A hundred (and more!) years of netball

1891

The game is invented in the USA, where it was (and still is!) called basketball. The first match was recorded in Boston in 1900.

1897

The students at the college introduced rings instead of baskets and divided the court into three.

1895

Visit of an American, Dr Justin Toles to Madam Österberg’s Physical Training College. Students were taught basketball with two wastepaper baskets hung on walls at each end of the hall acting as goals.

1901

The newly formed Ling Association (now the Physical Education Association) set up a sub-committee to revise and publish the first set of rules.

1907

The Polytechnic Netball Club is established, the longest continually running netball club in the world (see our feature later in this magazine!)

1924

The London & Home Counties Netball Federation is formed to organise clubs within London and the surrounding area and to establish a national association.

1928

It was noted at the AGM that there had been a steady increase in membership of the Association, but there were calls for territorial or district organisations with representation on the National Council. The Hints to Umpires booklet sold 1,650 copies.

1932

The first All England Inter County Tournament was held at Eltham Hill Secondary School. 11 teams competed, with Essex the first County Champions. 746 clubs affiliated.

1902

The game develops steadily with modifications to the rules brought about by the experience of clubs and schools. English rules were introduced into the USA, Canada, France and South Africa, as well as Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

1923

A register is taken of all leagues which have eight or more clubs.

1926

12 February - 230 delegates in the drawing room of the YMCA, Tottenham Court Road, formed the All England Women’s Net Ball Association. In the first season 12 leagues and 21 clubs affiliated.

1929

South East was the first territorial association to be formed. The first seven county associations were Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Durham and Northumberland. 24 leagues (over 300 clubs) and 74 clubs affiliated.

1933

In October Volume 1, Number 1 of The Official Magazine of the All England Women’s Net Ball Association was published. Price 3d.

1937

Net Ball magazine discontinued because of a lack of funds.

1935

The organisation’s name was changed to All England Women’s Association for Netball and other Hand Ball Games, enabling the Association to qualify for recognition by the International Federation, which controlled all hand ball games and would lead to international games.

Two teams from the Midlands and two from the South East represented the Association at a Wembley Festival of Youth held in the presence of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret also in attendance. 10,000 young people attended.

1944

The Association is now known as the All England Netball Association. The Netball magazine is re-introduced, edited by Mrs Joan Shaw.

1946

The first Inter-Territorial Tournament is held in Bristol and won by the North West.

1939

An invitation was received from New Zealand to send a national team to take part in centenary celebrations in 1940 but the trip was cancelled due to World War Two.

1945

All England Inter-County Tournaments resume and are held annually until 2001.

1947

21st birthday celebrations at Bournville with the first eyewitness account of netball broadcast on radio.

A reference in a House of Commons debate to the tax on netball equipment led to its exemption.

1949

The first international matches against Scotland and Wales were held at the General Electric Company Ground, in Preston Road, Wembley.

England won both 25-3!

1948

A meeting with the National Union of Teachers ruled against the formation of a National Schools Netball Association.

1953

Miss Rena Stratford spoke at the AGM of the need to widen horizons and suggested it was time England linked up with other netball-playing countries.

The Times reported that three million women played netball and there were thousands of clubs all over Britain.

1951

Silver Jubilee celebrations. Over 600 players representing schools, clubs and counties successfully demonstrated netball at the Festival of Britain Exhibition on London’s South Bank, where the Festival Hall now stands.

1954

From this year on, an England team has been selected annually.

Netball took part in the Paralympic Games held at Stoke-Mandeville Hospital.

1955

For the first time, international matches were played indoors.

1957

The first international rules conference was held in London at which an international code of rules was drawn up by delegates from the four UK nations, plus Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Trinidad and South Africa.

1960

International Federation of Women’s Basketball and Netball Associations inaugurated at a conference in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

1962

Players wear the initials of playing positions.

1963

The first World Tournament at Chelsea College of Physical Education. Eleven countries competed and England finished third behind New Zealand and winners Australia.

1956

England entertained their first overseas side, losing 11-14 to Australia.

England’s first touring team, whose members had to find their own air fares, took four days to fly in a two-engine Viking aircraft to Southern Rhodesia and South Africa.

1961

England adopted the international code of play for domestic use.

A coaching scheme launched with a national conference attended by 25 coaches all of whom undertook to conduct coaching courses throughout the country.

1964

The first Junior Inter County Tournament is held and won by Essex.

1965

For the first time a Young England (under 23) team was selected.

1967

The second World Tournament in Perth, Australia. For the first time expenses of the officials and players are met by the Association.

1969

Introduction of the National Schools tournament with Cardinal Wiseman School (Warwickshire) the first Senior School Champions. St. Wilfrids School (Lancashire) won the Junior section.

The first Torch Trophy Award for voluntary service to a netball club went to Miss Susan Winterbottom (Staffordshire).

1970

For the first time, copies of the Association’s Handbook and Annual Report were sent to all members.

1974

England’s captain Anne Miles becomes the first player to represent England in 50 internationals.

1976

The Golden Jubilee. Special demonstration matches were played all over the country.

1971

England competed in the third World Tournament in Kingston, Jamaica.

The first England Schoolgirls team was selected at open trials.

1975

Eleven countries competed in the fourth World Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand.

1979

The fifth World Tournament is held in Trinidad, with 19 countries competing.

A reorganisation of Head Office resulted in the appointment for the first time of a Director of Netball.

The number of affiliated club members sits at 26,774.

1983

The sixth World Championship is held in Singapore.

1985

Individually affiliated members now sits at 41,294 and the number of clubs 2,918.

1988

The First World Youth Cup took place in Canberra, Australia.

1990

Netball is accepted into the Commonwealth Games for 1998.

1991

The eighth World Tournament is held in Australia.

1994

A record 138 teams participated in the National Junior Championship.

1984

Three major sponsors emerged for netball. Barclays Bank sponsored the new National Youth Tournament, Fosters Draught the Inter County Championship and the Butter Information Council the National Clubs Tournament.

1987

The seventh World Tournament is held in Glasgow. This was the last tournament to be held outdoors – and it rained every day!

1992

Affiliated membership passes the 50,000 mark.

1995

England hosted the ninth World Championship in Birmingham with a record 27 countries participating.

Development Officers are now employed in most regions.

1998

Netball is included in the Commonwealth Games for the first time.

2001

The AENA celebrates its 75th anniversary with a number of events.

The Fisher and Paykel Super Cup is launched with six teams. Petchey London Tornadoes take the first title by one goal over Birmingham University Blaze.

2003

The eleventh Netball World Championship is held in Kingston, Jamaica.

2006

The Commonwealth Games are held in Melbourne, Australia.

Team Bath win the first season of the Super League.

2006 Sky Sports partner with England Netball, the start of a 19-year (and counting!) partnership.

1999

The tenth World Championship is held in Christchurch, New Zealand with 25 countries participating.

2002

The Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the most significant multi-sport event in the UK since the Olympics of 1948. The Games had a huge impact on netball in the UK. The final day had over 10,000 spectators in the arena – the largest ever crowd to watch netball.

2005

England Netball create an awards system to recognise the huge contribution that volunteers make to the sport, the Goalden Globes.

2005-2006 was the inaugural season for the Netball Super League.

2007

The twelfth Netball World Championship is held in New Zealand.

2008

The Goalden Globes award scheme was extended to the netball regions inviting them to have their own award system with the winners going into a national final.

2011

The thirteenth Netball World Championship is held in Singapore.

Following this tournament, a group of England fans form the England Netball Supporters Club.

2015

The fourteenth Netball World Championship is held in Sydney. Vitality become the proud title partner of the Vitality Roses and Vitality Netball International Series.

2016

The governing bodies of netball in Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa form a partnership to play regularly scheduled test matches.

To celebrate its 90th anniversary, England Netball set a Guinness World Record for the Most Players in a Netball Exhibition match. 1,322 people played for 90 hours.

England Netball membership exceeds 100,000 for the first time.

2010

The Commonwealth Games are held in Delhi, India.

2014

The Commonwealth Games are held in Glasgow.

Geva Mentor is voted the World’s Best Netballer.

2018

The Commonwealth Games are held in the Gold Coast, Australia where England pip the hosts in the final.

The Vitality Roses win the BBC Sport Team of the Year and the Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year for winning gold.

2019

The fifthteenth Netball World Cup is held in Liverpool with over 110,000 tickets sold, more than any other Netball World Cup.

Sky and BBC report that there were 233 hours of coverage and over 11 million people worldwide watched the Netball World Cup and 6 million Brits either watched on TV or attended the event

2022

The Goalden Globes awards are renamed The ONE Awards.

The Commonwealth Games are held in Birmingham.

2024

England Netball announce the confirmed teams for the relaunched NSL.

2026

England Netball celebrates turning 100. Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow.

2020

England host the first INF sanctioned Vitality Netball Nations Cup played between England, Jamaica, New Zealand and South Africa.

2021

After the Covid-19 pandemic, England Netball launches its 10-year Adventure Strategy.

2023

The sixteenth Netball World Cup is held in South Africa England Netball announces the NSL will be relaunched in 2025 in a drive towards professionalisation.

2025

The relaunched Netball Super League sees record growth in broadcast viewing figures and match attendances.

In partnership with Sky Sports and BBC Sport, every NSL match was broadcast for fans to watch at home.