NZ bids for World Cup in centenary year
New Zealand is in the running to host another major women’s sporting event after Netball NZ last week lodged its official bid to host the 2023 Netball World Cup.
Netball NZ submitted its bid documents outlining a vision for an Auckland tournament to the International Netball Federation over the weekend. It comes as NZ Rugby chases the opportunity to stage the 2021 Women’s World Cup.
Like their rugby counterparts, Netball NZ’s bid has the backing of both central and local government. Netball NZ events manager Kate Agnew said the organisation had received formal notification of financial support from Government and Auckland Council has also agreed to commit money to the event.
Hosting two major tournaments in the space of two years presents the opportunity for New Zealand to capitalise on the growing movement to celebrate women’s sport.
The minister for sport and recreation, Grant Robertson, has made the promotion of women’s sport a key priority.
New Zealand will lead women’s sport internationally over the next four years, through hosting the International Working Group in Women and Sport (IWG) world conference in 2022 and the associated four-year IWG secretariat.
Netball NZ is expected to face strong competition for hosting rights, with South Africa having previously indicated their interest in hosting the 2023 event. It is not yet known if South Africa has submitted a formal bid. But if it has, it would be the first time in several World Cup cycles that the awarding of hosting rights would be a contested process.
An African nation has never hosted the event, although Botswana did stage last year’s World Youth Cup. But 2023 will mark Netball NZ’s 100th year, and organisers hope to incorporate the game’s biggest showpiece into their centennial celebrations.
‘‘We’re going to have a centenary celebration regardless, it is a hugely significant milestone for New Zealand netball, but this would be a wonderful way to culminate it,’’ Agnew said.
The next World Cup will be in Liverpool in August next year.