Businesswoman Anna Mowbray wants to make New Zealand "the undisputed home of world netball".
Her comments come after Netball New Zealand confirmed it had signed a "non-binding term sheet" with the entrepreneur and her husband, former All Black Ali Williams.
Mowbray and Williams – who are also co-owners of A-League side Auckland FC – planned to establish a private franchise league to replace the ANZ Premiership, following months of uncertainty about the competition's future.
Netball NZ said the term sheet set out an intention to work towards the privatisation of the domestic competition from 2027. Work had begun on developing a long-form agreement.
This morning, Mowbray set out an "ambitious" vision for domestic netball in New Zealand.
"Our vision is really simple: it's to make New Zealand the undisputed home of world netball, where the Silver Ferns command the same reverence as the All Blacks – it's aspirational – and every girl who picks up a ball believes that she can actually get there.
"We need to build and empower the teams and the owners who curate the pathways into the Silver Ferns. We need to back the players. We need to celebrate our fans, our community, and we need to make netball impossible to ignore, both commercially, culturally, and on the scoreboard."
She said netball was "critical" for young women in New Zealand, which is why she decided to get involved.
"Netball is so core to the Kiwi psyche, and it's the game more of our girls play than any other," she said. "It's the game most of us grew up on.
"This isn't about a team for one season. It's actually about girls learning what it takes to succeed at anything: teamwork, resilience, grit, how to win, and just as importantly, how to lose."
Today's announcement comes after uncertainty saw some of New Zealand's biggest netball stars head overseas, with no guarantee of a domestic competition in 2027.
Mowbray said it was "devastating" to see players leave.
"If the best players in this country can't play netball here, they leave. And everyone who leaves takes with them a piece of a dream."
There was a "long path" ahead, Mowbray said, and the new investors will be taking steps to stabilise and commercialise the competition, bring in sponsors, and "drive the most appealing broadcast deal".
"That is going to be tricky. We go into this with very open eyes, understanding that that is going to be a relatively long path."
She said bringing in "passionate, dynamic" owners will drive the league.
"Great owners help to ensure that the standards are set, and that we're able to deliver something really special."
The long-form agreement would see the competition and teams' licences held by the investors, while Netball NZ would assume a governance role on the board.
There would be a five-team requirement for 2027, with the competition format, team structure, and season dates to be confirmed by the investors thereafter.
Player terms would be determined through collective bargaining with the New Zealand Netball Players' Association. Broadcast arrangements would sit with the investors, supported by Netball NZ.
This year the ANZ Premiership was exclusively aired on TVNZ. It reached more than 1 million people on TVNZ 2 and a further 169,500 accounts on TVNZ+. The season was streamed over 868,700 times on TVNZ+.
Sky held the broadcast rights from 2017-2025.
Netball NZ would remain the national governing body for the game and still be responsible for the Silver Ferns, national selection, the elite player pathway and community netball.
"While there remains a lot of work to do, we can today confirm that we are advancing work on a model that will provide a meaningful professional competition and career pathway for players," Netball NZ chief executive Jennah Wootten said.
"This model will ensure that fans and our community will have teams to support, and that young people around the country will have athletes to look up to."
Wootten said private investment would bring "capital, commercial capability and partners" to the game in New Zealand.
"Netball has an incredibly passionate and loyal supporter base, with strong match attendances and growing participation. This is about giving that game the backing it deserves."
"Anna and Ali are passionate about sport, and passionate about the broader outcomes that sport delivers for women and girls in New Zealand. That alignment is extremely important to the Board.
"This is a partnership with people who understand what this competition means to New Zealand, and we are excited that they have chosen to back netball.”
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