Celebrating 25 years of elite netball
When the first whistle blows in 25 days to start the 2022 ANZ Premiership, it will also mark the 25th season of elite level netball leagues in New Zealand (1988 – 2022).
The evolution of Netball New Zealand’s (NNZ) flagship domestic competition has crossed many frontiers. Each era has produced key outcomes in pushing netball to new horizons, what has gone before setting the platform for the finely-tuned, professional, high octane sporting spectacle that has been shaped by over 500 players.
The first franchise-based competition was set up in 1998 with the introduction of the Coca-Cola Cup which featured 10 teams: Waikato Wildcats, Bay of Plenty Magic, Otago Rebels, Southern Sting, Western Flyers, Auckland Diamonds, Northern Force, Counties Manukau Cometz, Capital Shakers, Canterbury Flames.
The Magic are the only team to have retained their original name over the 25 years in what is now a six-team competition.
The Rebels were the inaugural winners in the first edition of the new era before the Sting went on to dominate the Coca-Cola Cup and its successor the National Bank Cup, becoming the most successful team in modern times after winning seven titles between 1999 and 2007.
Between them the Sting and Southern Steel have been the most successful region over the past 25 years after accruing nine titles while former Silver Fern Donna Wilkins (nee Loffhagen) with seven titles with the Sting.
A new-look semi-professional trans-Tasman competition featuring five teams each from New Zealand and Australia marked the dawning of the semi-professional era for netball in 2008 with the introduction of the ANZ Championship.
In 2017, NNZ returned to a standalone competition for its elite players when the ANZ Premiership was launched, the six teams continuing to grow and build their product while also developing their own unique culture.
Bridging the divide between the amateur and semi-professional eras after playing in the National Bank Cup and the ANZ Championship leagues between 2000 and 2015, shooting great Irene van Dyk left an indelible mark during her time with the Capital Shakers, Magic and Pulse. She looks back with great fondness at her involvement while marvelling at how far netball has come.
“I wouldn’t change any of it for the world,” she said.
“It has taught me everything I know and it has given me this place in New Zealand that I call home and people call me home, and that is amazing.
“If you look at it holistically, every part of the game has grown, the athletes, the wider management and expertise, the media attention, the crowd involvement, sponsorship, it’s just gone to another level in the last 10 years. Even in the last two years, it has grown immensely.
“When I started you had to do so much of your fitness on your own, now they have nutritionists, they have fitness trainers, strength and conditioning trainers, mental health experts, the shift has just been moving with the times, I suppose.
“One thing that stands out for me from the early 2000s to now is that back in the early days, coaches had their starting sevens and that was it. The only time the other five would have an opportunity to play was if something desperate went wrong or when you were miles ahead.
“Whereas now, it feels everyone in the team is under pressure and they’re building strength throughout the whole 10.”
As the longest serving partner of netball over many years, ANZ has been a key contributor to the growth and success of the sport in New Zealand.
2022 Season Snapshot
With a nod to the past 25 years, NNZ and the ANZ Premiership are excited about where the growth and development of elite netball has landed and where it’s headed.
Fans will have the chance to select their Top 25 Players of the past 25 Years while some specialist experts will get to choose their selection of the Best of the Best. Current players will also get to choose who they would like to play alongside them in their own All Star Team from the past 25 years.
With the 2022 ANZ Premiership just around the corner, we invite you to join us in celebrating a magnificent 25 years of elite netball leagues.