Netball Players Association gives ANZ Premiership broadcast deal deadline; Netball New Zealand responds to Silver Ferns eligibility proposal

The Northern Mystics celebrate winning the 2024 ANZ Premiership grand final. Photo / Photosport

The New Zealand Netball Players Association is encouraging athletes to plan for life outside of the ANZ Premiership, amid uncertainty over the competition’s future.

It wants Netball New Zealand to have confirmed a new broadcast deal by the end of the current competition, which finishes in late July.

The current contract with Sky and TVNZ – which expires this year – upholds the pay model for players and coaches. Without one, the ANZ Premiership as we know it will cease to exist.

Last week, Netball New Zealand boss Jennie Wyllie announced it is planning a six-team competition next year, similar in length to this year. However, there was no update on broadcast negotiations.

Players Association boss Steph Bond says the athletes need concrete answers soon.

“They’re feeling anxious and uncertain at the moment around what the future might look like from 2026 onwards. The pressure is building a little bit and the ideal timing for that really is the end of this competition to enable them to basically plan their lives.

Filda Vui in action for the Northern Mystics. Photo / Photosport

“They need to be planning, really looking forward, making sure they do have their life sorted outside of netball, that they’re looking at other opportunities.

“It’s something we challenge them on all the time to make sure they’ve got plans off the court from their own personal development perspective as well.”

Bond is keeping faith that Netball New Zealand will successfully negotiate a deal.

“We’re not privy to the negotiations directly – we just get general updates – but I have confidence there will be a broadcast deal next year. It’s just what that looks like and how that plays out over the next couple of weeks/months.”

The Players Association has proposed shifting the ANZ Premiership so that it does not clash with Australia’s Super Netball, as a way of solving the Silver Ferns’ current eligibility conundrum.

The Netball New Zealand board’s guidelines state athletes must play their club netball in Aotearoa to be selected for New Zealand.

Shooter Grace Nweke is ineligible for test selection due to being based in New South Wales, but calls are rising for her to receive an exemption.

Grace Nweke (left) and Ameliaranne Ekenasio (second from left) line up for the Silver Ferns. Photo / Photosport

Skipper Ameliaranne Ekenasio and veteran defender Kelly Jackson have both suggested the rules should be changed altogether to allow athletes to compete overseas.

Jackson even revealed she has turned down offers from Australian clubs in order to remain available for the Silver Ferns.

Bond said shifting the ANZ Premiership will allow top players to also compete in Super Netball, thereby ticking both boxes.

Wyllie told ZB’s Mike Hosking that Netball New Zealand would be open to the idea of moving the competition, but it cannot happen next year.

“It would be from 2027 onwards. We have Commonwealth Games smack in the middle of July next year, so our competition next year will kind of play out around the same time as it is now.

“We don’t control the timing of the Commonwealth Games and it makes it really difficult from a broadcast and commercial perspective when it does keep on moving. So ideally, you’d have some certainty and the Commonwealth Games would sit outside of the window.”

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 on rugby and netball for Gold Sport.