Netball: Players face familiar uncertainty as ANZ Premiership season winds down
Some of the country’s elite netballers will play their final game ANZ Premiership game this weekend, not knowing if the competition will continue in its current form next year.
The Stars, Pulse, and Magic are out of finals contention but will be doing everything they can to finish on a high during this weekend’s final round of the regular season.
It is the third year that the players and six franchises have had to operate under a cloud of uncertainty - but the situation has never been quite this precarious.
Last year the players were assured just before the start of the 2025 season, that a six-team competition would proceed this year.
The difficulties began at the end of 2023, when Netball NZ started negotiations with Sky for a new broadcast agreement to replace the deal expiring at the end of 2024. What followed was a cycle of year-to-year survival, with temporary broadcast arrangements buying time but doing little to ease concerns about the competition’s long-term future.
Eventually, the national body signed a significantly reduced one-year deal with Sky for 2025, which would be its last season as the sport’s major broadcast partner after 18 years.
Last year, Netball NZ struggled to secure a broadcast deal for the competition but eventually signed a one year agreement with TVNZ for all games to move to the free-to-air broadcaster.
Players had to take a 20 percent pay cut for 2026 and the six franchises are still waiting to hear what the national body’s plans are for the competition.
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic team relationship manager Gary Dawson said the team are focused on the present while awaiting clarity on the competition’s future.
“Netball New Zealand have kept in touch with us and shared with us as much as they possibly can but really at the moment all we know is they’re working hard in the background to try and get things sorted out for next year and 2028 and until they’ve got something concrete to share with us, we’re waiting to see what happens,” Dawson said.
Until the competition structure is confirmed, franchises are unable to contract any players for 2027.
“Until what we know exactly what’s happening, we can’t contract players because we don’t know how much we’ve got to spend and when the season is … it’s a matter of waiting and seeing what Netball New Zealand come up with.”
The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic is one of three franchises under the administration of Netball New Zealand, along with the Stars and Mainland Tactix.
Dawson, a former Waikato Rugby and Chiefs chief executive, was brought in by Netball New Zealand to assist the Magic in 2021 when the zone got into financial difficulties.
The Netball WBOP Zone’s board was disbanded and governance responsibilities handed to Netball New Zealand, but Dawson said the organisation was close to becoming financially self-sufficient again.
“Over the last four or five years every year we’ve made improvements on our financial position and this year will be our best year financially. We’ve had a great season, fantastic fan support, we’ve had the best season we’ve had in terms of sponsorship and we’re hoping to certainly break-even or even make a small profit. Our aim is always to be able to stand on our own two feet and we’re working hard to do that.”
The Central Pulse will play their final game of the season when they meet the Stars on Saturday. The Pulse have been one of the most successful teams in the Premiership, winning three titles.
Netball Central zone chief executive Ann Hay said the franchise simply had to sit tight.
“We know Netball NZ are actively working on options and we have been kept in the loop of where they are at. We are hoping to have more information in coming weeks, understanding that the new board need time to process the information,” Hay said.
Stars midcourter Claire O’Brien grew up in Australia and played in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) competition before looking for opportunities in New Zealand.
“I love it, I’ve been over here for five seasons now and I think it is a good product and I think that there is a lot of talent in New Zealand. What I’ve really loved this year is seeing a lot of the younger talent have opportunities and take it with both hands so it’s something that we still need to look after,” O’Brien said.
“There is a little bit of uncertainty, which can be a little bit stressful trying to organise your life and I guess it’s our livelihood, but we’re just fingers crossed that we get an update soon.”
Given there are no guarantees about the competition’s future, will the players savour their final game?
“That’s been our focus for the whole year, it’s been really soaking it all up, every training session, every time that we’re with our team-mates just because that might be a possibility so yeah definitely have that same attitude going into our last game.”
The other impact on the New Zealand domestic competition this year was the loss of some star players to the SSN.
The national body last year relaxed its eligibility rules, which saw six players granted exemptions to play in Australia while still being able to play for the Silver Ferns.
In the final wash-up, nine current and former Silver Ferns signed up to play in the SSN this year, including marquee players Kelly Jackson, Maddy Gordon, Kate Heffernan, and Karin Burger.
Despite the loss of players offshore, Southern Steel coach Wendy Frew believes the standard of the competition has not dropped.
“There was a lot of talk about it before the season started. For me I knew my job as a coach was to keep a good product out there and make sure these players are improving and putting in good performances and making sure netball is a good spectacle, and generally I think the standard has been really high and it’s been exciting netball to watch,” Frew said.
A stalwart of Southland netball, Frew played in the highly successful Southern Sting era before eventually captaining the Steel for many years.
“It’s very important that we carry on this competition and it’s televised, there’s so many remarkable players in New Zealand and we just need to keep raising the bar and giving these players exposure on the big stage.
“I guess NNZ are working hard behind closed doors to ensure that they are going to have some answers soon, which will be cool for these players to have a bit of information about it to ensure they know where their futures lies and what they want to be doing in the game.”
Fa’amu Muliaga (nee Ioane) is a veteran of the ANZ Premiership. The 30-year-old moved to the Mainland Tactix this year to play at her fourth franchise and said despite the pay cuts, players were as committed as ever.
“As much as it sucks getting 20 percent pay cuts a lot of us we’re in it because we love it and we want the sport to grow so we really want to put everything out there, everyone’s determined to push and to put our performances,” Muliaga said.
Without any news yet on the future of the competition, Muliaga said they couldn’t be sure if there will still be a Tactix team next year.
“That’s what definitely crosses our minds but the main thing that we’re focussing on is really savouring the time we have with the girls because we don’t know if there’s going to be a competition next year so we’re just taking it one moment at a time until we find out what’s happening.
“I think a lot of girls are nervous about the uncertainty for next year but I think at the moment players are focussing on finishing the season strong.”
Netball New Zealand said securing a sustainable future for the domestic competition was one of the newly refreshed board’s highest priorities.
“A decision on the future of the current ANZ Premiership competition hasn’t been made, but the board is meeting multiple times this month to continue working through the options,” it said in a statement.
“We acknowledge this period is difficult for our athletes, coaches, umpires, and teams, who naturally are looking for certainty regarding their near futures. That is front of mind as we work through this process and we will provide clarity as soon as we can.”
Round 10 matches
Saturday 13 June:
4pm:
Stars vs Pulse, Pulman Arena, Auckland
7pm:
Mystics vs Magic, The Trusts Arena, Auckland
Sunday 14 June
4pm:
Steel vs Tactix, ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill
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