NETBALL has united friends in Queensland’s Parliament with the launch of a program designed to strengthen the sport’s relationship and collaboration with the Queensland Government.
The Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Netball (QPFN) was launched on Tuesday with members of parliament joining representatives from Netball Queensland, the Queensland Firebirds, the Sunshine Coast Lightning and the Queensland Suns Men’s & Mixed Netball at Parliament House.
The program is part of separate memorandums of understanding between Netball Queensland (NQ) and the Lightning and NQ and the Queensland Suns, in the interest of all organisations to work collaboratively to grow netball across the state.
Under the program, Queensland’s 93 State MPs will all be invited to join.
NQ has 81-member associations facilitating and growing the sport across Queensland. In 2022, there were 59,372 unique registered netball participants in the state including 8,767 in the Woolworths NetSetGo program for children aged five to 10 and 2,364 unique registered boys and men.
“Netball operates in an increasingly complex and cluttered environment where the wave of support and engagement in women’s sport from codes traditionally dominated by men is significant,” NQ CEO Kate Davies said.
“Netball must work harder than ever to be the sport of choice for women and girls and put more energy into learning from others as we welcome and embrace a participation and audience base more inclusive and reflective of our society.
“The Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Netball will help us promote awareness and support for Netball Queensland, the Queensland Firebirds and the Sunshine Coast Lightning and the Qld Suns while amplifying the value of grassroots community netball across Queensland.”
Sunshine Coast Lightning Chief Executive Danielle Smith said the program was important to help the growth of netball in Queensland.
“Sunshine Coast Lightning is proud to see Queensland’s two Suncorp Super Netball teams, together with the State’s Mixed and Men’s association in the Suns, collaborate to develop the QPFN with the overarching objective to grow netball’s profile and participation across the State,” Smith said.
“We look forward to working closely with the QPFN to achieve this and thank the members for their enthusiasm and commitment to supporting netball through this fantastic initiative.”
Queensland Suns President Steven Curr welcomed program’s launch as an important step in netball’s growth in the state.
“Boys and men are the fastest growing participation segment in netball, however participation at all levels is self-funded,” Curr said.
“We are excited to join forces with the Firebirds and Lightning to advocate and promote our sport and we are looking forward to forging partnerships within the state government and growing netball’s profile within Queensland.”
The QPFN will comprise of Parliamentary Co-Chairs and Members of Parliament.
Member for Redlands, Kim Richards MP, and Member for Glasshouse, Andrew Powell MP, will be the QPFN’s inaugural co-chairs.
“I am thrilled to be the Co-Chair of the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Netball,” Richards said.
“I just love netball. I’ve played both ladies and mixed netball for 42 years. I have been a netball coach for 32 years and a netball umpire for 40 years. I am still a current umpire for the Victoria Point Sharks Netball Club. I am also a proud sponsor of the Redlands Netball Association.
“I look forward to working with you to engage our Parliamentary Members in this great sport.”
Powell, who has served the Glass House electorate encompassing parts of the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay regions for the past 14 years, also brings strong connections to netball in his co-chair role.
“I personally had a stellar mixed netball career that saw me play in the ACT, Queensland, and Fiji,” he said.
“My wife, Taryn, also enjoyed competing in mixed competitions here in Australia and in women’s teams during our time in Fiji and two of our daughters have also played netball.
“I’m a massive supporter of our local netball clubs – the Tibros at Glasshouse Mountains, Warriors at Woodford, Maleny and Palmwoods Netball Clubs.
“I’m very excited about Co-Chairing this Parliamentary Friends group.”
