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Ed. 6 - July 2026 Welcome to the latest edition of the WBOP Whistle.The July school holidays brought much excitement across the various age-group tournaments. It was fantastic to see our umpires perform so well at both the North Island Junior Championships in Taranaki and the NNZ U18 Championship. Read more about the highlights from each tournament in the articles below! It has also been great to see most Centres back out on the courts following the break. We wish everyone all the best for the second part of the season as we lead into upcoming tournaments. On the development front, we are thrilled to celebrate the many umpires continuing to progress along their pathway. A huge congratulations to everyone who has achieved or was endorsed in their Zone Theory, Zone Awards, NZ Theory or NZ Awards so far this season! Behind the scenes, our Umpire Leads are hard at work finalising panels and preparing everything in the officiating space for the upcoming Zone Tournament and the Upper North Island Secondary Schools (UNISS) event. As always, we remain committed to supporting our local Centres wherever needed.  |
U14 & U16 NIJC in New PlymouthFrom July 4th to 7th, New Plymouth turned on the pressure cooker for the U14 and U16 North Island Junior Championships. While the region’s best young players were battling it out on court, another elite team from Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty was working just as hard—our incredible team of umpires. Getting appointed to a tournament like the North Island Juniors is no small feat. It requires fitness training, rule study, local league officiating, and dedication. Our WBOP umpires stepped onto the courts in New Plymouth ready to work, and they did an outstanding job representing our zone. For these officials, the tournament wasn't just about blowing the whistle; it was a massive growth opportunity. Every single match served as a live classroom. The umpires worked closely with the Umpire Coaching panel, taking constructive feedback on board between quarters and games, refining their positioning, game management, and decision-making in real-time. The growth seen across the three days was immense. The ultimate testament to our zone's standard of officiating came on finals day, with several WBOP umpires earning prestigious appointments to the tournament's final matches. A massive congratulations to: Earning a final at this level means consistently performing at the top of the pack all week, and we could not be prouder of Mihitai, Melissa, and Justin for their stellar achievements. Adding to the tournament's celebrations, we also want to extend a huge congratulations to Holly Carr-Patterson from Otorohanga, who was successfully re-endorsed for her Zone Award during the event. Maintaining a Zone Award requires consistent excellence, and Holly proved she has it in spades. Thank you to all the umpires, coaches, and supporters who travelled to New Plymouth. You represented WBOP with absolute professionalism, integrity, and passion. We can’t wait to see where your umpiring journeys take you next! |
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WBOP Umpires and Umpire Coaches Well Represented at the NNZ U18 ChampionshipsThe Netball New Zealand U18 Championships were once again a fantastic showcase of the country's emerging umpiring talent, with the standard of umpiring reaching an exceptionally high level throughout the tournament. Netball WBOP was proudly represented by five talented umpires – Caitlyn Forrest, Joanie Coles, Shelly Carden, Evie Reid, and Will Kopa. They were supported by Tania Fink and Ruth Robinson, who were both appointed to the Umpire Coaching Panel, providing coaching and development opportunities to umpires. Across the four days of competition, our WBOP representatives demonstrated professionalism, resilience and a commitment to continual improvement, representing our Zone with pride both on and off the court. A special congratulations to Caitlyn Forrest and Joanie Coles, who were appointed to officiate the 3rd/4th playoff. Finals appointments are earned through consistent performances across the tournament and are a wonderful recognition of the work they put in throughout the week. While these appointments are certainly an achievement to celebrate, every WBOP umpire should be proud of the way they embraced feedback and represented our Zone with excellence. This year's tournament also saw Netball New Zealand introduce a new initiative, with Court-side Kōrero trialled during Days 1 and 2. Following each game, the captains and coaches from both teams met with the umpires, facilitated by the Umpire Coach and Coach Leads, to discuss the specific goals each person had taken into the match. The initiative was to help create meaningful conversations between all participants. It was encouraging to see our WBOP umpires engage confidently in these discussions and represent themselves so well. The tournament once again gave great learning opportunities for the umpires and the umpire coaches alike. The environment created reinforced the positive direction of umpire development across New Zealand. Congratulations to all of our WBOP representatives on a successful tournament. Whether on court or on the sideline, each person contributed to the success of the event and represented our Zone with professionalism, commitment and pride. We look forward to seeing the continued growth of our officials as they build on the experiences gained at this year's championships. |
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Upcoming Zone Theory and NZ Theory ExamAll the best to the 13 Zone Theory candidates that are sitting their and NZ Theory candidates who are sitting their exams on the 3rd of August. We wish you all the best. The NZ Theory exams are closing on Monday 3 August, please register for this exam ASAP if you are interested in sitting this exam on the 24th of August. |
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Umpire Coaching in WBOP ZoneThroughout this season, our Umpire Leads have continued working closely with our Umpire Coaches and Coach Developers to ensure our umpire community gets the exact support it needs to learn, grow, and thrive. Across the zone, we are incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated team of Umpire Coaches working tirelessly in their local centres week in and week out. Their weekly guidance makes a world of difference to our many umpires out on the court. We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to our coaching team. We truly appreciate and value the endless volunteer hours you dedicate to developing our umpires - your hard work does not go unnoticed! To keep our momentum going, our team meets monthly to share ideas and explore growth opportunities across all our centres. We are especially thrilled with the strong turnout and high number of coaching modules delivered across the zone this season. Thank you all for your passion and commitment to growing the game! |
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What's coming up…Looking ahead, we are excited to gear up for a fantastic finish to the season! With many of our centres heading into semi-finals and finals, the atmosphere on the courts is bound to be electric. We also know many of our umpires are busy preparing for major upcoming tournaments, including UNISS, AIMS Games, NZ Secondary Schools, and the NZ Opens. Best of luck with your preparation - we know you will represent our zone with pride and excellence! As the intensity ramps up, please remember to take care of your body. The NetballSmart Umpire Warm-Up is an essential part of your pre-game routine to stay peak-performing and injury-free. All the best for the final weeks of the season - let’s finish strong! Ruth: ruth.robinson@netballwbop.co.nz 021 663 303 |
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