New ‘Working Group’ To Boost Netball Engagement

World Netball has announced its ‘Voice of the Athlete’ Working Group, which aims to highlight the importance of working collaboratively with netball enthusiasts, in order to promote and develop the sport.

Among the members of the Working Group is Stacey Francis-Bayman, who plays for England Netball’s full time Vitality Roses team. Stacey made her debut for the team in Jamaica in 2010, and has since collected 73 caps. She has also won two bronze medals at the Vitality Netball World Cup, as well as a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Before joining the Roses, Stacey also had successful spells with Team Bath and the Yorkshire Jets. Discussing her involvement with the scheme, she said: “To be involved in the first World Netball, Voice of the Athlete Working Group is a great privilege.”

“I am incredibly invigorated and passionate about being able to use my ‘seat at the table’ to be able to add creative, athlete-centred ideas that will help to drive evolution, growth and engagement across the international game,” she continued.

World Netball President, Liz Nicholl CBE, explained that they were keen to put the voice of the athlete at the heart of the decision making. The group consists of netball players from all corners of the globe, including Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, and the UK.

The team members are all athletes with at least three years’ international playing experience, and are from all five World Netball regions. They will be asked to make recommendations for ways in which netball can be shaped in the future, to grow its profile as a sport, and encourage and inspire more people to engage with netball.

The Working Group will meet up to four times during 2021, and recommendations will be made to the World Netball Board by the end of the year.

 

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