‘We want to be world’s no.1 sport for females’
ENGLAND NETBALL UNVEILS 10-YEAR STRATEGY TO DEVELOP THE GAME
NETBALL wants a seat at the top table with bold ambitions laying the platform for it to become the world’s number one female sport, writes Josh Graham, of Sportsbeat.
That is the view of England Netball chief executive officer Fran Connolly, who is spearheading the Loughborough-based organisation’s trailblazing 10-year Adventure Strategy designed to accelerate the growth and development of the sport at all levels of the game and take it to new audiences.
England are the reigning Commonwealth Games champions after Helen Housby’s last-second goal against Australia sparked wild scenes on the Gold Coast in 2018 – and a key facet of the game-changing new strategy is helping the Roses become the most recognised and respected women’s sports team on the planet.
That mission received a boost after Jess Thirlby’s side beat Jamaica 2-1 in the three-match Vitality Roses Reunited Series played at London’s Copper Box Arena and Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena.
Connolly, right, said: “World leading for us is about supporting our national team to become recognised and respected as the best female sports team in the world.
“To do that, we want to provide the environments necessary for them to win back-toback Commonwealth Games and world championships.
“We know that to achieve that we will have to drive forward the professionalisation of the game at a domestic level and invest in our pathway infrastructure to ensure we have an unending supply of outstanding talent.
“We will support our ambitions by bringing innovation to all the events that we deliver, in new concepts that blend netball with fashion, music and entertainment to attract new audiences to the game.” Housby’s winning goal went in at about 5am UK time at the last Commonwealth Games, but with Birmingham 2022 around the corner it could just be the gold medal celebrations that go on long into the night this time around.
Given Covid-19 impacted the positive knock-on effects from that historic victory, Connolly thinks retaining the title could be an even bigger feat.
She said: “We are going there to win the gold medal, of course. “The team are ready, they are prepared and there’s more strength in depth in the
squad than we have ever had before. Just the fact it’s on home soil - we saw the impact when we won it at 5am Down Under, we can only imagine how big that impact will be come July next year.
“We know there was an explosion in participation that followed the World Cup and Commonwealth Games – so we fully intend to capitalise on that next year through a nationwide legacy plan.”
England Netball are leading the way with its purpose-led and bold ambitions for the sport, with the Adventure Strategy crucially outlining how the new movement can help netball become more than a sport, trailblazing on and off the court and becoming the number one sport choice for females.
“We know netball can have a fantastic impact on people’s lives – improving mental health and driving forward physical activity levels are just two of the traditional benefits we are all well-versed in, but the sport can do so much more,” said Connolly.
“We aspire to have a leading voice for women and girls and we know by growing the movement, that voice will only be amplified.
“If we can capitalise on that voice, we can really lobby on things that need to be changed.
“Those might be things that are non-traditional, outside of sport and aren’t necessarily linked to netball but are linked to the lives of the women and the girls we support.”
One of the leading destinations in the strategy is the desire to establish a game for life.
England Netball envisages a game that is open for players of all ages from all different backgrounds at all levels.
Connolly said: “By 2031 it’s our goal to have a true game for life.
“An offer for all communities that is unlocked at every age and most importantly, supported at every life stage.
“Whether that’s from puberty to pregnancy to menopause, we must do more to support females to stay active and engaged throughout their lives.
“We are going to focus more on children and young people. Our ambition through game for life is to lobby for change, to reach children at a younger age, to provide worldclass first impressions and to stay relevant to them through their teenage years.”
■ For more information on England Netball’s new Adventure Strategy and to find out how to get involved in netball in your area, visit: