Following the decision by the Collingwood Magpies not to renew their Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) licence beyond 2023, Netball Victoria today confirmed its commitment to retaining a second Victorian team in the SSN competition.
With netball being the leading team sport for girls and women in the state, we consider it vital that Victoria continues to have two teams in the national competition and we’re working in close partnership with the Victorian Government to achieve that outcome.
We are ready to take on an additional SSN licence and have proven form to set up and build a successful team.
Netball Victoria is already represented in the SSN by the Melbourne Vixens, one of the competition’s premier teams. The Vixens are performing strongly on and off the court in 2023, achieving record revenues, membership figures and home game attendances.
“We have informed Netball Australia that our number one priority is to ensure that we keep two SSN licences in Victoria in 2024 and beyond,” said Netball Victoria CEO Andrea Pearman.
“Our state is a netball stronghold, and we are prepared to stand behind our conviction that two Victorian-based teams is the best outcome for the competition and the future of our sport.”
“Two SSN teams in Victoria are essential to ensuring a strong pathway for our state’s elite players, coaches, umpires and administrators, while inspiring young players and encouraging grassroots participation. The new team would ideally be based in regional Victoria, where netball has a huge grassroots base.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity to expand the elite competition into our heartland in regional Victoria, where participation is already high and the local netball team is an important part of so many communities. It is also a chance to build on the excitement and legacy of the upcoming Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games in cities like Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.”
“Commercially and on-court, the success of the Vixens demonstrates that we have the talent, resources and experience in this state to build a strong new team and create an exciting local rivalry that will last for many years.”
