World Netball is the worldwide governing body for netball. It is responsible for organising the Netball World Cup, Netball at the Commonwealth Games, the Fast5 Netball World Series and the Netball World Youth Cup. It also publishes the World Netball Rankings and maintains the rules of netball. It was originally founded in 1960 as the International Federation of Women's Basketball and Netball Associations. After members adopted the name "netball" for the sport, the organisation was renamed the International Federation of Netball Associations. Between 2012–13 and 2021, it was known as the International Netball Federation, before it adopted its current name.
| |
| Sport | Netball |
|---|---|
| Also governs | Fast5 netball |
| Jurisdiction | Worldwide |
| Membership | 80+ (2025) |
| Abbreviation | WN |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Affiliation | Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations International Olympic Committee International World Games Association |
| Location | MediaCityUK Salford Quays Salford Greater Manchester M50 2AB England |
| President | Liz Nicholl |
| CEO | Fiona Harold |
| Vice president | Shirley Hooper |
| Official website | |
| netball | |
Headquarters
World Netball is based at MediaCityUK in Salford, England.
History
In 1957, during Australia's tour of England, discussions took place about standardising the rules of netball. In 1960, this led to representatives from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales and the West Indies meeting in Colombo, Ceylon to establish the International Federation of Women's Basketball and Netball Associations. The modern rules of netball were established at this inaugural meeting. It was also agreed to organise the 1963 World Netball Championships. By the 1970s, netball was no longer referred to as "women's basketball" and national associations, such as the All Australia Netball Association, began to the drop the old name for the sport from their names. The world organisation was also renamed the International Federation of Netball Associations. In 2012–13, the IFNA again changed its name, this time to the International Netball Federation. In June 2021, the INF announced an official rebrand and became known as World Netball.
Competitions
Current
| Years | Competition |
|---|---|
| 1963– | Netball World Cup |
| 1990– | Netball at the Commonwealth Games |
| 1988– | Netball World Youth Cup |
| 2009– | Fast5 Netball World Series |
| 2023– | Fast5 Netball at the Commonwealth Youth Games |
Former
| Years | Competition |
|---|---|
| 2012–2018 | World University Netball Championship |
| 1985–1993 | Netball at the World Games |
Olympics
Since 1995, World Netball has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee. World Netball is also a member of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations. However, IOC recognition does not mean automatic inclusion in the Summer Olympic Games. World Netball applied for netball to be a part of the 2020 Summer Olympics but was unsuccessful. In August 2021, World Netball declared its intention to work with Netball Australia to make a compelling case for netball's inclusion at the 2032 Summer Olympics. In March 2025, World Netball and Netball Australia met with the 2032 organising committee.
Regions and members
World Netball has over 80 members. This includes full and associate members. World Netball also has five regional federations, representing Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
| Federation | Full Members | Associate members |
|---|---|---|
| Africa Netball | 15 | 3 |
| Americas Netball | 18 | 2 |
| Asia Netball | 18 | 2 |
| Europe Netball | 13 | 3 |
| Oceania Netball | 7 | 2 |
Presidents
| Years | President | Association |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–1999 | Anne Taylor | New Zealand |
| 1999–2003 | Sheryl Dawson | New Zealand |
| 2003–2019 | Molly Rhone | Jamaica |
| 2019– | Liz Nicholl | Wales |
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