Ed. 5 - June 2026

Welcome to the latest edition of the WBOP Whistle.

The season is moving at pace, and this month has been focused on performance, development, and tracking the growth of our umpires across the zone.

Rep tournament season is officially underway, bringing intense competition and great opportunities for our officials to test their skills. Alongside the tournament action, we traveled to the Gisborne Netball Centre, where it was fantastic to connect with the local community and see their passion for the game firsthand.

Back off the court, Netball New Zealand presented an online Umpire Coach and Umpire Coach Developer session, providing valuable insights and tools for those guiding our officials. We are also seeing the direct results of this development work in our office, with a steady stream of Centre and Zone assessments coming through.

A big thank you to all the centres for the incredible mahi you are doing to support, develop, and grow our umpires. Your effort is what keeps our community moving forward.

Dive into the articles below to get the full update on everything happening in WBOP umpiring

Online Umpire Coach and Umpire Coach Developer Forum

On the 30th of June, our Umpire Coaches and Coach Developers gathered online for a session packed with practical wisdom and forward-thinking tools.

The forum kicked off with Netball New Zealand’s Fay Meiklejohn, who led a deep dive into the critical role that umpire coaches play in our system. Fay walked attendees through the art of active note-taking on the sideline, explaining how to sift through those raw notes to pinpoint the most impactful moments. This process feeds directly into building a targeted coaching plan that truly supports an umpire’s growth.

Fay also emphasized key feedback alignment principles, focusing on how we deliver these insights. A major takeaway was the importance of mana-enhancing kōrero - ensuring that every coaching conversation uplifts the umpire, respects their journey, and builds their confidence.

The session then shifted from traditional best practices to modern innovation, with Ann Hay introducing how we can best use AI to support coach development. Ann demonstrated how leveraging these new technologies can streamline administrative tasks, analyze trends, and provide coaches with new ways to structure their feedback.

It was an excellent, high-value session that left our developers and coaches with a wealth of knowledge to take back to the courts. Thank you to Josh, Fay, Ann, and everyone who logged in to keep sharpening their craft.

Exam dates this year

The second Zone Theory exam is fast approaching. There is still a small window open if you want to register. Get in quick to make the most of this opportunity this year. 

The NZ Theory exam has opened slightly earlier, and is now available for you to register as well. 

A huge congratulations to the 5 candidates from WBOP Zone that passed their NZ Theory in June. We look forward to observing your progress on the pathway:  

Aimee Cooper - Tauranga Netball Centre
Annabelle Sowerby - Tauranga Netball Centre
Cate Elliott - Hamilton City Netball Centre
Alice Te Hira - Hamilton City Netball Centre
Saadya Warmenhoven - Gisborne Netball Centre

We are also celebrating the following Umpires and Umpire Coaches that have been appointed to the upcoming NNZ U18 Championship in Christchurch.

Umpires:

Caitlyn Forrest - Hamilton City Netball Centre
Evie Reid - Tauranga Netball Centre
Joanie Coles - Tauranga Netball Centre
Shelly Carden - Hamilton City Netball Centre
William Kopa - Eastern Waikato

Umpire Coaches:

Tania Fink and Ruth Robinson

Learning & Growing in Taupo

As we reflect on the start of the season, our umpires were out and about making the most of every opportunity to develop their skills. One such opportunity was officiating the NNL training match between WBOP Zone Matarau and Central Zone Manawa in Taupo, at the start of May. While the NNL teams' competitive season has now concluded, the match provided a valuable development opportunity for our umpires to refine their decision-making, communication, and game management in a quality performance environment. 

Great start to the season for Caitlyn Forrest, Joanie Coles, and Nicole Jackson, who took the whistle for the match, with support and guidance from Umpire Coaches Ceri Hills and Ruth Robinson.

These development opportunities play an important role in preparing our officials for the season ahead, and it was fantastic to see our umpires embracing the chance to continue growing their skills.

Rep Tournaments in June

Over the last couple of weekends, it has been absolutely awesome to see top-tier netball being played across our Zone as our teams geared up for their upcoming July holiday tournaments.
Our players and umpires clocked up some serious kilometres, travelling to tournaments at Papakura Netball Centre, Rotorua Netball Centre, Tauranga Netball Centre, and Hamilton City Netball Centre.
A huge shout-out and thank you to all the incredible volunteers at each of these hosting centres. You did a phenomenal job looking after so many teams and keeping the tournaments running smoothly - we appreciate you!
We also want to acknowledge all of our dedicated umpires who travelled far and wide to officiate at these tournaments. These events are a massive opportunity for growth, giving our officials the chance to receive active coaching during live match play.
Behind every great umpire is a hard-working coach! Our umpire coaches worked tirelessly across all these tournaments. A massive thank you to each of you for generously giving up your time to support, guide, and develop our officiating whistle-blowers.

What's coming up…

Looking ahead, we have a packed calendar of tournaments to look forward to across July. However, with the school holidays now upon us, many of our centres will be taking a well-deserved break from regular competition. We hope you all enjoy this time of rest and recharge for the second half of the season. If your centre is planning to use this quiet patch to run any internal umpire development sessions or extra training, please remember to drop us a line and let us know what you have planned - we always love to hear how your local pathways are progressing. Safe travels to everyone heading away, and we will see you back out on the courts soon!

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