It’s the most widely played sport at secondary school, but netball had humble beginnings. Initially, the sport was known as basketball, and players used actual baskets borrowed from homes and schools.
A new Auckland War Memorial Museum exhibition showcases 100 years of netball in New Zealand. As Seven Sharp reporter Mary-Jane Aggett discovered, the retrospective is about more than photos and memorabilia.
Our Game: A Century of Netball in Aotearoa New Zealand tells the story of the grit and determination of a few and a community of volunteers who made netball what it is today.
The museum partnered with Netball New Zealand for the exhibition.
Netball NZ made history earlier this year as the first national netball organisation in the world to celebrate a century of existence.
Silver Fern icons, former coaches and management came together for the official opening at the Museum this week.
Former Netball New Zealand President and longtime Silver Ferns manager Sheryl, Lady Wells reflected on the exhibition’s significance.
“We’ve had some magnificent women in the sport, role models we could look up to — strong women setting pathways and structures for us.
“We all just got in behind because we loved it. It’s just incredible.”
“And here we are at the museum, celebrating a hundred years of netball in New Zealand. [It’s] fantastic.”
Former Silver Ferns shooter Irene van Dyk was in awe when she saw the showcase for the first time.
“This is literally going down memory lane, isn’t it?”
And she had a real sense of pride. “[The exhibition] is all about the history, for women, by women. I think that’s what makes us as kaitiaki (guardians) so special.”
Former coach Yvonne Willering joked she gave up mowing her lawn to attend the opening.
“I loved walking through those doors and seeing the whole history — my journey and what I’ve been through, but even beyond that and the whole history of netball throughout New Zealand. It was just great.”
Having netball showcased at such a prominent venue wasn’t lost on those who paved the way.
“I think it’s wonderful, the whole surroundings,” added Willering.
The exhibition features old archive footage, uniforms, diaries and even whistles from yesteryear.
Budding young netballers Olivia Bruce and Mikaela Topolsky measured themselves against a life-sized poster of Northern Mystics player Grace Nweke.
The formal nature of the old-style uniforms blew them away.
“How would you play netball in that?” observed Bruce. “I would’ve overheated.”
The intermediate school netballers said they loved seeing where the sport has come from and imagining where it will go.
“It’s very inspiring,” said Bruce. “It’s like that could be us one day.”
Topolsky agreed. “It feels like I could make history,” she said.
Our Game: A Century of Netball in Aotearoa New Zealand runs until February 18, 2025.