Sport in New Zealand — Netball
As in many other countries, sport is considered to be one of the most entertaining parts of what is going on in New Zealand. The most popular sport is, of course, rugby. New Zealand is widely known for their national rugby team, who are called the All Blacks and considered to be on of the best national teams in the world. But rugby is not the only popular sport in New Zealand. Cricket and soccer, or rather known as ‘football’, also enjoy a great popularity. However, I came across a sport I haven’t heard before which is rather famous in New Zealand: Netball.
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams, each with seven players. The game’s object is to score as many goals in 60 minutes as possible in a defined area, the goal circle. The 60 minutes are split 4 x 15 minutes quarters. It is often played indoors, but also outdoor on a grass court or hard court surface. The court itself is divided into 3 thirds, two are called goal third and the other one centre third. Each player is assigned an attack or defense position which has certain space limitations.
Netball has its roots in basketball, a sport invited by James Naismith in 1891. Already a few days after its invention, many females were captivated by the game and started playing it as well. However, it took four years until the current game of netball was well shaped. Therefore, Netball was first played in England in 1895 and its popularity continued to grow ever since.
To end this post, here are some facts about the game:
- In 1995, netball became in International Olympic Committee recognised sport which has yet to be played at the Olympics.
- It is played by more than 20 million people, mostly women, in more than 80 countries worldwide.
- A netball goal post is 3.05 metres high.
- The New Zealand National Team are known as the Silver Ferns.
- The most successful country is Australia. They won the World Championship 10 times.
