form agreement would see the licence for the competition and competing teams held by the investors, with Netball New Zealand (NNZ) assuming a governance role on the board that will be established to govern the new league. 

Player terms would be determined through collective bargaining with the New Zealand Netball Players’ Association. 

Broadcast arrangements for the elite domestic competition from 2027 would sit with the investors with support from NNZ. 

NNZ chief executive Jennah Wootten said the announcement gives the netball community clarity on the direction of travel after a lengthy period of uncertainty. 

“We are pleased to announce that significant progress has been made towards securing the future of New Zealand’s elite domestic netball competition,” Wootten said. 

“While there remains a lot of work to do, we can today confirm that we are advancing work on a model that will provide a meaningful professional competition and career pathway for players. This model will ensure that fans and our community will have teams to support and that young people around the country will have athletes to look up to.” 

CEO Jennah Wootten has announced that Netball New Zealand has signed a non-binding term sheet with investors Ali Williams (inset top) and Anna Mowbray (inset bottom). Photos / Photosport 

Wootten said the decision followed a thorough process involving many parties. 

“After a great deal of careful consideration, including exploring every option available to us, the board has reached the view that private investment is the right path forward. 

“This has been done in consultation with the New Zealand Netball Players’ Association and the zones. Netball New Zealand has also been working closely with the teams that we own. 

“Private investment brings capital, commercial capability and partners committed to growing this competition and the sport around it.” 

The announcement has come far too late for most of the country’s elite netballers, with 13 Kiwis confirming Super Netball contracts and five heading to the UK’s Netball Super League. 

The Southern Steel look set to lose coach Wendy Frew, with the franchise last week refusing to deny a report the former Silver Fern will depart. 

It follows three consecutive years of uncertainty, with NNZ’s previous leadership signing one-year broadcast deals with TVNZ and Sky. 

Oceane Maihi of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic (from left), Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson. Photos / Photosport 

Wootten acknowledged the impact of recent years on players and the netball community. 

“We know the wait has been difficult, particularly for players, as well as coaches, managers, support staff and all others who earn a living from their role with teams. But we had to get this step right. This is not a decision with short-term impacts; we are talking about a long-term commitment to the sport. 

“We are glad to be able to give a clearer direction about the proposed trajectory of the domestic competition today. 

“We know a number of players have made commitments overseas because we could not give them certainty any earlier. We understand why they made those decisions and the job now is to build a competition they want to come back to, and one that is compelling for the players here in New Zealand.” 

Mowbray said: “Netball is deeply personal to New Zealand; many young players who are playing today are third- or even fourth-generation Kiwi netballers. We know there’s some incredible talent in the sport and New Zealand has a legacy of producing the best and most passionate netball players in the world. 

“We want every young player who steps on to a court in New Zealand to be able to see a straight line from there to the very top of the world game. We intend to build that through an invigorated domestic competition. 

“Our goal is to provide the backing to make New Zealand the undisputed home of world netball, where the Silver Ferns command the same reverence as the All Blacks, and every girl who picks up a ball believes she can get there.” 

“When I saw that the sport was struggling, it actually broke a piece of me because we cannot take away that aspiration from our young girls. We just can’t do it. 

“I know how critical sport was to me as a young Kiwi girl growing up in New Zealand and it really was so formative to the woman that I’ve become today ... for me, it was about making sure that I played my part in ensuring that we can continue to develop those pathways, have that potential there for our young girls and make sure that they’ve got the inspiration.” 

Mowbray said it was going to be a long path to turn a profit from the new competition. 

“For us, it’s about figuring out how we can stabilise. We have to work out how we can commercialise, how we can drive sponsorship, how we can drive the most appealing broadcast deal. That is going to be tricky. We go into this with very open eyes, understanding that that is going to be a relatively long path. But ultimately, we also realise and understand that by bringing passionate, dynamic owners into the mix and doing that from a private perspective is what will grow and what will drive the league. That is our goal, that is our ambition and that is what we want to ensure that we can make happen.” 

Players’ Association general manager Pippa Moore said: “This is a bold but necessary step for the future of netball in New Zealand and the time is right to embrace a new approach that can bring greater investment, ambition and energy into the game. 

“Most importantly, it offers a credible pathway towards a meaningful professional competition at home – one that gives our best players a reason to build their careers here and ensures the next generation can aspire to play at the highest level in their own country.” 

New Zealand Netball Players Association general manager Pippa Moore has welcomed the decision. Photo / Photosport 

Netball South, Netball Central and Netball Northern have welcomed the decision, issuing a joint statement. 

“Building on the strong netball legacy our Zones have, Netball South, Netball Central and Netball Northern (Steel, Pulse and Mystics respectively) are looking forward to working together with the investors to ensure that the new privatised league in 2027 and beyond is successful.” 

Netball New Zealand will assist in facilitation as the Zones, together with the management committees of the Stars, Tactix and Magic teams, connect and engage with the investors. 

Silver Fern Maddy Gordon last week told the Herald she and other players would love to return to a New Zealand competition, provided there is pay parity with the overseas leagues and more games. 

Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.