Editing Netball (section)

==International competition==
{{Main|Netball around the world}}
[[File:Natalei netball.jpg|thumb|A pass takes place during a women's [[Netball in Fiji|netball game in Fiji]].]]
Netball is a popular participant sport in countries of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].<ref name=TheSportsBook162>{{harvnb|Summers|2007|p=162}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Using Sport Studies and Physical Activities to Internationalize the K-12 Curriculum|author=Richard V. Mcgehee and Shirley H.M. Reekie|journal=The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance|volume=70|year=1999|url=https://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5002326142}}</ref> Non-Commonwealth entities with full IFNA membership include Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Argentina, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the United States, along with former Commonwealth members Zimbabwe, Ireland and Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netball.org/FullMembers.aspx|publisher=International Federation of Netball Associations|title=Full Members|access-date=22 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602152337/https://www.netball.org/FullMembers.aspx|archive-date=2 June 2011}}</ref> According to the IFNA, over 20&nbsp;million people play netball in more than 80 countries.<ref name="INF-History" /><ref name=Thompson-258>{{harvnb|Thompson|2002|p=258}}</ref> International tournaments are held among countries in each of the five IFNA regions, either annually or every four years. School leagues and national club competitions have been organised in England,<ref name=games-for-girls>{{Cite news |author=Western Argus |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article34246126 |title=GAMES FOR GIRLS. |newspaper=[[Western Argus|Western Argus (1916–1938)]] |location=Kalgoorlie, Western Australia|date=24 October 1922 |access-date=1 March 2011 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia }}</ref> Australia,<ref name="Taylor-2001"/> New Zealand<ref name=NNZ-History/> and Jamaica<ref name=JNA-History/> since the early twentieth century. Franchise-based netball leagues did not emerge until the late 1990s. These competitions sought to increase the profile of the sport in their respective countries. Despite widespread local interest, participation was largely amateur.<ref name=BBCSport>{{cite news |author=BBC Sport |title=Campaign for netball at Olympics |work=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/netball/7710698.stm |date=6 November 2008|access-date=12 April 2010 }}</ref>

Netball was first included in the [[1998 Commonwealth Games]] and has been included ever since; it is currently one of the "core" sports that must be contested at each edition of the Games.<ref>{{cite web|author=Commonwealth Games Federation|url=https://www.thecgf.com/sports/spotlight/netball/guide.asp|title=Spotlight on sport – netball|year=2014|access-date=10 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310201358/https://www.thecgf.com/sports/spotlight/netball/guide.asp|archive-date=10 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Confederation of African Netball Associations]] organises a major African tournament, which invites teams from [[Botswana national netball team|Botswana]], Namibia, Zambia, [[Malawi national netball team|Malawi]], [[South Africa national netball team|South Africa]], Kenya, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and the Seychelles to take part.<ref name = "Sinkala">{{cite news|url=http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=17&id=999287094|title=Seychelles invited for netball tourney|author=Clara Sinkala|newspaper=Times of Zambia|date=6–14 September 2001| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051112054427/http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=17&id=999287094| archive-date =12 November 2005}}</ref> The tournament is hosted by a country within the region; senior and under 21 teams compete.<ref name = "Sinkala"/> The tournament has served as a qualifier for the World Championships.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Herald|title=Zimbabwe: Mighty Warriors|date=1 October 2009|author=Ellina Mhlanga|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200910010039.html}}</ref> South Africa launched a new domestic competition in 2011 called Netball Grand Series. It features eight regional teams from South Africa and is aimed at increasing the amount of playing time for players. It runs for 17 weeks and replaces the [[National Netball League (South Africa)|National Netball League]], which was played over only two weeks. According to [[South Africa national netball team|Proteas]] captain Elsje Jordaan, it was hoped that the competition would create an opportunity for players to become professional.<ref>{{cite news|title=Netball moves towards professionalism|date=16 April 2011|newspaper=Supersport|url=http://www.supersport.com/xtra/xtra/news/110416/Netball_moves_towards_professionalism}}</ref>

[[File:Erin Bell 2009.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Erin Bell (netball player)|Erin Bell]] from the [[New South Wales Swifts]] (red) prepares to shoot for a goal against the [[Melbourne Vixens]].]]
The [[Americas Federation of Netball Associations]] (AFNA) hosts two tournaments each year: the Caribbean Netball Association (CNA) Under 16 Championship and the AFNA Senior Championship.<ref name=ifna-2010f>{{cite web |author=International Federation of Netball Associations |year=2010 |title=Regional Federations – Americas |url=http://www.netball.org/FullMembers.aspx?id=131 |access-date=5 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726192011/http://www.netball.org/FullMembers.aspx?id=131 |archive-date=26 July 2011}}</ref> The CNA championship involves two divisions of teams from the Caribbean islands. In 2010 five teams competed in two rounds of [[round-robin tournament|round robin]] matches in the Championship Division, while four teams competed in the Developmental Division.<ref name="Pemberton">{{cite news|date=15 April 2011|title=St. Lucia Poised to Win Caribbean Netball Association U 16 Title|author=Enver Pemberton|newspaper=The St. Kitts-Nevis Observe|url=http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/2011/04/15/netball-competition.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204034552/http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/2011/04/15/netball-competition.html|archive-date=4 February 2013}}</ref> Jamaica, which has lost only once in the tournament,<ref>{{cite news|title=Young Netballers March On|date=10 April 2008|url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080410/sports/sports9.html|work=Jamaican Gleaner|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008052540/https://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080410/sports/sports9.html|archive-date=8 October 2012}}</ref> decided not to play the 2011 tournament.<ref name="Pemberton"/> The AFNA Senior Championship includes Canada and the US along with the Caribbean nations. The tournament serves as a qualifier for the World Championship. Jamaica, with its high ranking, does not have to qualify; this leaves two spots to the other teams in the tournament.<ref>{{cite web|title=St Lucia to host AFNA championships in July|date=27 May 2010|url=http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=19648|access-date=14 June 2011}}</ref>

The [[Asian Netball Championship]] is held every four years. The seventh Asian games were held in 2009 and featured [[Singapore national netball team|Singapore]], Thailand, Maldives, Taiwan, Malaysia, [[Sri Lanka national netball team|Sri Lanka]], Hong Kong, [[India national netball team|India]] and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://redsports.sg/2009/06/12/singapore-netball/|date=12 June 2009|title=Singapore to defend Asian Netball Championship title in Kuala Lumpur|author=Darren Ng|newspaper=Red Sports}}</ref> There is also an Asian Youth Netball Championship for girls under 21 years of age, the seventh of which was held in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|work=Daily News and Analysis|date=2 July 2010|title=Netball popularity on the rise in India: Federation president|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_netball-popularity-on-the-rise-in-india-federation-president_1404279}}</ref>

The major netball competition in Europe is the [[Netball Superleague]], which features teams from England, Wales and Scotland.<ref name=vitality-netball>{{cite web|author=Vitality Netball Superleague|title=Superleague home page|url=https://www.netballsl.com/}}</ref><ref name=egnet-2010a>{{cite web |author=England Netball |title=The FIAT Netball Superleague |year=2010 |url=http://www.englandnetball.co.uk/competitions/2011-12/fiat-netball-superleague_32 |access-date=19 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112144854/https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/competitions/2011-12/fiat-netball-superleague_32 |archive-date=12 January 2012}}</ref> The league was created in 2005.<ref name=EnglandNetball-History/> Matches are broadcast on Sky Sports.<ref name=ifna-2006>{{cite web |author=International Federation of Netball Associations |date=25 October 2006 |title=Sky Sports to show Netball Superleague |url=http://www.netball.org/news.aspx?id=131 |access-date=19 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726192256/http://www.netball.org/news.aspx?id=131 |archive-date=26 July 2011}}</ref>

Netball has been featured at the [[Pacific Games]], a multi-sport event with participation from 22 countries from around the South Pacific.<ref name=mckinnon-51>{{harvnb|McKinnon|2009|p=51}}</ref> The event is held every four years and has 12 required sports; the host country chooses the other four. Netball is not a required sport and has missed selection, particularly when former French or American territories host the games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Netball misses selection for 2011 South Pacific Games|date=15 September 2010|newspaper=ABC Radio Australia|url=http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201009/3012716.htm?desktop|access-date=15 June 2011|archive-date=29 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829225541/http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201009/3012716.htm?desktop|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

The [[ANZ Championship]] was a [[Trans-Tasman]] competition held between 2008 and 2016 that was broadcast on television in both New Zealand and Australia. It was contested among ten teams from Australia and New Zealand. It began in April 2008, succeeding Australia's [[Commonwealth Bank Trophy]] and New Zealand's [[National Bank Cup]] as the pre-eminent netball league in those countries.<ref name=NetAus2396>{{cite web |author=Netball Australia |date=11 March 2007 |publisher=[[Netball Australia]] |title=New look trans-Tasman netball competition |url=http://www.netball.asn.au/newsItem.asp?orgID=1&ID=2396 |access-date=3 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070901022904/http://www.netball.asn.au/newsitem.asp?id=2396&orgID=1 |archive-date=1 September 2007}}</ref> The competition was held annually between April and July, consisting of 69 matches played over 17 weeks. The ANZ Championship saw netball become a semi-professional sport in both countries, with increased media coverage and player salaries.<ref name=Sportal>{{cite web |title=New netball venture steps forward |publisher=Sportal |url=http://sportal.co.nz/Netball-news-display/new-netball-venture-steps-forward-40682 |date=21 December 2007 |access-date=22 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517095632/http://sportal.co.nz/Netball-news-display/new-netball-venture-steps-forward-40682 |archive-date=17 May 2009}}</ref><ref name=NZH-Glitz>{{cite news |last=Johannsen |first=Dana |title=Glitz and hype turn netball into money game |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10500820 |date=29 March 2008 |access-date=22 October 2011}}</ref> The competition was replaced by new leagues in 2017, the [[Suncorp Super Netball]] (Australia) and [[ANZ Premiership]] (New Zealand).