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Ed. 4 - May 2026 Welcome to your May wrap-up of the WBOP Whistle!It has been an incredibly busy month across the zone, and we are absolutely thrilled by the momentum we are seeing. From the grassroots courts to high-stakes theory prep, the dedication to growth in our umpiring community is shining bright. Here is a quick snapshot of what we’ve been up to this month: We have a lot more details, stories, and insights to share with you, so dive into the articles below to get the full scoop on all things WBOP umpiring!  |
Empowering Our Whānau: A Day of Learning and WhakawhanaungatangaIt was an afternoon to remember at Hamilton’s Globox Arena, Claudelands, as umpire coaches from across the region gathered for Magic Coach Connect on Saturday, 30 May. The event was a brilliant success, focusing on building deeper connections, sharing invaluable insights, and elevating the development of our local officiating community. The energy in the room was electric as coaches relished the opportunity to collaborate, share experiences, and refine their mentoring toolkits. Coaches of umpires and players mingled together at a NNL Matarau and Magic pre-game lunch, guest speakers and two amazing wins by our home teams. The umpire coaches had a great session of learning with guest speakers Jan Teesdale and Pam Clayton, renowned for their prowess on the umpire coaching space. The theme for the day was “how to prepare for game day”, which led to some great discussions and learning from all involved. The excitement reached a whole new level after the final whistle of the high-octane ANZ Premiership clash. Coaches were given exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to meet and chat directly with the elite umpires who officiated the games. A special thank you to the umpires, Connor Pascoe, Tania Fink, Caleb Binns and Corey Nichol, who also joined the umpire coaches after their post-match discussions to share their thoughts. It was a real treat to have access to these umpires and valued by all. It was a truly amazing afternoon of learning, laughter, and netball camaraderie that left everyone inspired for the season ahead! |
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Exam dates this yearRegistrations for the first NZ Theory exam has now closed. All the best to the 8 WBOP Zone candidates that are sitting this exam on the 7th of June. If you are interested in doing any of these exams this year, see our dates below for the next opportunities available this year. |
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A big congratulations to the 16 candidates from WBOP Zone that passed their Zone Theory earlier this month: Bianca Pokai - Rotorua Netball Centre We are also very proud of the following bench officials that have been selected for the NNZ Open Champs, as well as the NNZ Secondary Schools Champs: NNZ Open Champs NNZ Secondary Schools Champs The following Umpire Coaches have also been appointed for these Tournaments: |
COACH & UMPIRE DEVELOPERS – LEARNING TOGETHER | TIPU SERIESGrow 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 the last of our four powerful sessions: Real Talk (2 June) 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 |
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Community Umpiring Strategy 2026 - 2029 now liveThis 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 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 |
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The refreshed Community Umpiring Guidelines are now available on the Netball New Zealand Website. |
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Ruth and I are absolutely loving the incredible energy and positive vibes buzzing across the courts and in the umpire rooms of our centres right now! A massive shout-out goes to our phenomenal volunteers who pour endless hours into making sure the umpiring space in our Zone runs like clockwork - you are the real MVPs. As we head into a super busy June leading up to the end of the school term, let's keep this awesome momentum going. If you are the umpire coordinator for your centre, please feel free to pass this newsletter on to your wider umpire community; we want absolutely everyone to share in and feel proud of what we are achieving together as a collective. Finally, we want to spotlight your wins! If there is anything you want us to celebrate with you, please forward your stories our way - we would gladly shout your successes across our Zone! Till next time. Ruth: ruth.robinson@netballwbop.co.nz 021 663 303 |
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