Martina Salmon (left) of New Zealand and Lucy Austin from Australia before they head out to play. Fast 5 Netball World Series, Christchurch 2024. © Photo: Martin Hunter / www.photosport.nz Photo: Martin Hunter
World Netball is looking for a new host of the Fast5 World series and says the event has attracted interest from countries outside of traditional netball playing regions.
Christchurch hosted the annual Fast5 World Netball series for the last time over the weekend, having homed it for three years.
The series sees the top six teams in the world battle it out in a shorter, fast-paced version of the game. Men's teams have also been invited to compete in their own division for the last three years.
New Zealander Shirley Hooper, the vice president of World Netball, said the international body was in the process of developing a new commercial and event strategy and have gone out to the market with various offerings, including Fast5.
"We're in a really interesting time for netball so we have this out in the market at the moment. We've had multiple interested parties, which is really nice for netball so we are in the process of working through that. There's a lot of interest in Fast5 in different parts of the world and various bits and pieces," Hooper said.
"It's still a bit early to come out and say where it will be and what format it will be and whether there will be one or two or who knows how many but what I can say is that there is a lot of interest and a lot of people that are keen to see this form of the sport continue."
Hooper said interest in hosting Fast5 was also coming from countries outside of the traditional netball playing regions.
"We know from some of the partners that we're speaking to, who have contacts in different parts of the world, that as well as our traditional netball playing nations there are several countries that are interested in hosting an event like Fast5 so it gives us that opportunity potentially to start opening up new markets and looking for new opportunities, which is very exciting for the future of netball."
A self-described sports addict, Hooper was at the tournament in Christchurch over the weekend and believed it's an experience you can't get anywhere else.
"The whole community feeling that you get from the spectators that go all out getting dressed up, they really join in with the fun and atmosphere, and the dancing routines from the teams, it's really unique and not just to netball.
"There's not many sports where you can come and you can feel that energy and that closeness around a netball court.
"So I think there are lots of people that are interested in what that brings to a sporting community, to sponsors, fan engagement and eyeballs on screen. So it's a very important part of our game alongside the seven-aside game. I think many other sports have proven that you can have strong forms of both games and that's our dream."
This year's tournament saw more tweaks to the rules of Fast5 netball.
The shorter format of the game has undergone a number of rule changes since it was first held in England from 2009-2011 when it was called Fast Net, before it evolved into FAST5 in 2012.
On Sunday the Fast5 Ferns miraculously sneaked into the final when Martina Salmon shot back-to-back six pointers in the power play period, after South Africa seemingly had it in the bag with an 11 goal lead and 40 seconds left on the clock.
Does Hooper think they are getting closer to settling on the right product?
"I think there are always tweaks to the rules, it's our experimental form of the game ...we are prepared to try and push them. Are we done yet? I don't think we'll ever be done, I think there will always be ways that we can keep growing, and evolving that form of the game.
"We've moved a long way since the start of Fast5, which probably felt a bit like the traditional game with just two people less on the court, whereas now we've got a really distinctively different game, which brings a lot of energy."
Hooper did not think rules specific to Fast5 needed to transfer into the traditional game.
Fast 5 Netball World Series, England v Jamaica at Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand on Saturday 9 November 2024. © Photo: Martin Hunter / www.photosport.nz Photo: Martin Hunter
"You can find your way through different forms of the game so long as you just continue to make them feel different."
World Netball faces crunch decision
Fast5 is also seen as the version of the game that could give World Netball the best chance at getting the sport into the Olympics.
When Brisbane secured the rights to host the 2032 Olympics three year's ago, World Netball and Netball Australia launched a joint campaign to push their case to debut on the Olympic programme.
But World Netball will have to make a call soon as to whether it is actually going to commit a whole lot of money and time into submitting an official bid.
The first option would be to submit an application to next year's IOC session in March, which would need a two thirds majority vote amongst International Olympic Committee delegates.
The other option would require the Brisbane 2032 local organising committee to make an application for netball to be included as one of its local sports, no later than three years out from the event.
The international body this year hired an independent consultant to help inform them about their chances, the benefits, and risks.
"You have to make a truly commercial decision so contracting someone who knew their way through the Olympic movement and could give us more insights in order to make some really informed decisions, has been important."
Hooper said the consultant's report was being received by the World Netball Board now.
"It's going to be interesting to see. It's embedded in our regulations that we want our sport to strive to be in the Olympics, but we also need to be very cognisant of what our chances of success are in order to balance what you put in, in the way of resources.
"We've all heard stories ...squash spent a huge amount of money over the years to try to get into the Olympics and now they are there for LA in 2028, but also you might only be there for one cycle. So things will unfold in the next couple of months as we work our way through it."
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