The 2020 Bupa Victorian Netball League (VNL) is set to commence on Friday 7 August, pending State Government restrictions currently in place to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes the latest information released on Saturday 4 July.
The season has been adjusted to culminate with the Grand Finals being played on Wednesday 28 October.
Throughout this pandemic, Netball Victoria has been a leading advocate in the return to play for women and girls across the state, and the commencement of the state’s top netball league is an exciting development in this plan.
“The last few months have been unprecedented times for our whole netball community, so this is a fantastic opportunity for the Bupa VNL clubs to return to play,” Netball Victoria’s Pathways Manager and VIS Netball Development Coach, Cathy Fellows, said.
“As we know, the VNL is the elite development competition for Victorian athletes, coaches, technical officials and administrators, so it will be wonderful to have the clubs back on court showcasing the best that Victoria has to offer.”
Whilst the competition will be delivered with limited or no spectators at the venue, Netball Victoria has been working closely with their broadcast supplier to livestream matches each week.
“Given the current environment, we believe that delivering the Bupa VNL season virtually provides an even wider audience the chance to see some of the best netballers in the state at play,” added Netball Victoria’s CEO, Rosie King. “It’s a wonderful way for us to showcase what Victorian netball has to offer.”
“Our team that work to deliver the Bupa VNL here at Netball Victoria have worked hard with the clubs and their counterparts across the country to find the best model for us here in Victoria. I think this is a great outcome for the 2020 season considering the circumstances.”
The new-look 2020 Bupa VNL season comes following extensive consultation with all ten clubs.
Netball Victoria acknowledges the dedication and passion of our coaches and volunteers who have committed a huge amount of time to plan and prepare their athletes ahead of the season.
