Netball: Every corner of the country counts

Shelley McMeeken says a new broadcasting deal and secure sponsorship allows the sport to plan long-term. Picture / Brett Phibbs

On July 20, it will be exactly two years since that sultry day in Jamaica when the Silver Ferns battled past Australia to win the world championships.

Since then the Silver Ferns have played arch rivals Australia six times - winning four and losing two - and demolished England 3-0 in a home series in March this year.

But apart from those results at the elite level, what has Netball New Zealand achieved since the world championship win? And where is the sport heading?

After half an hour with Netball New Zealand chief executive Shelley McMeeken it soon becomes clear the organisation has sound plans on how to keep New Zealand at the top of the world, and to keep the game humming along at grass roots level.

Since that world championships win McMeeken says NNZ has renegotiated its broadcasting deal for the next four years and consolidated sponsorship and Sparc funding.

That has allowed it to plan for the next four years.

"Winning the world champs was the pinnacle, it was our elite, but the only way we got there was because we had such strong grass roots," McMeeken says.

"I guess that made us reflect and look on our community. For that continous improvement we need to assist the community as well."

As a result NNZ has taken a hard look at the 12 regions that make up the country. Administrators have been introduced in each region and marketing people will be added through funding from the Scottwood Trust.

Playing fees have been reduced and soon there will be four coaches operating out of Netball New Zealand and working in the regions.

"The philosophy and the values that [Silver Ferns coach] Ruth [Aitken] and the team have established and the winning formulas and all of that can be passed through into the regions."

There are between 120,000 to 130,000 registered players in New Zealand, a figure that is slowly growing each year.

"What is important to us is that we continue to retain our players and for longer. Part of that is being accessible, which is why we are working with our communities and our regions."

Internationally, a new structure for the International Netball Federation, which was spearheaded by Netball New Zealand, has been approved. The old international board of six members and the members council will combine to form a board of nine in which New Zealand hopes to have a representative.

Like Netball New Zealand, McMeeken says the international body faces a balancing act between promoting the elite and working on the grass roots.

Like most sports, netball wants to expand internationally.

At the moment New Zealand, Australia and Jamaica has a clear edge over the rest, she says.

However, at the under-21 level McMeeken says nothing separates New Zealand, Australia, Jamaica and England. Little is known about the South Africans but they are ooking very strong.

"That signals some real strength and bodes really well for the sport."

Whether the sport will turn fully professional in New Zealand is something McMeeken is often asked.

"I guess we have to say, 'what is professionalism?' When people say that they tend to think of the rugby and cricket model.

"Our netballers are mothers and career women. Having those aspects to their lives gives them more of a balance. Obviously their lives are incredibly full ... So Netball New Zealand's short-term intent is to be able to free up some of that time by compensating them so they can train and play and help promote our game."

The Silver Ferns play six to eight tests a year which McMeeken says doesn't require the players to be fulltime.

"We need to get more countries playing at a higher level, then we will revisit it. I'd like to think there is a different way from other sports codes."

At the moment NNZ looks after the Silver Ferns at a national level and the National Bank Cup franchises look after the players at a franchise level. There are no plans to change that at this stage.

While expansion of the National Bank Cup is in the pipeline, NNZ's main focus is probably next year's Commonwealth Games.

McMeeken would also like to see a few more venues in New Zealand capable of holding 5000 or so roaring Silver Fern fans.

"It was incredibly exciting to see the Silver Ferns win and become world champs. It was humbling for the Silver Ferns to receive so many Halberg awards.

"It is very exciting to see the regional managers in place that has given us a real structure as a national body we can work through.

"I think it is an amazing sport to be part of and we are lucky to have the support of the public and the communities - but we are always looking to do better on and off the court."