Netball nation

It's the sport over a million Australians play, so why is it still struggling to reach centre court?

- ASHLEIGH AUSTEN

It's 7am on a chilly Saturday. The sun's barely up, the thermos is full, there's a container full of sliced oranges, and the camp chairs are out. Around the country, mums, dads, siblings and grandparents line the edges of netball courts - rugged up, yelling encouragement, scribbling scoresheets, and quietly hoping their kid remembered to clip their nails. It's a familiar scene in suburbs and small towns alike, and one that speaks volumes to netball's place in Australian life.

Because this isn't just a game, it's a rite of passage. And despite being the most played team sport for girls and women in Australia, with more than a million participants nationwide, netball is still fighting for recognition.

The latest AusPlay data shows 1,017,000 Australians play netball, including more than 300,000 players hitting the court each week for social and school programs. It's also the fastest-growing men's participation sport. It's in every postcode, on almost every school timetable, and at the heart of countless weekend routines. Yet even as the tide turns toward greater equity in women's sport, netball continues to be overlooked when it comes to broadcast deals, sponsorship and funding.

"It is the only code in Australia that doesn't need to add a 'w' to its name, and still, it's routinely sidelined in conversations about sporting success," says Netball Australia CEO Stacey West.

Yet that could be about to change. As well as celebrating the sport's centenary, in August 2027, Sydney will host the Netball World Cup, and Netball Australia is hoping to harness the momentum we saw with the Matildas at the 2023 Women's World Cup soccer tournament on home soil and turn it into a watershed moment for the game.