The new-look Australian Netball Championships will welcome a record ten teams to Traralgon’s Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium from September 13 – 19.
This marks the most teams to compete in this competition, with the Australian Netball League (ANL) previously hosting eight teams.
All state and territory-based member organisations and the eight Suncorp Super Netball clubs were given the opportunity to submit a team.
To view the fixture, click here.
In a first for the competition the QBE Swifts Academy and Giants Academy, with support from Netball NSW, have entered teams.
The QBE Swifts Academy has the Netball NSW Waratahs as the feeder team to the NSW Swifts.
ACT Netball and the Giants Netball Academy were previously combined as the ACT Giants, however this year the Capital Darters will enter as their own team.
The competition will also welcome 2019 ANL premier Victorian Fury, who are aligned with the Melbourne Vixens.
Tasmania and Collingwood will be competing as separate entities this year, with the two clubs previously combined as the Tasmanian Magpies.
The Sunshine Coast Lightning, who were formerly aligned with the Northern Territory (NT Storm), will be entering their own team for the first time. Northern Territory will not be competing in this year’s competition.
Across the country, the Western Sting in affiliation with the West Coast Fever will make their way to Victoria, alongside the Southern Force from Adelaide.
The final team on board is the QLD Sapphires, who are associated with the Queensland Firebirds.
Tasmania and the Capital Darters are the only teams not aligned with a Suncorp Super Netball affiliate.
Netball Australia Executive General Manager of Performance, Stacey West, was delighted to announce a record ten teams would compete in the event.
“We have had an overwhelming response from our member organisations and Suncorp Super Netball clubs to compete in the new-look Australian National Netball Championships,” West said.
“This competition is a major development opportunity and provides a key transition pathway for athletes, coaches, umpires and officials to the world’s best netball league.
“We are also excited to hold the event in Traralgon this year – the first year it has been taken to a regional location.”
The Australian Netball Championships takes a new format this year, after the 2020 ANL competition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s competition is being delivered in partnership with Latrobe City Council.
