Port of Spain 1979

Port of Spain 1979 World Championships

Key Statistics

Champions: Australia (4th title), New Zealand (2nd title), Trinidad & Tobago (1st title) 
Dates: August 12 – 25, 1979
Venue: West Regional Park Complex (Outdoors)
Host City/Country: Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago 
Number of Teams: 19
Matches Played: 108
Number of Goals Scored: 8,526

Overview

Trinidad & Tobago, Australia and New Zealand share the title

All Tied Up

The 5th World Netball Tournament produced a historic, never-to-be-repeated result, with three teams being declared as Champions.

Due to the way the draw was arranged, the top ten positioned teams played each other in a round robin format following a preliminary round. No finals were played, and placements were determined via the number of points won in the round robin.

The top three sides each won eight of the nine games, each losing once to one of the other two first placed teams. New Zealand defeated Trinidad & Tobago 32-27; Trinidad & Tobago defeated Australia 40-38; and Australia defeated New Zealand 38-36.

As there was no other way for the tournament organisers to determine an outright winner, all three teams were declared Champions.

This is the first and only time a team other than New Zealand or Australia has won the World Title and the only time the title was shared.

Action from the Port of Spain World Championships

New and familiar faces

Of the 19 teams who participated, ten were making their debuts at the event; including, Uganda, Barbados and Canada. This was the most teams to have made their debut at a single tournament.

Trinidad & Tobago’s Jean Pierre, played at her 5th and final tournament in this competition, making her the only player to have played in the first five World Netball Tournaments. Her coach, Lystra Lewis, was also coaching at her 5th and final tournament.

This may have been Jean’s last tournament as a player, however, it wasn’t the last time we saw her at a Netball World Cup…

Final Standings

=1st – Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad Tobago

4th – England

5th – Jamaica

=6th – Wales, St Kitts/Nevis

8th – Barbados

9th – Scotland

10th – Republic of Ireland

11th – Canada

12th – Antigua & Barbuda

=13th – St Lucia, Uganda

15th – Grenada

16th – St Vincent/Grenadines

17th – Northern Ireland

18th – Bahamas

19th – Bermuda