Men's netball

On the club, national and international level, men's netball teams exist, but attract less attention than women's netball.[1] Mixed teams are not uncommon in Australia and are very popular.[2] Men's national teams do exist in Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Brunei, Canada, England, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, the Isle of Man, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, South Africa, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, United States, and Zambia.[1]

Woman holding a netball while other players stand watching her. Woman and shooting team is wearing white with red bibs. Opposing team is wearing blue with purple bibs.
Local mixed netball game in Brisbane, Queensland.

In 1997, in England male participation comprised 0.7% of the total netball playing population within schools.[3] Unlike women's netball at elite and national levels, men's and mixed gendered teams in countries like Fiji, Australia and New Zealand are largely self-funded.[4] When administrators attend conferences for men's and mixed gendered netball, they also have to pay most of their own costs.[4]

History

Netball started to become popular for male players in Australia during the 1980s as men started to watch the sport that their wives and girlfriends were participating in.[4] In Australia, the sport began to be played with the appearance of mixed gendered social teams.[4] In 1985, the first Australian Championship were held in Geelong.[4] The levels contested included: Open, Open Reserves, 21 and Under, 19 and Under, 17 and Under and Masters.[4] The South Australian Mens Netball Association was founded in 1998.[4]

In 2000, the national organisation basically collapsed because of a lack of interest.[4] In 2001, the South Australians tried to recreate the national organisation under their own state organisation, calling it the Australian International Mens and Mixed Netball Association.[4] The new organisation held its first Australian Championships in 2002 for men's and mixed teams.[4] In 2003, New Zealand entered a national team in the Open Mens Division and won.[4]

In 2004, New Zealand and Fiji sent teams to compete in the Australian Mixed and Men's National Championships.[4] On 6 August 2004, the men's national organisations for Fiji, Cook Islands, New Zealand and Australia attended a meeting where they agreed to form the International Men's and Mixed Netball Association.[5] The following day, the organisation's first official meeting was held.[5] The group decided that the International Men's and Mixed Challenge in August 2006 would be the first event they would organise, and that the event would be held in Fiji.[5]

The 2009 International Challenge Men's and Mixed Netball Tournament was held in the Cook Islands.[6] Currently, the International Federation of Netball Associations only recognises women's netball.[4]

The 2011 International Challenge Men's and Mixed Netball Tournament was run by the Western Australian Men's and Mixed Netball Association (WAMMNA).[6] It is the major international competition for men's and mixed gendered national netball teams.[6] In the 2011 competition held in April, men's national teams from Samoa, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands are a few that will compete.[6]

In 2017 the Australian Championships, held on the Gold Coast, were live streamed for the first time. There were nearly 140,000 viewers around the world who viewed the last 43 matches on the final four days of competition. The first Asian Men's Netball Championship 2016, held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, was live streamed on Facebook. Malaysia won the final over Pakistan in a thrilling match overtime match which Malaysia won by 2 goals,[7] while India beat Brunei to win the bronze medal.[8] Hong Kong finished fifth.

The 2018 Australian Championships was planned to take place at Genea Netball Centre from 1–7 April.

The 2018 Trans-Tasman Cup was to bebe contested between Australia and New Zealand across four divisions (U20, U23, Open Mixed and Open Men's) from 23–28 October at Priceline Stadium in Adelaide.

On 26 June 2019, the New Zealand Men's Netball side competed in their first televised match, beating the Fiji Women's team, the Pearls, 93–19. On 29 June 2019, the men's team won the Cadbury Netball Series against the Silver Ferns 66–54, for their first international series win.[9]

Men's Netball in Australia

National team
  • Australian Kelpies

State member organisations
  • Sunshine State Men's and Mixed Netball Association (QLD)
  • Men's Netball NSW (NSW) -
  • Victoria Men's and Mixed Netball (VIC)
  • South Australia Men's and Mixed Netball (SA)
  • Western Australia Men's and Mixed Netball (WA)
  • Tasmania Men's and Mixed Netball Association (TAS)
  • Australian Defence Force (ADF)
  • Australian Capital Territory Men's Netball (ACT)

Victoria Men's and Mixed Netball League (M-League)

The Victoria Men's and Mixed Netball Association (VMMNA) run a male and mixed netball league over the summer months. The league is run on Wednesday nights at The State Netball Centre in Parkville, Melbourne. This league also includes Junior M-League for 14&U and 17&U males. A junior league is also run mid year with the same age groups competing.

West Australian Netball League

Between 2001 and 2004 the West Australian Netball League featured a men's netball division. Perth Bullets were the inaugural premiers. Coastals won the other three titles. The men's division was relaunched in 2018 featuring four teams – West Coast Warriors, Perth Lions, South East Demons and Wheatbelt Flames. West Coast Warriors would go on to win the first two titles.[10][11][12][13]

Men's Netball in England

In England, men's and mixed netball is governed by the England Men's & Mixed Netball Association.[14] 2020 trials were held for the England men's and mixed national netball squad that were to compete at the now postponed inaugural men's and mixed netball World Cup in Perth Australia. Knights men's netball team was established in 2018 and has seen them grow to three teams.[15]

2021 the inaugural England Men's & Mixed Netball Association National Championships was held at Nottingham Trent University, with the London Giants winning the men's and mixed national titles. [16]

London Giants v Northern Titans
London Giants v Northern Titans at 2021 England Men's & Mixed Netball National Championships

National men's netball teams in England

  • London Giants Netball (2021 & 2022 National Champions)
  • Knights Mens Netball (2023 National Champions)
  • Northern Titans (Leeds)
  • Spartans (Manchester)
  • Hawks (South West)
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • Norfolk United (Norwich)
  • North East Men
  • Army Men (Aldershot)
  • West Cheshire Warriors

National mixed netball teams in England

  • London Giants Netball (2021 National Champions)
  • Spartans (Manchester)
  • Warwick University
  • South West Hawks
  • Army Mixed (Aldershot)
  • Knights Mixed (2022 & 2023 National Champions)
  • West Cheshire Warriors

References
  1. Tagg, Brendon (December 2008). "'Imagine, a Man Playing Netball!': Masculinities and Sport in New Zealand". International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 43: 409–430. doi:10.1177/1012690208099875. S2CID 145493659.
  2. Davis, Luke; Davis, Damien (2006). Netball. Getting into. Macmillan Education. ISBN 0-7329-9987-1. OCLC 156762948.
  3. Scully, Deidre; Clarke, Jackie (July 1997). "Gender Issues in Sports Participation". In Kremer, John; Ogle, Saun; Trew, Karen (eds.). Young people's involvement in sport. London: Routledge. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-415-16650-8. OCLC 36225511.
  4. Turk, Peter. "History of Men's Netball". International Mens and Mixed Netball Challenge Cup. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  5. International Mens and Mixed Netball Challenge Cup (8 September 2004). "New World Body Formed". International Mens and Mixed Netball Challenge Cup. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  6. Samoa Observer (28 February 2011). "A journey of a thousand miles begins for Samoa national men's netball team". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  7. "Asian Men's Netball Championship". www.facebook.com.
  8. "Asian Men's Netball Championship". www.facebook.com.
  9. "Silver Ferns go down to NZ Men in series final".
  10. "Gold Industry Group WANL". wa.netball.com.au. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  11. "Premiers List". wa.netball.com.au. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  12. "Netball ceiling shattered: WA men offered chance to play in the big leagues with new competition". www.watoday.com.au. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  13. "West Coast Warriors score double win in netball finals". www.perthnow.com.au. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  14. "Knights lead charge for men's netball in 2020". Sky Sports. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  15. "Netball: The men's teams growing in a 'girls' sport'". news.bbc.co.uk. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  16. "The Road to Nationals - England Men's and Mixed Netball". 5 August 2021.
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