Packer-style netball revolution?

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 42

Packer-style netball revolution?

By

ROBERT LOWE

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney

Australian netball may be set for a Packer-style revolution, which could see the introduction of pyjama-coloured uniforms, regular live telecasts and New Zealand netballers crossing the Tasman to play in a professional national league. This vision of the future is the brainchild of a rebel organisation set up three years ago, and now seeking sponsors to turn supposition into reality. The organisation is the Combined Australian Netball Association

(C.A.N.A.), and among its plans is a so-called Australasian Superchallenge next May which would involve an as-yet unnamed New Zealand provincial team. The spokesman, John Hennessey, said the New Zealanders would compete against six Australian teams and one from “another Pacific country.” He said details were being kept secret for fear of a backlash from administrators in New Zealand. Netball has traditionally been adminstered ffl Australia by the officiallyrecognised All-Australian Netball Association

(A.A.N.A.). Government statistics give the A.A.N.A. membership as 358,000. The organisation, set up in 1927, is affiliated to the International Federation of Netball Associations, and has the right to send teams to the world and Commonwealth championships. Mr Hennessey said yesterday, that there was dissatisfaction in some quarters with the lack of progress in the development of netball. “Netball is the most popular participation sport in Australia with about a million players, and that should give it the

status of a major sport,” he said. “Yet, when Australia won the world championships in 1983, nobody in Australia knew we had won.” Mr Hennesey said the mood within netball was similar to that within cricket in the mid-19705, when disenchantment with the establishment led to players joining Kerry Packer’s cricket “circus.” He said C.A.N.A/S membership had grown from nothing in 1983 to IOO.bOO now, and was set to top the 200,000 mark within 12 months. He was‘confident there

would be big changes to netball in Australia over the next two to three, years to "Packer-style netball”. These would include the establishment of a national league, changes to the rules, greater use of indoor stadia, more colourful uniforms and cover via satellite television. Other developments could be an increase in the number of male players and more prizemoney in tournaments. At present, only 5 one C.A.N.A. tournament attracts prizemoney — an end of season series of

play-offs in Sydney in which clubs compete for $76,000. Mr Hennessey said that, with greater sponsorship, a professional national league was a definite possibility. Asked whether this might mean New Zealan-. ders crossing the Tasman to take up contracts like their rugby league brothers, he said: “Definitely. “It will be a logical step for New Zealanders to be invited over here and to play here.” Mr Hennessey said reactions from prospective sponsors had been favourable.