ANZ Premiership netball schedule unveiled after competition’s uncertain future
Thursday, 6 November 2025
Having faced an uncertain future, the 10th edition of the ANZ Premiership is locked in for next year, getting underway in April.
Netball New Zealand (NNZ) unveiled the 2026 schedule on Thursday, which will start on April 11 with star Central Pulse off-season recruit, former Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, facing her former Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic team-mates at Wellington’s TSB Arena.
That will be followed on the same day with the Mainland Tactix getting their title defence underway against South Island neighbours, the Southern Steel, in Christchurch. The other opening round clash sees Auckland cross-town rivals, the Stars and Mystics, meeting on April 12 at Pulman Arena.
The ANZ Premiership’s immediate future was in doubt earlier this year, but in May NNZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie confirmed the six team competition would remain.
The competition moves from Sky, which has screened domestic netball since 2008, to free-to-air TVNZ next year. How much TVNZ actually paid for the rights, if any, has not been disclosed. NNZ were dipping into its cash reserves to prop up the ANZ Premiership and cover production costs.
Next year’s competition will be missing some of the Silver Ferns’ biggest names with eight Kiwi netballers plying their trade in Australia’s Super Netball after NNZ relaxed their eligibility rules.
Silver Ferns stars Grace Nweke (returning to the NSW Swifts), Kelly Jackson and Maddy Gordon (Queensland Firebirds), Kate Heffernan (Adelaide Thunderbirds), and Karin Burger (Sunshine Coast Lightning) will all be featuring in Australia. Joining them will be former Silver Ferns Jane Watson and Whitney Souness (both Giants Netball) and Te Paea Selby-Rickit (Firebirds).
Despite their absence, Wyllie told The Post earlier this year she believed the ANZ Premiership would stay relevant.
“I certainly wouldn’t call it a development league. It’s going to be the elite netball competition in New Zealand and I think we need to back our young people who are coming through and stop questioning their ability or whether they’re ready and give them that opportunity to shine out there in front of New Zealand’s public,” she said.
Fringe Silver Ferns will be desperate to impress in the premiership ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, starting July 25.
The 2026 ANZ Premiership will once again feature two full rounds played across a 10-week season, comprising 30 round-robin matches before culminating in a two-game finals Series in June (2 v 3 elimination final and a grand final).
It will again feature the innovations brought in last season, including the two point ‘Super Shot’, which is in effect in the last five minutes of each quarter.
Every match will be played over the weekend — two on Saturday and one on Sunday — with all games broadcast live and free-to-air on TVNZ+ and TVNZ 2.
The Tactix, who are chasing back-to-back titles, will christen a new home venue, taking to the court at Christchurch’s new central city Parakiore Sports Centre for the first time when they host the Magic on May 16. Their remaining home fixtures will continue to be played at Wolfbrook Arena.
Each team will again host five home games during the regular season as they eye a place in the top three finals.
ANZ Premiership 2026 key dates
April 11: Competition starts with Pulse v Magic and Tactix v Steel Saturday doubleheader
May 2: First grand final rematch between Mystics and Tactix in Auckland
June 13-14: Final round
Finals dates: TBC