Strategic Plan

Commercial & Marketing

• Clear commercial vision has been developed ‘to develop VALUE GENERATING opportunities for World Netball in order to ACCELERATE the GROWTH of the reach and impact of netball’
• Working closely with the host local organising committee, Netball South Africa and our global and local Sponsorship agencies,  we ensured the Netball World Cup 2023 (NWC2023) delivered the most successful sponsorship programme ever for a Netball World Cup
• The NWC2023 reached a live linear TV audience of 14.9 million, more than double that of the 2019 edition in Liverpool, whilst broadcast coverage on linear TV also saw a 72% increase from 2019. These results followed a successful partnership with our media rights agency for the event, SPORTFIVE
• Our digital over-the-top platform ‘NetballPass’ was launched in 2022 in partnership with Netball New Zealand. This hosted livestreams of all matches in the Netball World Cup Qualifiers in 2022, FAST5 World Series in 2022 and 2023 and the NWC2023 (where broadcast rights had not been sold). For the Netball World Cup 2023, live match statistics, player statistics and standings were made available, attracting 458,938 users during the event and 2,694,800 page views
• During the two year period, World Netball’s digital channels have grown their followers/subscribers by the following:
  • X (formerly Twitter): 76% (8,103 to 14,247)
  • Facebook: 195% (17,371 to 51,200)
  • Instagram: 1053% (3,021 to 34,826)
  • Newsletter: 229% (26,290 to 86,541)
• TikTok channel launched in June 2023 and at the end of January 2024 had 20,900 followers.

Sport Development

• World Netball has worked closely with the Regional Federations to grow the number of WN Full Members to 64 and total membership has reached 84. 
• Membership Maturity Model has been developed and tested with two Member countries. This will provide all Members with a robust method to self-assess their development stage and signpost resources that will enable them to achieve future development goals
• The Coaching Advisory Panel has launched new tools on the World Netball website such as Foundation videos and PDF’s as well as launching a Coaching Endorsement Programme which is a quality assurance process to support and promote high quality netball coaching programmes
• Regional strategies have been completed for Americas, Oceania and Europe with Asia and Africa underway
• World Netball Strategic Development Fund launched to support Member Associations  in developing netball aligned with the World Netball Strategy.
• World Netball Strategic Development Fund launched to support Member Associations  in developing netball aligned with the World Netball Strategy thanks to the legacy programme of the NWC2027.

Workforce Development

• In 2021 World Netball held its first ever virtual Congress, which 52 Members attended. Shirley Hooper was appointed as Vice President
• A special meeting of Congress was held in 2022 where World Netball appointed its first Independent Director, Rob Mills
• New Officiating Advisory Panel established and Strategic Plan developed and launched
• Officiating Coordinators for all Regions have been appointed
• Between 2022-2023 World Netball awarded 13 International Talent Identified (ITID) umpire status and 9 International Umpire Awardee (IUAs) status
• Congress 2023 took place in Cape Town South Africa
  – Stacey Francis-Bayman was elected as the Athlete Director and will now be tasked with setting up the World Netball Athletes Advisory Commission structure building on the work of the Voice of the Athlete Working Group established in 2021
  –  Suri Bartlett was appointed as the Independent Finance Director
  –  Dame Liz Nicholl DBE was appointed for another term as World President at Congress 2023
• WN Secretariat appointed Global Development Co-leads to support members (GROW) and an Event Consultant to support the delivery of our PLAY strategy.
• World Netball increases the diversity of its global workforce with men now making up 20% of appointments including the WN Board.