Canterbury Netball

Netball in Canterbury runs through several centres, and Christchurch Netball is the largest of them.

It has also just been through the biggest change in its history: after more than a century at Hagley Park, the sport has a new home. This guide covers the venues, the grades, how to find your draw, and where the junior and representative pathways lead.

Who runs what

Two names cause confusion, so it’s worth separating them.

Christchurch Netball is the organisation — formally Christchurch Netball Centre Inc — which runs competitions, coaching, officiating and representative programmes. Its stated purpose is growing a love of netball across Ōtautahi and beyond.

The Netball Sports Centre is the venue. It sits at 21 Augustine Drive, Ngā Puna Wai, Wigram, Christchurch 8025, and can be reached on 03 379 4486 for bookings and court hire, or [email protected] for netball queries.

Note that this page covers Christchurch. If you’re north of the Waimakariri, your centre is North Canterbury — see our North Canterbury guide for that draw and its venues.

The region’s ANZ Premiership franchise is the Mainland Tactix.

The move from Hagley Park

This is the piece of context most Canterbury netball guides leave out.

After over 100 years of netball at Christchurch’s Hagley Park courts, the purpose-built Christchurch Netball Centre at Ngā Puna Wai became the new home for the sport in the city.

The 10,050m² facility is a multisport arena accommodating netball, volleyball, futsal, korfball and gymnastics, and ended up with 10 courts after an initial expectation of 8 within the same budget, built in just over a year.

Ngā Puna Wai itself covers 32 hectares beside Canterbury Agricultural Park and was developed as Christchurch’s new home for community and performance sport following the Canterbury earthquakes. Christchurch Netball is one of the hub’s foundation partners, alongside Athletics Canterbury, Canterbury Hockey, Rugby League Canterbury, Tennis Canterbury and Sport Canterbury.

Hagley Park hasn’t gone away. The 2026 pre-season tournament was played at the Hagley Park netball courts on Saturday 14 March. Both venues appear in the calendar, so check which one your fixture is at rather than assuming.

Finding your draw

Draws are published on the Christchurch Netball website, hosted on the Sporty platform, and split by competition rather than gathered into one schedule.

The Draws and Results section separates out age grade draws, closed grade draws, open and masters grades, the junior netball draw and summer netball, alongside individual tournament draws.

There is also a Christchurch Netball app, which is generally faster than the website for weekly checking.

Early rounds of the winter season are grading rounds, used to place teams into balanced sections before championship rounds begin. Expect your grade to move in the first few weeks.

Grades

The grade structure runs from Year 9 and Year 10, through U16, U18 and U23, to Open Grade, Senior Reserve, Senior, Premier 2 and Premier 1.

Premier 1 is the top club tier. Playing days and times shift between seasons, so confirm against the current draw rather than relying on last year’s pattern.

Registration is through clubs, not directly with the centre. The club list is on the Christchurch Netball website.

Tournaments through the season

Christchurch Netball runs a substantial tournament calendar alongside the regular season. Recent editions have included the pre-season tournament in March, the Jellybean Tournament, a Year 9 tournament, the Rainbow Tournament, a King’s Birthday tournament at the end of May, and the U16 Tupuranga Championship.

The pre-season tournament is open to teams from Year 9 through to Premier 1, runs a round robin format with no finals, and in 2026 cost $100 per team.

Entry conditions and dates change annually — check the centre’s competitions pages before planning.

Secondary school netball

School netball in Canterbury is organised separately from club netball, through School Sport Canterbury, with graded divisions across Years 9 to 13.

The season’s high point for strong school sides is the South Island Secondary Schools tournament, which brings together the top teams from across the island.

Many players do both, playing school netball mid-week and club netball on Saturdays, which is worth factoring into training loads for teenagers.

Junior netball

Junior grades follow Netball New Zealand’s futureFERNS pathway, which scales the game to the player.

Year 1 and 2 play 4 v 4 on one third of the court with a 20cm grip ball and goals no higher than 2.1m, with five seconds to pass or shoot and no defending of passers or shooters.

Year 3 and 4 play 5 v 5 across two thirds with a size 4 ball and 2.6-metre goals. Year 5 and 6 play 6 v 6 on a full court, still at 2.6m with a size 4 ball. Year 7 and 8 move to the full seven-a-side game with a size 5 ball and 3.05-metre posts.

Netball New Zealand has confirmed a Year 5 and 6 format update from 2027, with the hoop height unchanged at 2.6m. Nothing changed in 2026.

Representative and development pathways

Christchurch Netball runs development and representative programmes across age groups, with trials advertised through the centre each year.

The national calendar includes the Netball NZ Under 18 Championships — held at Ngā Puna Wai in Christchurch — along with the Netball NZ Open Championships and the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships.

The centre also runs officiating pathways, including Kiwi Whistler workshops for young and new umpires, and coaching development. Both are chronically short of volunteers, and both are the usual way people stay involved once they stop playing.

Player safety

ACC and Netball New Zealand developed NetballSmart in response to a high rate of serious knee and ankle injuries, and ACC states that a warm-up programme like NetballSmart can reduce ACL injuries by up to 50%. The official warm-up takes 15 to 20 minutes and is designed to be done two to three times a week.

Before taking the court, jewellery must be removed except a wedding ring or medical alert bracelet, each of which must be taped; fingernails must be short and smooth; and spiked soles are not allowed.

On equipment, goalposts must be padded with uniform padding no more than 50mm thick, extending the full length of the pole — see our netball hoop guide.

Gear

Indoor courts at Ngā Puna Wai and outdoor asphalt at Hagley ask different things of footwear, so if your team plays across both, prioritise a shoe that copes with the abrasive surface.

Match balls should be inflated to 10psi and checked before each use. Bib position initials must be 150mm high, front and back, above the waist.

Our equipment guide covers the full kit, and court dimensions covers the playing surface. New to the sport? Start with how to play netball.

This article is provided for factual and informational purposes only. Draws, grades, venues, tournament dates and fees change every season — confirm all details directly with Christchurch Netball and the Netball Sports Centre before making plans. For rules see World Netball and Netball New Zealand. Details on this page were verified in August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where is netball played in Christchurch?

The main venue is the Netball Sports Centre at 21 Augustine Drive, Ngā Puna Wai, Wigram — a 10-court indoor facility. The Hagley Park courts are still used for some fixtures and tournaments.

Did Christchurch netball move from Hagley Park?

Yes. After more than 100 years at Hagley Park, the purpose-built centre at Ngā Puna Wai became the new home for Christchurch netball. Hagley courts remain in use for some events.

Where do I find the Christchurch netball draw?

On the Christchurch Netball website under Draws and Results, or through the Christchurch Netball app. Draws are split by competition — age grades, closed grades, open and masters, and junior — so check the one for your grade.

What grades does Christchurch Netball run?

Year 9 and Year 10, U16, U18 and U23, then Open Grade, Senior Reserve, Senior, Premier 2 and Premier 1.

How do I register to play?

Through a club rather than directly with the centre. The current club list is on the Christchurch Netball website.

Is Canterbury netball all run by one organisation?

No. Christchurch Netball covers the city, but Canterbury has other centres — North Canterbury serves the Waimakariri and Hurunui districts, for example. Check which centre covers your area.

What ball and hoop height do junior grades use?

A 20cm grip ball with goals up to 2.1m in Years 1 and 2, a size 4 ball with 2.6-metre goals in Years 3 to 6, and size 5 with 3.05-metre posts from Year 7.