“This leak has not had players’ interests or wellbeing in mind, and I am so sorry that players have instead had to learn of this decision through the media rather than direct from NNZ. This was not how we intended such important information to be communicated. The distress and uncertainty it has created is deeply regrettable.
Netball New Zealand CEO Jennah Wootten said its decision was leaked to the media before it could talk to players. Photos / Photosport
“Our intention was to brief players about any decision ahead of anyone else, including sharing details of what comes next.
“There is an advanced plan under development for an elite domestic netball competition in 2027. We are meeting with Zones and Teams today to further progress this work and will share substantive information once the plan is sufficiently developed.
“We know how difficult this uncertainty is, particularly for players whose careers and livelihoods are affected. We care deeply about these players and their futures, as well as those of the talented support staff who work in elite netball across New Zealand.
“Any and all decisions NNZ makes is with the best interests of our people and our sport at its absolute core. Our unwavering focus is on providing clarity for all concerned, as swiftly as possible, and from there working towards an exciting and sustainable future for elite domestic netball.”
Last week, Williams and Mowbray issued a statement slamming NNZ for its decision.
“We are devastated. Ali and I gave this everything. Our time, our money and our hearts. We did it because we’ve seen what a team can do for a community.
“With Auckland FC we’ve watched families come together, kids find heroes and a city find its voice. This was our chance to do that for netball, for women’s sport, at a scale this country has never seen.
“Yesterday that ended with an email. No reason. No call.
“While we have no explanation why Netball NZ have decided to renege on our agreement at the last minute, we still believe wholeheartedly in the netball community of New Zealand and the spirit behind it. We remain committed to being guardians and advocates of sport in New Zealand and see it as an important piece of our society.”
Ali Williams (left) and Anna Mowbray (second from left) slammed Netball New Zealand, led by Jennah Wootten (right), for its decision to axe their proposed private domestic competition. Photos / Photosport
The decision lurches the domestic scene back into uncertainty, where it has lived for most of the past three years due to one-year broadcast deals, the last of which has expired.
The Herald has spoken to a fully contracted ANZ Premiership player who spent two to three months using the Government’s Job Seeker benefit after this year’s season ended in June. It is understood there are many netballers in a similar situation.
The athlete had moved away from her Auckland home to represent another region, and battled to find work once the domestic competition concluded.
“I was struggling for a while financially, trying to afford rent,” she said. “I had to get family members to help out. It was a bit of a tough time, having to try and navigate that process.
“I never wanted to be that person that would rely on that, and I never wanted to do that. With help from family members, they can only help with so much.
“It was a while, and trying to apply for jobs and not hearing back from anything or getting the no. So it was a bit of a long process, which I wouldn’t want any other person to go through. It’s a difficult time.”
New Zealand Netball Players Association boss Pippa Moore said the association did not know what the sticking points were, but it was addressing the players today.
Moore said the Players Association has serious worries for the mental health of the athletes.
“We’ve had a significant increase in players seeking mental health support. We’ve had to assist people to get financial support. There are a lot of players out there that we’re genuinely very, very concerned about.
New Zealand Netball Players’ Association general manager Pippa Moore (left) said there are worries about the players’ mental health. Photo / Dean Purcell
“They have been through a lot, and they’ve put their lives on hold. We’re really just worried about what the toll that this news is going to have on them.”
Moore said the association only found out about the decision on Thursday.
“We have been completely blindsided by this. Completely blindsided. We’re just devastated.
“I feel pretty deflated, really devastated and gutted that we’re in this position. I feel like we’re back to where we were months and months ago, and I thought that we had a clear but difficult pathway ahead of us.”
She said sending the email informing the players on Friday morning was awful.
“It was so hard. I didn’t think I’d be sending that email. I thought this was all going ahead. I know these processes take a while and there’s a lot to work through, and it’s a big decision that Netball New Zealand made, but I never once thought that it would be Netball New Zealand pulling the pin on it. So it was incredibly difficult, and I just feel absolutely devastated for the players.
“We were really genuinely looking forward to a fresh, exciting competition to see what Ali and Anna could do with the sport that we all love and which is so important to this country. So to be back here, it’s heartbreaking, really.”
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Newstalk ZB Sport.