World Netball’s new global strategy involves the World Cup every four years following the 2027 tournament in Sydney.
The Men’s Netball World Cup will be introduced as governing bodies work to develop and deliver a pipeline of international events in new chapters.
Australia is the current world champion and what was Rose’s first World Cup final, beating England 61-45 in 2023?
The changes will also see the introduction of cup and plate competitions to increase engagement, as well as the launch of a new biennial event starting in November 2028.
The goal is to ensure that world-class international events take place annually. This will allow the best players to compete frequently with each other to compete, expand their reach and open new markets.
Speaking about these developments, Fiona Harold, CEO of World Netball (WN), said:
“WN needs to support its members and provide solutions that mean everyone in the ecosystem.
“Given the uncertainty of Commonwealth Games since 2026, we need to be proactive about speculating ourselves in the future.
“Those decisions allow us to control our destiny, which is positive news for everyone. As a League of Nations, it’s our job to keep and grow the game in the long term.”
Harold hopes these changes will help netball builds be included in Olympic games for the first time.
England reached the Netball World Cup final for the first time in 2023, where they lost to Australia
“World Netball has always been proud of its sporting tradition, but we should not be held hostage by them,” added Harold.
“Our sport is open to everyone and now it feels like a fitting time to make a clear statement about the boys game.
“The overwhelming feedback from many stakeholders throughout the game is that this is truly a positive step, especially as we continue to strive to include the Olympic games and build cases.
“I have enjoyed working with the men’s netball group for the past few months and will continue to work with them to realize my dream of seeing the first Men’s Netball World Cup happen in the coming years.”
The Fast5 Netball World Series, an annual international competition featuring faster, shorter versions of the game, will be suspended for the time being.
