Quality, Not Quantity, Must Be The Goal For Netball

The Age

Monday November 19, 2007

Linda Pearce

The top four nations stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world, writes Linda Pearce.

NETBALL has a problem. Not enough countries play it, and only a handful of those are any good. This is not a new issue, and nor is it unique - cricket, after all this time, and with all its money, has only 10 Test-playing nations - but it is worth considering the issues the latest world championship has raised.

Rather than the current format of 16 teams split into four groups, Australian coach Norma Plummer wants two divisions to encourage more competitive - and, consequently, entertaining - preliminary matches. Clearly, whatever the finer details, something needs to be done.

Of the 48 matches played last week, there were far too few good ones and barely a handful of tremendous ones, including Friday night's semi-final between New Zealand and Jamaica and, of course, the usual gripping trans-Tasman final.

But there was too much substandard dross, and not enough Australia versus Jamaica, or England versus NZ. In fact, neither of those matches happened. Plummer is right: when there are only a handful of decent teams, they must all play each other at the sport's showcase event. Full stop.

Some positive steps already have been taken. From 24 countries in Jamaica four years ago, a qualification system now limits the number to 16, which is still at least four too many, although there is, of course, a balance between encouraging the developing nations and holding back the advanced.

If 16 remain, there must be a better way. If not Plummer's two separate divisions, perhaps two pools of eight, playing each other once over seven days, then semis and finals. That would extend the event's length slightly, but at least the top four all should meet at least once.

Former NZ coach Yvonne Willering has advocated a three-tiered structure she describes as "maybe a top six, middle six, bottom six, where they play a round-robin with the opportunity of moving up to the next section". That way, teams could return home with a better record of competitive scores to help secure the funding needed to gain international competition in the years between world championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Among the small fry, the improvers this year included several from Africa. Botswana on debut toppled both Barbados (previously ranked seventh) and Trinidad and Tobago (10th) to finish in the top 10. Malawi secured its best result, fifth, ahead of South Africa, but the problem is the chasm separating No. 5 from the top four.

Just as baseball's World Series is really the championship of North America, netball rather grandly bestows a world title, when this is really a best-of-most-of-the-Commonwealth affair. A bit like cricket minus the strong subcontinental influence, but a little more interest in the Pacific.

The 13th world championship will be held in 2011 in Singapore, which was awarded hosting rights over Melbourne partly for developmental reasons. The format is yet to be finalised, so there is still time to get it right - before any more opportunities are lost.

© 2007 The Age

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