On 18 and 19 September, the Zone hosted the Magic in the Making initiative alongside the regional player development pathway, with sessions delivered at Whakatāne Netball Centre and Morrinsville Netball Centre.

Approximately 50 umpires attended across the two days, taking advantage of the opportunity to extend their officiating skills beyond their local Centre environments.

Umpire Coaches delivered two core Netball New Zealand (NNZ) development modules: Obstruction and Self-Analysis. These workshops provided participants with practical tools to evaluate their own performance and deepen their technical rule knowledge. Umpires then put these concepts into practice during live, competitive matches, working closely with Umpire Coaches to analyze game play, evaluate positioning, and refine on-court decision-making.

We extend our sincere thanks to both Whakatāne Netball Centre and Te Awamutu Netball Centre for their hospitality and assistance in hosting these events. Connecting with umpires from across the Zone made for a productive weekend, and we look forward to building on this momentum at the Magic in the Making Advanced Camp in October.

Article added: Tuesday 29 September 2026