It’s been one year since the final whistle went at the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup, signalling the end of ten days of drama, excitement and world-class netball. Hosted in Liverpool, the event was one of four World Championships held in the UK during 2019, which all received funding and support from UK Sport.
A record breaking 112,000 tickets were sold, with the crowds able to watch the world’s best players close-up and a nail-biting final between Australia and New Zealand. However, the event was more than just a brilliant showpiece for international netball.
The 15th Netball World Cup also delivered an £8.18m economic boost to Liverpool city’s economy, according to research conducted by UK Sport.
Overall, 6.07 million people in Britain either attended, watched or followed the tournament, which eventually saw the home side finish with a bronze emdal. In addition to the economic gains, the research also outlines the benefits of hosting the World Cup across the other four Sporting Future government outcomes – physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, individual development and social & community development.
You can read more about these findings here.
Alongside the hosting of the tournament, UK Sport’s International Relations team also led a project to grow the game in Africa and South America from 2017-2020. Working in partnership with the International Netball Federation and England Netball, the mission of NET2019 was to empower women and girls through the power of netball. Zambia and Argentina were identified as areas where netball is rapidly gaining influence and the sport is demonstrably becoming a force for good.
The project worked with each of the country’s netball associations to develop the provision of netball at grassroots level, whilst supporting each in their development of talent and high performance – proven to stimulate interest, raise profile and provide powerful role models to the next generation.
To ensure that the game can be played at all levels and continues to grow, 98 coaches and umpires have been trained, not just in Zambia and Argentina, but in other countries including Botswana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Peru, Uruguay and Brazil.
The Vitality Roses, England’s elite netball team, were welcomed onto court for each game by a sea of screaming fans - and following the event, research from England Netball showed that 5.10 million Great British adults agreed that the Vitality Roses are an inspiration to women and girls.
To see England Netball’s full Vitality Netball World Cup Legacy Report completed earlier this year click here.