New Zealand - Netball - Leamington Primary School - Fantails - 1983 Photo Courtesy of Eileen New Netball - The most popular women's sport in New Zealand, in terms of player participation and public interest - An integral part of New Zealand’s dynamic sporting culture. Steeped in history - It was introduced to New Zealand as ‘women’s basketball’ in 1906 – a nine-a-side game played on grass, with baskets tied to posts at either end of the court. - As in other netball-playing countries, netball is considered primarily a women's sport; men's and mixed teams exist at different levels, but are ancillary to women's competition. - In 2017, 144,358 players were registered with Netball New Zealand, the governing body for organised netball in the country. - Organised competition ranges from interschool and local club netball to premier domestic competitions such as the ANZ Premiership, with the pinnacle for netball players in New Zealand being selection for the national team. (Reference: Wikipedia)