Ed. 3 - April 2026

Action packed April

April provided many valuable opportunities for learning and growth, particularly during the school holidays. It has been encouraging to see so many centres running umpire workshops and doing an outstanding job of creating meaningful opportunities for their umpires to develop and improve.

At the Zone level, we have been working diligently behind the scenes to connect with and support centres in their umpire development plans, as well as preparing for the upcoming Junior Championship Tournament in Taranaki and the U/18 tournament in Christchurch.

With most centres now well underway for the season, we are excited to see both familiar and new faces on the sidelines and around the courts.

Umpire Development

On Saturday 18 March, Ruth and Minda had the awesome opportunity to be a part of an umpire development day at Taumaranui Netball Centre. It was an awesome day of learning and building connection. We are excited about the opportunities that you are creating for your community, and we look forward to a great season of Netball. 

Exam dates this year

Registrations for the first Zone Theory exam has now closed. All the best to the 22 WBOP Zone candidates that are sitting this exam on the 11th of May. 

NZ Theory 1 registrations are now open. Please encourage all umpires with a current Zone Award to register for this exam if they are ready for the next step on their Umpiring Pathway.

Community Umpiring Strategy 2026 - 2029 now live

This strategy provides clear direction for how we will support umpires and umpire coaches across community netball over the next four years. It has been shaped by feedback from across our game and is focused on practical, meaningful support where it matters most.

At its heart, this is about creating environments where umpires feel confident, valued, supported, and want to stay involved in the game.

Key focus areas include
• Simplifying and digitalising umpire training through accessible online modules
• Strengthening recruitment and retention through alternate models 
• Building stronger umpire coaching and mentoring systems
• Prioritising umpire wellbeing and safety

Implementation will roll out progressively from 2026 to 2029, allowing centres and communities to adopt initiatives in a manageable and meaningful way.

Here is a link to the full document:  https://netballnz.co.nz/file/3791a10c0957bce579fdf177a5639151.html

COACH & UMPIRE DEVELOPERS – LEARNING TOGETHER | TIPU SERIES

Grow your impact on and off the court with our FREE online TIPU Series — designed for coaches, umpires, and leaders across the game.

Join us for four powerful sessions:

Change Management (5 May)
Practical tools to lead and navigate change with confidence

Developing Leaders (19 May)
Hear from high-performance voices on what great leadership really looks like

Real Talk (2 June)
Honest conversations, real experiences, and practical insights

Tuesdays | 7:00–8:30pm

Online | FREE to attend

This is your opportunity to learn, reflect, and grow together as a netball community.

TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS LINK : https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/507658

The refreshed Community Umpiring Guidelines are now available on the Netball New Zealand Website.

We’re really looking forward to an exciting month of May! With the season now in full swing, there is plenty of opportunities to continue growing and developing as an umpire. It’s a great time to build consistency, refine skills, and put learning into practice during weekly games, so we encourage you to stay connected with your local centre and take advantage of any support or development opportunities available. We continue to be encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment across our netball community, and we’re excited to see that momentum carry through as the season progresses.

Get in contact with us if you have any questions. 

Ruth: ruth.robinson@netballwbop.co.nz 021 663 303
Minda: minda.busch@netballwbop.co.nz 022 431 0037