- ANZ Championship
Infobox Sports league
title = ANZ Championship
current_season = ANZ Championship season 2008
pixels = 150
caption = ANZ Championship logo
sport = Netball
founded = 2007
fame =
motto =
inaugural = 2008
teams = 10
country = flagicon|Australia Australia
flagicon|New Zealand New Zealand
champion =NSW Swifts
most_champs =
folded =
website = [http://www.anz-championship.com anz-championship.com]
singles =
ceo =
TV = Fox Sports (Australia)
SKY Sports (New Zealand, major)
TVNZ (New Zealand, partial)
related_comps =
Founder =The ANZ Championship is the elite netball competition between five teams from Australia and five teams from New Zealand. It began in April 2008 and so far has been celebrated by aficionados for its unpredictable results, the zest brought by more international players, and the improved performance of players wrought by the new semi-professional status of the league. It succeeds Australia's Commonwealth Bank Trophy and New Zealand's National Bank Cup as the highest level of competitive netball in these countries.[cite web | publisher = Netball Australia | title = New look trans-Tasman netball competition | url = http://www.netball.asn.au/newsItem.asp?orgID=1&ID=2396 | date = 2007-03-11 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] The competition had been provisionally known as the Tasman Trophy prior to ANZ being secured as naming sponsor.]Teams
Each of the ten teams represents long established regional netball organisations. The Australian teams represent the five largest Australian regions, while the five New Zealand teams represent a number of the country's adjacent regions. All but one the teams in the final year of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy and National Bank Cup are represented in the new league, either in their previous form with a new name, or as part of a merged entity. The exception is the AIS Canberra Darters, who competed in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy representing the Australian Institute of Sport and the Australian Capital Territory, but not in the ANZ Championship. Additionally, no team represents the Australian netball regions of Tasmania or the Northern Territory.
Franchise map
History
Elite domestic netball in the two countries previously included the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in Australia and the National Bank Cup in New Zealand. The last season for these competitions was in 2007, after which it was announced that a single trans-Tasman competition would replace them. It was envisioned that five teams from each country would each compete in the new competition to start in 2008.
Franchise selection
The deadline for expressions of interests for Australian franchises was April 10, 2007. [cite news | author = AAP | title = Trans-Tasman netball tournament in 2008 | publisher = "The Sydney Morning Herald" | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/TransTasman-netball-tournament-for-2008/2007/03/12/1173548082031.html | date = 2007-03-12 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] In March 2007, Netball Australia chief executive Kate Palmer has said the preferred model was for one team each from NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.[cite news | author = AAP | title = Game enters new era with trans-Tasman trophy | publisher = "The Age" | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/game-enters-new-era-with-transtasman-trophy/2007/03/12/1173548111934.html | date = 2007-03-13 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] In April this was confirmed as the composition of the league's Australian teams. Netball New South Wales boss Caroline Campbell said that she was disappointed that the Sydney Swifts and the Hunter Jaegars would have to merge. [cite web | publisher = Newstalk ZB | title = NSW Netball boss speaks up | url = http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=113953 | date = 2007-03-13 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] Netball Victoria president Jenny Sanchez said that she had an open mind about whether Victoria would enter one of the two existing teams or a new franchise,][ but by May 2007, the organisation had chosen to enter a single merged team.][cite web | title = ACT left out of Tasman Trophy | url = http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200705/s1919532.htm | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date = 2007-05-10 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] Netball ACT also bid for a franchise, [cite news | last = Worthington | first = Sam | title = Confident bid for ACT presence in new league | publisher = "Blayney Chronicle" | url = http://blayney.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=national%20news&subclass=sport&story_id=565459&category=sport | date = 2007-03-13 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] but were unsuccessful.]For New Zealand franchises, April 10 was also the deadline set for expressions of interest, with a confirmation date of April 23 announced.[cite news | last = Bull | first = Alastair | title = Ten-team trans-Tasman netball league revealed | publisher = "The New Zealand Herald" | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10428433 | date = 2007-03-12 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] Early in the selection process, Netball New Zealand chairman Don Mackinnon said there would be three franchises from the North Island and two from the South Island.][ Five proposed New Zealand teams for the competition – three from the North Island, two from the South Island – were confirmed by the end of April, and approved in early May. [cite news | author = NZPA | title = Nod to all five Tasman Trophy bids | publisher = "The New Zealand Herald" | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10438609 | date = 2007-05-09 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] ]Competition format
In 2008, the league operated as a 17-week tournament with 69 matches from April to July. [cite news | author = Fox Sports | title = Fox Sports to Broadcast Tasman Trophy | publisher = Netball Australia | url = http://www.netball.asn.au/newsitem.asp?id=2397&orgID=1&Oname=Netball+Australia&O1c=11&O10c=25 | date = 2007-03-11 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] During the initial round-robin phase, each team played other teams from their own country twice, and teams from the other country once; each team has one bye. Teams also played at least six home games. The four teams who had accumulated the most competition points at the end of the round-robin phase progressed to the finals series; other teams are eliminated from the competition.[ [http://www.netballnz.co.nz/default.aspx?s=anz_championship ANZ Championship profile] at Netball New Zealand] ]The finals series is played over three weeks. The 1st-ranked team from the round-robin phase hosts the 2nd-ranked team in the major semi-final, while 3rd hosts 4th in the minor semi-final (the loser of which is eliminated). The loser of the major semi-final hosts the winner of the minor semi-final in the preliminary final. The grand final is contested between the winner of the major semi-final and the winner of the preliminary final, with the former team as hosts.Media coverage and sponsorship
All 69 games will be shown live on Fox Sports in Australia, and live matches will be broadcast on SKY Sports in New Zealand. Fox Sports has signed a one-year deal, whilst SKY Sports has a three-year deal.[ These media rights are believed to be worth AU$1.5 million, with guaranteed primetime telecasts until 2010. [cite news | author = AAP | title = Netballers for trans-Tasman league | publisher = "The Sydney Morning Herald" | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Netballers-for-transTasman-league/2007/02/26/1172338550961.html | date = 2007-02-26 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] In New Zealand, Television New Zealand has delayed coverage rights, due to Netball New Zealand's split broadcasting deal between TVNZ (who have Silver Ferns games rights) and SKY.]On October 9, 2007, ANZ Bank was announced as the league's major sponsor for the initial season, resulting in the league being renamed the "ANZ Championship". [cite news | author = AAP | title = Professional era coming soon: Ellis | publisher = "The Age" | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/New-netball-comp-named-ANZ-Championship/2007/10/09/1191695867800.html | date = 2007-10-09 | accessdate = 2008-04-03] GM Holden and Fisher & Paykel have also been named as major sponsors. [cite web | title = A landmark era: ANZ Championship | publisher = Netball Australia | url = http://www.netball.asn.au/newsitem.asp?id=5533&orgID=1 | date = 2008-03-28 | accessdate = 2008-04-03]
ee also
*Netball in Australia
*Netball in New Zealand
Sites
http://sites.google.com/site/anzchampionships/Home [http://sites.google.com/site/anzchampionships/Home] has the latest news coverage of the ANZ Championships for 2009 season.
References
External links
* [http://www.anz-championship.com/ ANZ Championship website]
* [http://www.netball.asn.au/ Netball Australia website]
* [http://www.netballnz.co.nz/ Netball New Zealand website]
* [http://www.netballonline.com/ Netball Online]
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