Men’s netball is a sport on the rise in Aotearoa, with school players now getting the chance to show their skill at a national level.
For the first time, a male division has been added to the under-18 Championships held in Hamilton this week. Seven teams are vying for the inaugural men’s title – Hamilton City, Dannevirke, Howick-Pakuranga, Hutt Valley, Invercargill, Tauranga and Waitākere.
Waitākere shooter Jayden Eaton told 1News it’s a privilege to play alongside the women.
“Stoked, it’s nice to be one of the first people to actually play outdoor netball like all the girls, but nice to be here just with all the boys.”
Most of the players have got into the seven-a-side game after playing indoor netball and while they may sound similar, it’s a different style," Eaton said.
“We play more like aerial type high passes and a little bit faster," he said.
The draw card to seven-a-side netball is being able to play for longer with games made up of four 10-minute quarters. One player in particular who’s enjoying his time on the court is Jaxon Dowson - who’s not even in his teens.
At just 12 years of age, he's already getting into the thick of it with Howick-Pakuranga.
“I just really love that I can play netball with these boys at such a young age so I can continue playing it for many more years," Jaxon said.
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic defender Erena Mikaere was at Minogue Park - where this weekend's nationals are being held - as the assistant coach to the Rotorua Under-18 women and said seeing the men play in their own tournament made her emotional.
“I shed a few tears just to personally see the boys out there," she said.
"They’re unapologetically themselves, so to see this for the first time out there, it’s just incredible.”
The tournaments conclude on Thursday, with the men’s final at 1:40pm and the women’s final at 2:45pm. The top two women’s teams will play for the Margaret Forsyth Cup in memory of the Silver Fern great.
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