Netball New Zealand says it's surprised by but isn't discounting speculation in the Australian media over changes to the trans-Tasman netball competition.
A report in the Sydney Morning Herald says New Zealand and Australian netball teams will no longer regularly play each other in the ANZ Championship with the competition set to split in two from next year.
The newspaper says a new Australian eight-team national netball competition will begin in February next year, with the New Zealand sides set to play in their own domestic league.
In a joint statement Netball New Zealand and Netball Australia say they are close to reaching agreement on the format of the 2017 competition and will make an announcement next week.
Trans-Tasman battles like this between the Tactix and the Melbourne Vixens could be a thing of the past. Photo: Photosport
New Zealand teams have struggled in the competition from its beginning in 2008 with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, who are currently winless this season, the only New Zealand team to win the competition.
There are suggestions the top New Zealand and Australian teams could compete in a final series but it appears there will no longer be regular trans-Tasman pool matches.
