A special milestone for Netball NSW was recognised this morning as champions of the game past and present gathered to celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of Netball Central opening its doors.
The headquarters of Netball NSW and home to the NSW Swifts and Giants Netball, Netball Central first opened to the public in February 2015 and has since welcomed over two million visitors.
Swifts Head Coach Briony Akle as well as Swifts Foundation Coach Julie Fitzgerald (current Giants mentor) were among the guest in attendance.
One of the finest multi-purpose indoor sports centres in NSW, Netball Central was built for a cost of $35 million and is now the leading community sports asset in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct.
With an average of 250,000 people of all ages using the facility annually for a range of sports and other recreational activities, Netball Central is not just a venue – it is the beating heart of the community it serves.
It didn’t take long for Netball Central to be recognised as a premier sporting hub after it hosted games in the record-breaking 2015 Netball World Cup and it is in line to play a key role when the World Cup returns to Sydney in 2027.
Of course, the World Cup action hasn’t been confined to just netball.
Netball Central was used as a training base for teams contesting the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, while the Duke of Sussex - HRH Prince Harry - visited the venue and gave it the tick of approval to host the Invictus Games in 2018.
Netball NSW has continued to grow year-on-year since making the move from the Anne Clark Centre in Lidcombe with the number of staff also increasing to service an ever-growing participant base across Sydney and the wider State.
In 2024 Netball NSW recorded its biggest-ever number of registrations and the demand for courts at Netball Central makes it one of the most sought-after hubs in Sydney.
As well as being the main training base of the Swifts, Giants and (on occasion) the Australian Diamonds, Netball Central is also used by range of codes such as basketball, volleyball, table tennis, wheelchair rugby, boccia, gymnastics and karate.
Schools from across Sydney use it as a base from which to run their netball competitions while the courts are abuzz with activity every week night across the year thanks to Netball NSW’s Premier League, Metro League, Men’s Metro League, Summer Series and State Cups.
The arts community have also been well served by the facility with Netball Central hosting a number of National Dance Championships, while it is used as a rehearsal base for schools taking part in the annual School Spectacular at Qudos Bank Arena.
One of the venue’s proudest moments came in the toughest of times when the COVID-19 pandemic put Sydney into lockdown in 2021. With the assistance of Netball NSW staff, Netball Central was repurposed as a vaccination training centre for NSW Health staff – a move that played a big part in ensuring life got back to normal quicker.
Netball NSW CEO Tracey Scott said Netball Central was one of the jewels of the organisation’s crown and the sheer number of visitors illustrated its immense value to the community at large.
“Netball Central was built on the back of generations of advocacy and hard work by the entire netball community across the State and it was a real moment of pride for them to see it opened in 2015.
“However, what they should be even more proud of is how successful Netball Central has been. It is a success built on the strong legacy built by generations of pioneers who championed NSW netball at community level and also on national and world stages.
“It was an honour to see so many people who played a role in bringing Netball Central to life with us to celebrate this milestone.
“From being the home of some of the finest talent in international netball, to welcoming a host of visitors from around Australia and the world, Netball Central is at the heart of everything that happens in Sydney Olympic Park precinct.
“We are often reminded of the wonderful legacy left after the 2000 Olympic Games took place here. Well today I am proud to say that netball is leaving its own legacy here too, and Netball Central is key to that.
“We are now in the process of seeing how we develop the venue for the future and look forward to working with our local community, commercial partners and Government stakeholders to ensure Netball Central continues to be a vital resource for netball and the wider community.”
