New Zealand and South Africa are currently in a bidding war to win the rights to host the 2023 Netball World Cup.
New Zealand are bidding to host the 2023 Netball World Cup Photo: © SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
Preparations for next year's Netball World Cup in Liverpool is almost at its conclusion with Silver Ferns training camp set to get under way next month to confirm the final twelve to represent New Zealand.
It's something that has given Netball New Zealand the confidence to put their hands up to host the 2023 event in Auckland.
New Zealand and South Africa are the last two countries standing in the bid with a meeting scheduled next month in Singapore for both parties to present their case to the International Netball Federation.
"We want to tell them we can do the event and Auckland New Zealand is a world class destination... we are ready to do more than just deliver the event," says Netball New Zealand CEO Jennie Wyllie
"We want to take netball to the world stage, get the brand exposure and take it global,"
"We won't be building capability because we already have it and having things like manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga are the phrases that we bring and differentiates us."
If successful the Netball World cup would be hosted in Auckland alone with the netball regions playing host to visiting countries around New Zealand.
The event itself will be celebrating 60 years since its first event in Eastbourne England but the occasion will have all the more meaning for New Zealanders who will at the same time be celebrating 100 years of national netball.
In 1923, the first official representative match was staged in Wellington where the home side played Canterbury - Wellington winning 24-10.
Netball NZ CEO Jennie Wyllie is bidding for Auckland to host the 2023 Netball World Cup Photo: Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz
Despite South Africa being the only top five ranked nation to not yet hold the event, Wyllie believes the timing couldn't be more perfect.
"If you think of the legacy in its own right, the history, telling the story of netball in New Zealand on the world stage will be significant," says Wyllie
"The time is now for us and New Zealand is entering a stage where women and girls are front and centre so having the pinnacle event in our backyard at a time when the government are behind us can only be beneficial."
New Zealand last hosted the Netball World Cup with nine months' notice in 2007. Fiji was scheduled to host the competition but was stripped of the right as a direct result of the December 2006 coup.
Hosting rights were awarded to Auckland, and the competition date moved from July to November 2007 Where Australia finished first, New Zealand second and Jamaica third.
New Zealand and South Africa will find out of their bid was successful or not in March 2019.
- RNZ