Beko joins forces with new National Netball League

Global brand Beko joins forces with new National Netball League

Wednesday 24 February, 2016

Netball New Zealand (NNZ) and successful global appliance brand Beko have joined forces to launch the Beko Netball League - a development competition that underpins the ANZ Championship.

The Beko Netball League starts on April 10 and is fundamental to strengthening NNZ’s performance pathway, the development of talent, and competitiveness of NNZ’s elite teams.

The new league will consist of 21 games run over 12 weekends, allowing players to continue with work and study commitments, culminating in a Grand Final in Auckland on June 26. The competition includes five teams – one from each Zone – playing a double round-robin, with 14 matches to be televised on SKY Sport following ANZ Championship matches, and seven standalone games.

Netball New Zealand chief executive Hilary Poole is excited to have Beko – an appliance brand that has 440 million consumers in more than 100 countries –partner the new national league.

She said the competition would give the “future stars” of the game an opportunity to experience and test themselves in a high level competition over a sustained period.

“The Beko Netball League will provide a pathway for players, coaches, administrators and officials who aspire to play in the ANZ Championship and on the international stage,” Poole said.

“The five Zones have played a crucial role in helping to get the 2016 competition set-up. Without their support in pulling together teams and their commitment to the new development league, this wouldn’t have been possible.

“Beko is a leading appliance brand worldwide and is a great fit for New Zealand’s netballers – both on and off the court –aspiring to take their game to the next level.”

Beko New Zealand Country Manager, Rob McPate says they have a saying at Beko that “the perfect team shares the same spirit – to inspire each other and improve together”. This saying is one of the reasons they believe the sponsorship is such a great fit.

“Beko, being only three years ‘young’ into the New Zealand market, is in itself an up-and-coming ‘future star’ and we feel great synergies with the new Netball League,” McPate said.

“We pride ourselves on our community involvement and youth development across the globe, so to be able to assist the future of Netball in New Zealand, provide a pathway by supporting women in sport, and watch them develop the necessary skills to take their game to the next level is something that Beko is proud to be a part of.”

Teams will be able to name up to three ANZ Championship players – who have not played more than 24 quarters in the ANZ Championship prior to the current Beko Netball League season – on their match list alongside the emerging players from their Zone.

The first game of the Beko Netball League sees South take on Northern in Invercargill on April 10. Other Zone teams include Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Central and Mainland.

ENDS.

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