Does New Zealand’s third place in netball’s Fast5 world series reflect on our standings in the traditional game? And did the tournament prove there’s still a desire for a different style of netball? Merryn Anderson reports.
If netball has a future at the Olympics, it will need quick-turnaround, tight and unpredictable matches, and a boost for the men’s game. And the Fast5 we saw on the weekend could be just the ticket.
After a four-year wait, 22 games, an endless stream of TikToks and crazy costumes, the 2022 Fast5 Netball World Series came to an end in Christchurch on Sunday night, but the defending women’s champions weren’t standing on the top step of the podium.
The Fast5 Ferns, seven times victors in this branch of netball, had to relinquish their title to Australia, who’ve been utterly dominant in world netball this year.
But in a world-first, where the men’s game was included alongside the women’s at a World Netball event, the New Zealand men claimed the first men’s Fast5 title.
The reception for their game showed clear demand for more men’s netball at this level.
So has the weekend made it any clearer as to whether there’s a future for Fast5? And does the Fast5 Ferns’ third place finish reflect on their standings in the traditional game?
With key Silver Ferns squad members rested, the Fast5 Ferns were similar to a New Zealand B team, although five of the 10 have Silver Ferns caps.
Ultimately, it was strategy that saw the Ferns miss out on the final - not a lack of skill. They showed the depth of netball in New Zealand, and a few players knocking on the door of Silver Ferns selection with another world championship only eight months away.
A highlight of the tournament was seeing those players on the fringe of Ferns selection show their skills.
Kimiora Poi and Tayla Earle sped around the midcourt, doing the extra work required with no wing attack or defence.
Georgia Heffernan and Filda Vui both nailed long range shots - a skill they often don’t get to show in the ANZ Premiership. Stuck behind tall, dominant goal shooters during the year, the goal attacks had the chance to put the shots up and create moving circles on attack.
These players gained experience against sides that New Zealand doesn’t often get the chance to play, including a strong Ugandan side - the only team to beat Australia across the tournament.
The Australians were outstanding in the final, holding South Africa scoreless in the last quarter, to win 34-20, for their first Fast5 world title.
Fast5 is a celebration of netball, with teams showing off their dance moves.
New Zealand have hosting rights for Fast5 until 2024, with next year’s tournament also taking place in Christchurch.
Christchurch Arena was far from sold out over the weekend - 3650 fans all told - but those who filed into the stadium were enthusiastic and vocal.
They were treated to some close games - five of the pool play matches determined by two or less goals.
With the first day of play clashing with the Rugby World Cup semifinals in Auckland, and a phenomenal last minute win by the Black Ferns, it was a tough ask to generate interest from anyone who wasn’t already an avid netball fan.
But the energy at the stadium and enthusiasm from the spectators in costumes, to the athletes dancing, showed a demand for the fast, fun brand of netball.
And with netball vying for a spot at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, and the possibility of Fast5 being their game of choice, the weekend was a pretty good test run.
On the couch at home, it was a bit ambitious sitting through around nine hours of netball a day, especially when such a tight turnaround between games meant even a quick water break would force you to miss a quarter of play.
While the games were super engaging, the experience of the watcher at home greatly differed from the spectators in the crowd - dressed up, singing, dancing and involved.
A change in rules for the powerplay from previous tournaments meant instead of teams selecting a full quarter to double their points, both sides had 90 seconds at the end of every quarter to boost their scoring.
This resulted in far closer games. After the first round, only two games of pool play had a margin larger than six (just one powerplay shot).
Many punters, myself included, predicted the Fast5 Ferns to have the trophy in their hands after two days of competition. But after a strong start against Uganda, the Ferns fell to England and Australia on Saturday, by one and two goals respectively.
The second day saw a must-win game for NZ against South Africa, and with less than 10 seconds on the clock, the Kiwis just needed one more point to win (with the powerplay doubling all points).
Ferns shooter Aliyah Dunn had the ball in the three-point range and chose to shoot for six, rather than offloading to Tiana Metuarau under the hoop for the easy shot. The ball rolled out and South Africa took the win, 38-37.
It put into question New Zealand’s strategies, with a few other unusual shot choices not paying off during the tournament.
The Fast5 Ferns went on to defeat England in the match for third, a comfortable 39-25 win.
Co-captain Sam Winders told Sky Sport after the match the game was a perfect finish to the tournament, and they felt confident in their strategies to secure possession, and not just rely on the long shots.
“If we had another day of competition, who knows what would have happened? But I’m just really proud of the girls,” Winders said.
This year’s Fast5 made history, as three men’s teams battled it out for their own trophy in between the women’s games.
The New Zealand men lost by seven points to Australia in pool play, but a win over England meant a chance for redemption in a trans-Tasman final.
Christchurch crowds loved the men’s teams, especially their choreographed dance routines before the games. And the men gave the home crowd what the Fast5 Ferns couldn’t, prevailing over Australia 29-25 in a thrilling final.
The tournament wasn’t without controversy. An incorrect umpire call saw the Ugandan women think they’d beaten England as time was called on the game.
The England staff went to the officials, who reversed the umpire’s incorrect call and gave England the win - much to the frustration of the Ugandan side.
Uganda had to settle for the play-off for fifth, beating the winless Jamaica comfortably, 32-10.
Fast5 will return next year, and will hopefully continue to bring the fun, light-hearted but still skillful approach to the game. With both days running late into the evening, maybe the tournament could be split over three days, to save the watchers’ energy for the finals.
Either way, Fast5 will continue to show its unique brand of netball, and give a platform for the next generation of netball stars to shine. And maybe in 10 years time, we'll all be watching the Fast5 Ferns and the NZ Men playing at the Olympics.
Fast5 final standings: Australia 1st, South Africa 2nd, New Zealand 3rd, England 4th, Uganda 5th, Jamaica 6th.
