NNZ & NORTHERN ZONE UPDATES

NNZ Zone Theory Exam – Applications Open

The NNZ Zone Theory Exam is the next step for umpires who hold a current Centre Umpire Award and are looking to attain their Zone Umpire Award.

Registrations for the NNZ Zone Theory Exam to be held on Monday 11^th May between 6-8.30pm, are now open. Registrations will close on Monday 20^th April and no late registrations are permitted.

Payment and practise exam details will be sent by NNZ on Friday 24^th April. Final exam details will be sent to those who have been approved to sit exam on Friday 8^th May.

To register, Click here.

Exams cost $55 and payment details will be sent to applicants to pay online after registrations have closed. If their Netball Centre is paying for them, this can be done in one payment directly to Netball New Zealand, details will be in the payment email.  

Please note important information from the Community Umpiring Guidelines:

• Registrations must be completed on the closing date. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Candidates must sit their exam without help from another person unless use of a reader-writer or other special conditions have been authorised.

Please ask your student candidates, not to use their school email address to register for Sport Tutor as when they try to use their account after they leave school, they no longer have access to that email.

Candidates must enter their netball centre, rather than their school or club so that they can be approved by the Zone.

Contact:  Sharleen Umpire@netballnorthern.co.nz or Leah CountiesUmpire@netballnorthern.co.nz

ANZ Premiership Draw Announced

The 2026 ANZ Premiership draw is officially locked in, with the first game between Northern rivals – Go Media Stars v Northern Mystics at Pulman Arena, Sunday 12 April 5pm.

See attached thumbnails for dates or head to the following websites for more information:

https://anzpremiership.co.nz/

https://www.northernmystics.co.nz/

https://starsnetball.co.nz/

Netball New Zealand 2026 Domestic Events

NNZ is pleased to confirm the venues and dates for Netball New Zealand’s key domestic tournaments in 2026:

Under 18 Championships
Christchurch Netball Centre, Ngā Puna Wai
Monday 13 July – Thursday 16 July 2026

Netball NZ Open Championships
Hawke’s Bay Netball Centre, Rodney Green Arena
Thursday 10 September – Sunday 13 September 2026

New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships
Auckland Netball Centre, St Johns
Tuesday 29 September – Friday 2 October 2026

NNZ will be releasing the 2027 domestic event dates prior to Christmas this year.

Reminder: Behind the Whistle Campaign

The  Behind the Whistle campaign with Netball NZ and NETFIT NZ is in full swing.

The purpose of the campaign is to celebrate, educate, recruit, and retain our netball umpires — because we all know the game doesn’t happen without them!

There are three key aspects to the campaign:

1. Umpiring and Rules Resources
   • All resources have been compiled into one, easy-to-access LinkTree, including a sign-up form for new umpires.
   • Responses will be sent to zone umpire leads and passed onto centres.
     
     👉 Check it out here
2. Assets for Centres
   • Includes:
     • Social media tiles
     • Posters (with QR code to the LinkTree)
     • Email/newsletter images
     • Asset guidelines (how to use them)
   • If you’d like your centre’s umpire lead details included on the posters, please contact your Zone Umpire Lead.
   • For questions about how to use the assets, reach out to Josh – JoshB@netballnz.co.nz.

👉 Access the assets here

3. Social Media Campaign
   • We’ll be telling the stories of umpires from around Aotearoa, celebrating the incredible people who pick up the whistle every week!

You can engage with the campaign however you like — for example, printing and displaying posters on notice boards or aligning it with an umpire or volunteer appreciation round.

You can also share NNZ’s and NetFit’s social media posts and stories through your own social media channels.

Sport NZ - Let’s celebrate our Everyday Heros

Sport NZ have launched their Everyday Heroes campaign which aims to make coaches feel thanked and valued.

The campaign directs people to thankscoach.co.nz where anyone can create a personalised digital thank you message and have it sent to their coach.

Action: Check this out on Facebook and feel free to share with your clubs and schools.   https://fb.watch/uvpQP5Pm2u/

Sideline Supporters video 

With the end of the season nearing and finals coming up, we’ve created a short video with the MG Mystics with some messaging for sideline supporters.

Contact: michelle.spooner@netballnorthern.co.nz

Action: You can find the video on our Facebook page.  If you’d like to share it in your socials, please do.

Netball Northern Monthly Newsletter - subscribe now

We are excited to let you know that our monthly Netball Northern newsletter has been reinstated, now being sent out to all registered participants who indicated they would like to hear from the Zone.

Sent on the first Wednesday of every month, the newsletter is a great opportunity to share key updates, celebrate Centre successes, and highlight initiatives happening across our netball community.

If you have any stories, achievements, events, or opportunities you'd like featured, please send them through to communications@netballnorthern.co.nz

Action: If you’d like to receive ‘Northern Zone News’, the official e-newsletter of Netball Northern Zone, sign-up here