Netball is fast becoming more and more popular throughout the UK. Deriving from the game basketball which was adapted for women around 1895, the sport has come a long way from women using broomsticks as posts and wet paper bags for the nets and playing on grass areas in long, restrictive dresses! 3 years later, the court was divided into sections of 3, the team increased to 9 players and umpires and score-keepers were introduced. The sport was developing and in 1901, the first set of rules were produced, netball became an official sport.
Often called ‘ladies basketball’, women school teachers went on their travels and took netball with them, introducing it to other companies, who developed their own set of rules, with the first official championships of Women’s Basketball taking place in Melbourne in 1928. Over the years, the game continued to grow in popularity and numerous competitions took place, largely in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. But in 1957, London held a conference to agree on the International Code of Rules which are still followed today in all countries. 1963 saw the first world championship event for the sport, with 11 teams competing, Australia became triumphant and the championships are held every 4 years to this day.
Today Netball is played by over 20 million people worldwide, in more than 80 countries, predominantly by women, although male participation is increasing rapidly in some countries. Television coverage continues to increases which adds to the popularity of the sport, and further developments are being made to the game including the trial of a shortened version of the sport called ‘Fastnet’. Efforts also continue for Netball to be recognised at the Olympic Games.