England Netball is pleased to have entered a three-year partnership with the Netball Players Association (NPA) through which the two organisations will work collaboratively to promote and develop netball at the elite level and support the journey to the professionalisation of the sport.
The NPA was formed five years ago to provide a unified player voice supporting and promoting player welfare in the UK. This agreement with England Netball recognises the importance of players as stakeholders in the future development and professionalisation of netball.
Fran Connolly, CEO of England Netball comments: “We are proud to be partnering with the Netball Players Association to strengthen the programme of support we collectively provide to athletes at the elite level of the game. As we progress plans for the professionalisation of the domestic game, the elevation and understanding of the athlete voice will be critical to our decision making and will help shape the offers we develop both on and beyond the court.”
Liz Bloor Managing Director of the NPA says: “We are delighted that our work and cooperation with England Netball is now formalised in this agreement. The growth of netball has been exciting to see but it has also brought challenges to the athletes juggling full or part-time work alongside their playing career.
“This partnership will allow us to expand and grow the welfare and education services we provide to our members to support them throughout the time they are playing at the highest level.”
Vitality Rose and Player Chair of the NPA Fran Williams adds: “As players we have been excited by the progress we’ve experienced within our sport over the last few years, but we are even more excited by the prospect of further growth in netball. It is really positive to see the NPA and England Netball formalise their collaborative approach to developing our sport through this partnership, which will help players to reach their full potential on and off the court.”
