ANZ Championship

Netball is the most popular team sport for women in Australia and New Zealand in terms of player participation,[1][2] with the sport having been established in both countries for more than a century. Both countries started national competitions in the 1920s, and by the close of the 20th century had started their own separate elite competitions. The National Netball League (later the Commonwealth Bank Trophy) was started in Australia in 1997, while a revamped Coca-Cola Cup (later the National Bank Cup) commenced in New Zealand the following year. These competitions were designed to bring a higher profile to the sport in their respective countries, which despite strong local-level participation was still largely amateur.

In this respect, these competitions had mixed results. Both competitions produced games of greater intensity, saw increased spectator attendance, and with televised matches achieved a somewhat higher profile for the sport (more so in New Zealand). Nevertheless, they still lagged behind the professional competitions of male-dominated sports, such as the Super Rugby, in terms of public interest, sponsorship, media coverage and player salaries. Both the Commonwealth Bank Trophy and the National Bank Cup played their last season in 2007. In its eleven-year run, the CBT was dominated by the Sydney Swifts, Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Melbourne Phoenix, while the NBC was dominated by the Southern Sting. Before the start of their 2007 seasons, Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand jointly announced that both competitions would play their final seasons that year, after which one new competition would replace them both, commencing in 2008.

From the start, it was envisioned that five teams from each country would compete in the new competition. This required a reduction from the eight teams that were present in each of the previous competitions.

The deadline for expressions of interests for Australian franchises was 10 April 2007.[3] In March 2007, Netball Australia chief executive Kate Palmer said the preferred model was for one team each from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.[4] In April this was confirmed as the composition of the league's Australian teams. Netball New South Wales boss Caroline Campbell said that she was disappointed that the Sydney Swifts and the Hunter Jaegers would have to merge.[5] Netball Victoria president Jenny Sanchez said that she had an open mind about whether Victoria would enter one of the two existing teams or a new franchise,[4] but by May 2007, the organisation had chosen to enter a single merged team.[6] Netball ACT also bid for a franchise,[7] but were unsuccessful.[6]

For New Zealand franchises, 10 April was also the deadline set for expressions of interest, with a confirmation date of 23 April announced.[8] Early in the selection process, Netball New Zealand chairman Don Mackinnon said there would be three franchises from the North Island and two from the South Island.[8] Five proposed New Zealand teams for the competition – three from the North Island, two from the South Island – were confirmed by the end of April, and approved in early May.[9]

The inaugural championship began on 5 April 2008, with the Central Pulse hosting to the Melbourne Vixens in Wellington. After fourteen weeks of round-robin matches, the Magic emerged as minor premiers. The Swifts, Thunderbirds and Vixens also progressed to the finals stage. The Swifts defeated the Magic in the major semi-final, while the Thunderbirds beat the Vixens in the minor semi-final. The preliminary final saw the Magic defeat the Thunderbirds to advance to the grand final. On 28 July 2008, the New South Wales Swifts hosted the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the inaugural grand final, held at Acer Arena in Sydney. A near world-record netball crowd of 12,000 spectators watched the Swifts defeat the Magic 65–56 to claim the inaugural ANZ Championship.

During the 2008 season, Australian teams generally performed better than their New Zealand counterparts. The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic were the only New Zealand team to make the finals, with the other New Zealand teams occupying four of the bottom five places on the competition ladder. Furthermore, no New Zealand team managed to win a single match in Australia, although Australian teams had some success playing in New Zealand. Most notably, the Wellington-based Central Pulse failed to win a single game. Media reports in New Zealand attributed the relative lack of success for New Zealand teams to a lack of player depth, restrictions on training hours, and delays in allowing franchises to finalise player selections.[10][11]

All ten teams returned for the 2009 season. Despite some concerns over the competition format, subsequent seasons have been held a similar format to the inaugural competition.[12] New Zealand teams continued to struggle playing in Australia, although two New Zealand teams qualified for the finals. 2008 champions the Swifts had a disappointing season, finishing ninth. They also became the first team to lose to the Central Pulse, who won their first game in 25 attempts. The Melbourne Vixens emerged as minor premiers for 2009; the Magic, Thunderbirds and Steel also qualified for the finals stage. The grand final was contested between the Vixens and the Thunderbirds in Melbourne. The Vixens won the grand final by 54–46 to claim the 2009 ANZ Championship trophy.[13]

The 2009 season also saw the introduction of the Festival of Stars and the Rivalry Round to the competition. The Festival of Stars is a celebrity netball match led by Australian match commentators Liz Ellis and Luke Darcy. Proceeds from the celebrity match are given to two charities, beyondblue and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. One round of the regular season is designated the "Rivalry Round", in which all matches are trans-Tasman clashes. Goals scored by teams from each country are tallied, and the country that scores the most goals wins.

Canterbury Tactix play Northern Mystics in Auckland during the 2011 ANZ Championship season.

A review of competition rules was conducted after the 2009 season. While the format of the competition remained unchanged,[14] several rule changes were announced. To aid the struggling Central Pulse, who finished 10th in the first two seasons, teams that finish in the bottom two placings of the competition ladder were granted the right to use two import or non-eligible players, and were also made eligible for a NZ$25,000 financial assistance grant.[15] Starting from 2010, two modifications of the international rules were implemented in the ANZ Championship, including the ability for coaches to talk to players during playing stoppages.[16]

The 2010 season started two weeks earlier in the year compared with other seasons, to accommodate the 2010 Commonwealth Games, held from 4–14 October. After the conclusion of the round-robin stage, the Swifts, Thunderbirds, Magic and Steel qualified for the finals stage; defending champions the Vixens suffered a mid-season form slump, finishing seventh. In the finals stage, minor premiers the Swifts suffered two successive losses to finish the season third. The grand final was contested between the Thunderbirds and Magic in Adelaide. Tickets to the match sold out within 12 minutes: a capacity crowd of 9,300 watched the Thunderbirds defeat the Magic by 52–42 to claim the 2010 ANZ Championship trophy.[17]

For the 2011 season, the competition format has been reduced to 15 weeks, including a 12-week round-robin, to accommodate the 2011 Netball World Championships being held in July that year. Teams will not have byes during the season, and some will play two matches per round in "double-headers".[18] In addition, changes to player eligibility rules allow all teams one import player as of right, while teams may also apply for a "citizen ineligible" player. As a result, the assistance package introduced for the 2010 season has been discontinued.[19]

The ANZ Championship season reverted to regular scheduling for 2012, featuring ten teams over seventeen weeks.

The season began on 31 March in Adelaide, with the Thunderbirds defeating the NSW Swifts 57–40. This was backed up the following day with a New Zealand clash between the Northern Mystics and Central Pulse, under new coach Robyn Broughton.[20] The Pulse were unable to defeat the 2011 finalists, going down in a tight 51–47 match.

The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic became the first New Zealand based team to win the Championship, ending the Australian dominance of the previous four years. They defeated the Vixens in Melbourne with a thrilling 41–38 win on 22 July 2012.[21] The Magic begun the 2012 season with four straight losses, before defeating the Canterbury Tactix in round five, and then winning a consecutive eleven matches to take the title.

The Thunderbirds and Mystics were beaten semi finalists, while the Swifts finished in fifth place with eight wins and five losses after the regular season. The Central Pulse and Queensland Firebirds filled the middle order, the Pulse placing inside the top seven for the first time. A depleted Southern Steel without the services of six international players who all departed in late 2011, finished in an unfamiliar ninth position. While the hapless Tactix finished last for the third straight season, struggling with just two wins from thirteen games.

Teams in the ANZ Championship
Teams		Bases	Main venues	Former teams
Australia	Adelaide Thunderbirds	Adelaide	Netball SA Stadium	Adelaide Thunderbirds
	Melbourne Vixens	Melbourne	Hisense Arena	Melbourne Phoenix, Melbourne Kestrels
	New South Wales Swifts	Sydney	Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre	Sydney Swifts, Hunter Jaegers
	Queensland Firebirds	Brisbane	Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre	Queensland Firebirds
	West Coast Fever	Perth	HBF Stadium	Perth Orioles
New Zealand	Mainland Tactix	Christchurch	Horncastle Arena	Canterbury Flames
	Central Pulse	Wellington	TSB Bank Arena	Capital Shakers, Western Flyers
	Northern Mystics	Auckland	The Trusts Arena	Auckland Diamonds, Northern Force
	Southern Steel	Invercargill	ILT Stadium Southland	Southern Sting, Otago Rebels
	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic	Hamilton	Claudelands Arena	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic

• Note: Some teams have secondary stadiums in other cities.

In June 2015, Netball Australia chief executive Kate Palmer revealed plans to expand the competition to include as many as eight Australian teams.[22] Palmer stated the short term goal included the introduction of a sixth Australian team by 2017 when the current format would be reviewed. Canberra had previously been mentioned as a target market that Netball NSW was keen to host more ANZ Championship games.[23] The Gold Coast, being the most populated city in Australia or New Zealand to not have an ANZ Championship team, has also been mooted as a possibility. The Queensland Firebirds host several ANZ Championship games at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre every year, often in front of a sellout crowd.[24] The Gold Coast will also host the 2018 Commonwealth Games netball competition and world class facilities will be in place by 2017. Both Canberra and the Gold Coast regularly host Diamonds' test matches.[25][26]

The ANZ Championship is administered by Trans-Tasman Netball League (TTNL), established in 2007 as a joint venture between Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand, both of which have representatives in TTNL's six-member board. Individual franchises are managed by state (Australian) and regional (New Zealand) netballing bodies, although these organisations report to their respective national governing body. The Australian Netball Players Association and the New Zealand Netball Players Association represent players collectively in negotiations with TTNL regarding salaries and playing conditions.[29]

As with international teams, ANZ Championship teams comprise 12 players each, with seven starting players and five reserves. Teams are presently allowed to include one import player at their discretion, and can also apply to their respective national organising body (Netball New Zealand or Netball Australia) to use an "ineligible" player – a player who is a citizen of the team's country but is ineligible to play for that country's national team.[19]

From the 2013 season, New Zealand franchises will have the ability to contract up to 14 players for its roster.[30]

The transfer season for the ANZ Championship usually begins two weeks after the finals series, when franchises can begin negotiations with rival players.

Rosters for the 2013 ANZ Championship were delayed because of negotiations between the New Zealand-based players association and trans-Tasman netball officials. For 2013, New Zealand franchises will have an increased salary cap and can contract up to 14 players, while Australian clubs can contract 12 players.

The ANZ Championship is a semi-professional competition. Players are paid wages substantially higher than in previous competitions, but also lower than that required for players to make a living solely from the sport, with most players required to hold part-time or full-time employment elsewhere. Franchises are each restricted to a NZ$300,000 salary cap from which player salaries are paid. Salary amounts vary among players, but each player receives a retainer of at least NZ$12,000 per season; high-profile players are expected to earn up to NZ$50,000.[31][32]

The effectiveness of the salary cap was called into question in 2009, when Queensland Firebirds coach Vicki Wilson publicly speculated that the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, who had at least seven current or former Silver Ferns players, were not complying with the $300,000 salary cap, a claim that the Magic denied.[33]

In 2012, the salary cap was $350,000 and has raised to $380,000 for the 2013 season.

On 9 October 2007, ANZ Bank was announced as the league's major sponsor.[34] GM Holden, Fisher & Paykel and Mars Snackfood were also named as major sponsors.[35][36]

Office Max and Intergen were announced as sponsors for the 2012 season, while SCODY Pty Ltd replaced ICS as the official match kit supplier.

Each year, the official Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to players who receive the most votes from coaches throughout the season. After every round-robin match, coaches nominate three players as their player of the match: their first nominee receives three points, the second nominee receives two points, while the third nominee receives one point. These points are tallied at the end of the regular season to determine the winner. In 2015 the award was split into two MVP winners, one from the Australian Conference and the other from the New Zealand Conference.

Season	Player	Team	Conference
2008	Romelda Aiken	Queensland Firebirds
	Sonia Mkoloma	Central Pulse
2009	Romelda Aiken	Queensland Firebirds
2010	Liana Leota	Southern Steel
2011	Leana de Bruin	Southern Steel
	Natalie Medhurst	Queensland Firebirds
2012	Temepara George	Northern Mystics
	Laura Langman	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
2013	Jhaniele Fowler	Southern Steel
2014	Kimberlee Green	New South Wales Swifts
	Jo Harten	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
2015	Romelda Aiken	Queensland Firebirds	Australian
	Jhaniele Fowler	Southern Steel	New Zealand
2016	Madison Robinson	Melbourne Vixens	Australian
	Jhaniele Fowler	Southern Steel	New Zealand

Each year, a player from the Grand Final is selected and named the Player of the Match during the Grand Final presentation ceremony from 2008–2014 seasons. In 2015 this award was changed to Finals Series MVP which includes all matches in the Finals and not just the Grand Final.[43]

Season	Player	Team
2008	Catherine Cox	New South Wales Swifts
2009	Sharelle McMahon	Melbourne Vixens
2010	Geva Mentor	Adelaide Thunderbirds
2011	Romelda Aiken	Queensland Firebirds
2012	Leana de Bruin	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
2013	Erin Bell	Adelaide Thunderbirds
2014	Tegan Caldwell	Melbourne Vixens
2015	Sharni Layton	New South Wales Swifts
2016	Kim Ravaillion	Queensland Firebirds

The Best New Talent award recognises the future stars of the ANZ Championship since 2013 replacing Best Young Player Award. To be eligible for nomination, players must have taken the court no more than five games in total across any previous ANZ Championship season (regardless of time spent on court at each game) and any nationality is eligible. The Best New Talent voting will be based on the eligible candidate with the highest number of MVP votes.[44]

Season	Player	Team
2010	Sharni Layton	Adelaide Thunderbirds
2011	Kayla Cullen	Northern Mystics
2012	Julianna Naoupu	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
2013	Jhaniele Fowler	Southern Steel
2014	Mwai Kumwenda	Mainland Tactix
2015	Serena Guthrie	Northern Mystics
2016	Kristina Brice	Adelaide Thunderbirds