Revealed: The secret talks that could transform Australian netball
By Carla Jaeger
An expansion of the Super Netball league to include teams from New Zealand has been discussed as part of secret talks between Netball Australia and their counterparts across the ditch.
Both countries have struggled to commercialise their domestic leagues, with New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership reported to be on the brink of collapse.
While Super Netball in Australia launched its 2024 season with a bang last weekend, reporting record crowds and a new team in the Melbourne Mavericks, Netball Australia is still exploring ways for the league to fulfil its potential as the “commercial jewel” of the sport.
The arrival of Irene van Dyk from New Zealand signalled the start of a new age in Trans-Tasman netball.Credit: Getty Images
This masthead can reveal that Netball NZ boss Jennie Wyllie and commercial director David Cooper met with Netball Australia representatives in Melbourne about three weeks ago to discuss joining the Australian competition.
Interim CEO of Netball Australia, Stacey West.Credit: AAP
Two sources briefed on the meeting, who asked to remain anonymous due to commercial sensitivities, confirmed there had been discussions about securing licences in the Super Netball league.
But no agreement has been reached, one of the sources said, adding it was too early to speculate on what a trans-Tasman deal could look like.
Asked about the meeting, a Netball Australia spokeswoman said the two governing bodies “share a fierce rivalry on the court, and a deep love of the sport”.
“We talk all the time about a range of issues to enhance the game,” the spokeswoman added.
The future of New Zealand’s domestic competition, the ANZ Premiership, is in doubt beyond 2025 after it inked a significantly reduced broadcast deal.
Radio New Zealand reported that netball broadcaster Sky NZ had halved its revenue offer from its current agreement of $A7.4 million to around $A3.6 million. Sky NZ has held the rights to the sport since 2008.
That revenue covered the salary caps of the six teams in the competition, and players are now facing a significant pay cut if the sport is unable to find investment elsewhere. The governing body signed on to the reduced offer for the 2025 season.
The return of a trans-Tasman league?
The introduction of Kiwi teams into the Australian league would mark the first cross-country competition since the trans-Tasman league split in 2016.
At the time, the split was seen as a positive step for the development and professionalisation of netball in Australia. Netball Australia had signed a landmark five-year TV deal with Nine, which owns this masthead, and administrators were keen to provide more playing opportunities for emerging talent.
But both countries’ standalone competitions have struggled to make money since they parted ways.
This masthead revealed last year that an internal report projected Super Netball would lose $7.5 million in the next three years unless significant changes were made to its structure.
The report warned that without change the league would struggle to break even during the current broadcast deal with Foxtel, which runs until 2026.
Last week’s opening round of the Super Netball season had a record total attendance of 20,802, and nearly 14,000 flocked to Melbourne’s John Cain Arena last year for the grand final clash between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and NSW Swifts.
Australia and New Zealand have traditionally dominated world netball but the Silver Ferns have recently faced fresh competition from England and Jamaica, and the 2023 World Cup marked the first time they had missed out on a medal.
Meanwhile, the Diamonds have continued to dominate, claiming the Constellation Cup, Commonwealth Games gold, Quad Series, England Test series and, in August, their 12th World Cup title.
The TV deal
Any deal brokered between the two netball bodies would need the support of Super Netball’s broadcaster, Foxtel.
Netball Australia and Foxtel entered into a five-year broadcast deal in 2021, valued between $60-80 million. The sport receives a $7 million cash injection from it each year.
Foxtel declined to comment on whether it approved of NZ teams joining Super Netball, but the pay TV operator has a history of supporting the expansion of other leagues including the addition of the Tasmania Devils to the AFL from 2028 and last year’s inclusion of the Redcliffe Dolphins in the NRL.
Netball NZ were approached for comment but did not respond.
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