Silver Ferns eligibility criteria to become more flexible
Photo:
photosport
The Netball New Zealand Board has updated its Silver Ferns eligibility criteria, paving the way for greater flexibility for athletes who wish to play overseas.
Pressure was mounting on the national body to take a more flexible approach after Silver Fern shooter Grace Nweke decided to play in the Australian netball league this year to challenge her game.
The decision to play for the New South Wales Swifts, meant Nweke could not be considered for the Silver Ferns this year.
Nweke recently told
RNZ that she needed to know where she stood
so she could make informed decisions about where she would play next year.
But the Netball NZ board undertook a review of the selection policy and the revised criteria will now allow athletes playing abroad the opportunity to be considered for Silver Ferns selection through a formal exemption process.
Up until now there has been no official process.
It said the update reflected the evolving nature of elite netball globally and Netball New Zealand's commitment to supporting athlete welfare, performance, and long-term development.
Netball New Zealand Board chair Matt Whineray said the board recognised the need for a more flexible and responsive approach, while still maintaining the integrity of national selection.
"We've listened to the game and believe this is a positive step forward," Whineray said.
"This update strikes a balance between flexibility and fairness, acknowledging the increasingly global nature of netball while continuing to protect the integrity of our domestic competitions and the mana of the Silver Ferns."
Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said the change ensured athletes were supported through clear and transparent decision-making.
"Ultimately, the purpose of this proposed process is to ensure that all exemption requests are evaluated fairly, consistently, and transparently," Wyllie said.
"It safeguards the athlete through a structured and transparent approach, while upholding the broader interests of Netball New Zealand, the Silver Ferns, and the ANZ Premiership competition."
Netball New Zealand will implement the updated criteria ahead of the upcoming international season, with clear guidelines and assessment measures for any exemption applications.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
19 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Rugby: Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt slams late call in loss to Lions
Hugo Keenan of the Lions reacts after scoring a try to win the second test against the Wallabies in Melbourne. Photo: Photosport Australia coach Joe Schmidt says match officials have failed to uphold player safety and hit out at a late clear-out decision that ensured the British & Irish Lions clinched a series-sealing victory . Fullback Hugo Keenan's last-minute try put the Lions 29-26 up at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but the Wallabies players cried foul after Jac Morgan cleared out Carlo Tizzano in the buildup. After a lengthy pause as the TV match official assessed multiple angles of the incident, the try was allowed to stand, giving the Lions victory and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. Citing rugby's Law 9.20, which says head contact and clear-outs around the neck should be penalised, an incensed Schmidt said the officials had got the decision wrong. Joe Schmidt Photo: photosport "Because they're human, match officials make errors," he said at the post-match press conference. "We felt it was a decision that doesn't really live up to the big player safety push that they're (World Rugby) talking about. "You cannot hit someone above... the shoulders. "But that's what we've seen and we've watched a number of replays from different angles so it is what it is and we just have to accept it." Wallabies captain Harry Wilson was also convinced his team were hard done by. "Obviously I saw shoulder to the neck. Carlo was pretty sore about it," he said. Lions coach Andy Farrell had a different view. "I thought it was a brilliant clear-out," he said. "Honestly, it depends which side of the fence you come from, I would have thought. I can understand people's opinions, but I thought Jac was brilliant when he came on - and so were the rest of the bench." Schmidt said he was proud of his players but gutted by the final result after the Wallabies had taken a 23-5 lead near the half-hour mark. Jake Gordon of Australia dives to score a try during the second test against the British and Irish Lions. Photo: Photosport While the Wallabies were bitterly disappointed that the clear-out decision had gone against them, they did not need to use it as motivation for the dead rubber in Sydney next Saturday. "You can't get more motivated than what the players showed tonight," he added. "You've got to keep resolve and keep going forward. We're not going to wallow in self-pity." Farrell said his players had fulfilled the ultimate dream by pulling off a brilliant comeback win from 18 points down. James Lowe celebrates Tadhg Beirne's try for the British and Irish Lions. Photo: photosport By storming back from 23-5 down late in the first half, the Lions delivered the biggest comeback in their test history and gave the tourists a first series win since beating Robbie Deans's Australia in 2013. "When you see what it means to everyone in there, you can hear them, these lads have dreamed of being a British & Irish Lion all their lives," Farrell told reporters. "And to get to the point where we come to the MCG, 90,000 people, with a dramatic finish like that to win the series is what dreams are made of. "The drama and how it unfolded, that's what makes it special. "I suppose you wouldn't have backed us at 23-5 but to find a way it adds to the story, doesn't it? It adds to the fairytale. "To be part of that is an honour." While the Wallabies were incensed that a clean-out by Jac Morgan in the build up to Hugo Keenan's last-minute try was not penalised, Farrell said the Lions were deserving winners for hanging on in the match. Bundee Aki (L) and Owen Farrell celebrate the Lions' win over Australia in the second test in Melbourne. Photo: photosport He did have some words of sympathy Joe Schmidt's team, though, praising them for their fight in a classic test that came a week after the hosts lost the Brisbane opener 27-19. "It's cruel in so many ways for Australia, but we stayed in the fight and got what we deserved," Farrell said. "Fair play to them. They turned up and they were going to turn up physically. But it wasn't just that. "They played a great brand of rugby." Farrell was defence coach when Warren Gatland's Lions won the 2013 series 2-1 by hammering the Wallabies 41-16 in the Sydney decider. He will now look to guide the Lions to an unprecedented 3-0 sweep of the Wallabies in Sydney in a week's time. "He wants us to win everything," captain Maro Itoje said, who was named man of the match in Melbourne. "Don't get me wrong, absolutely delighted with the result tonight, but we want to go again next week." - Reuters
RNZ News
28 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Bitter butter battle tops bulletins, Saudi sports cash
sport media 22 minutes ago A bitter battle over the price of butter led news bulletins this week, prompting a 'please explain' from the finance minister to Fonterra. But did the media miss the main point? Also: pundits say Sky TV taking over Three strengthens its on-screen sport play, but the cash Saudi Arabia's suddenly splashing could end up changing the picture.
Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
Last-gasp try seals series for Lions over Wallabies
Hugo Keenan scored a last-gasp try as the British & Irish Lions mounted a record comeback from 18 points down to overhaul a gallant Australia 29-26 and win the series with a test to spare. Fullback Keenan's late score capped the biggest fightback in Lions' test history and left the Wallabies heartbroken in front of 90,307 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a record crowd for a Lions test. The result was not without controversy as Australia desperately appealed for a penalty over Jac Morgan's clean-out on Carlo Tizzano in the buildup to Keenan's try. But after an agonising wait as the TV match official assessed a variety of angles, the try stood and the Lions claimed their first series win since beating Robbie Deans's Australia 2-1 in 2013. As ecstatic Lions players sang in their changing room, a gutted Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said the referees got the decision wrong. His Lions counterpart Andy Farrell saw things differently and said his team were deserving winners. 'They have dreamed of being a Lion all their lives and the fairytale is true, getting to this point and winning it at the death like that. What a privilege," said Farrell, who was the Lions defence coach in 2013. Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones and Tadgh Beirne also scored tries for Farrell's men, the first Lions team to seal a series 2-0 since the 1997 tour of South Africa. While Farrell's team celebrated, it was a bitter night for the hosts, who had taken a 23-5 lead in a belter of an opening half featuring three tries apiece. That lead was trimmed to six points by halftime as the counter-punching Lions produced a two-try burst in the five minutes before the break. "It hurts," said Wallabies captain Harry Wilson. "So proud of this team. We've been written off. We came out here, we put our bodies on the line. The game was there to the very end and to lose like that, it hurts." 'FAIRYTALE STUFF' With enforcers Rob Valetini and Will Skelton back from injury, Australia were much improved from the side who were outmuscled in the 27-19 defeat in the Brisbane opener. They hit harder at the breakdown and converted their dominance of possession into early points as the Lions struggled with indiscipline. Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh kicked a pair of penalty goals in the first 11 minutes before the Lions settled through a dominant scrum. Hooker Sheehan took a quick tap near the try-line and flew over a pair of low-tackling Wallabies for the opening try. With only two backs named on the bench, Australia were reduced to one when winger Harry Potter came off with a hamstring injury. Tate McDermott, normally a scrumhalf, was a valiant replacement and the Wallabies shrugged off the blow when James Slipper burrowed over at the left corner in the 23rd minute. Referee Andrea Piardi grew impatient with the Lions' repeated infringements and showed Tommy Freeman a yellow card, and Australia duly capitalised with a couple of quick tries. Scrumhalf Jake Gordon veered out of a ruck to bolt five metres through a gaping hole in the Lions' line for the first. Centre Joseph Suaalii then sent home fans into delirium two minutes later as he burst through midfield and dished off to Tom Wright, who steamed over to put the Wallabies 18 points up. Once restored to 15 men, however, the Lions rallied with two tries of their own. Curry danced around Gordon to touch down in the corner, and centre Jones carried strongly over the line to put his team six points adrift at the break. Both teams struggled to impose themselves after the restart but the Lions' Bundee Aki cracked the game open with a furious line break, the tourists shifting to the left where James Lowe offloaded to a barnstorming Beirne to thunder over on the hour. Flyhalf Finn Russell's conversion made it a two-point game and the Lions ratcheted up the pressure, with their forwards dominating the scrum. After several narrow escapes, the Wallabies finally buckled in the last minute when the quick-footed Keenan stepped through a gap in the left corner for a score which the referees were unwilling to roll back. Farrell's men will look to become the first Lions team to sweep the Wallabies in a three-test series when they head to Sydney next week. "It's fairytale stuff," said Farrell. "You can say whatever you want but to these lads, it means absolutely everything."
