Push for new format at lopsided netball

 

By Melissa Woods, 7 Jul 2011

Tagged:

 netball, Netball Australia, world netball

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As the lopsided results at the netball world championship in Singapore continue, support increases for Australia’s push for a new format for the 2015 titles in Sydney.

Netball Australia, who last hosted the four-yearly world titles in Sydney in 1991, want to change the format so all of the top teams play against each other.

At the current championship in Singapore, the top four teams – Australia, New Zealand, England and Jamaica – are divided into four pools of four teams, and won’t meet until the semi-finals at the earliest.

With those netball superpowers winning their pool games against minnow nations by around 60 goals, there is growing pressure on the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) for change.

A likely scenario is a two-tier system of eight teams each, with the highest-ranked teams fighting it out for the world title in the top tier, and the lower group competing for promotion.

IFNA president Molly Rhone said if adopted, the new format would see the top teams play each other at least once – to the delight of spectators, broadcasters and athletes.

“The IFNA board will consider all that’s been discussed and see if we can come up with a format for 2015,” she said.

“It must be best for netball and we hope we’ll see if we can come up with a decision by 2013.”

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