Netball NZ reveals advanced plan for 2027 after Mowbray-Williams private league collapse

Netball New Zealand says it has an advanced alternative plan for an elite domestic competition in 2027, following the collapse of negotiations with investors Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams over a proposed privately run league.RNZ revealed on Friday the national body had pulled the pin on the plans for a private franchise competition, just eight weeks after signing a term sheet with the high profile couple.The decision is understood to have blindsided Mowbray and Williams, who said they were devastated to learn the proposal was off the table via email, while the Netball NZ Players Association also expressed concern about the uncertainty facing players and staff.But on Monday, Netball NZ chief executive Jennah Wootten confirmed the organisation was already working on an alternative pathway for 2027, saying it had an advanced plan in development."There is an advanced plan under development for an elite domestic netball competition in 2027," Wootten said."We are meeting with Zones and Teams today to further progress this work and will share substantive information once the plan is sufficiently developed."The announcement provides some hope of a way forward after Friday's collapse of the private league proposal, which Netball NZ said had failed to reach agreement despite "considerable efforts by both parties".Mowbray and Williams subsequently said they were devastated by the decision, claiming they had been informed by email and given no explanation for the collapse of the proposal.In Monday's statement, Wootten also expressed regret over how the news had emerged, saying information about the board's decision had been leaked to media before Netball NZ could speak directly to those most affected."Our intention was always to speak with players before any public announcement, and to do so with as much clarity as possible about the pathway forward," Wootten said.She apologised to players for having to learn of the decision through the media,saying the distress and uncertainty caused was "deeply regrettable".Netball NZ said it had intended to brief players first, including sharing details of what would come next.The national body acknowledged the uncertainty facing players whose careers and livelihoods were affected, as well as the support staff working in elite netball across the country."Our unwavering focus is on providing clarity for all concerned, as swiftly as possible, and from there working towards an exciting and sustainable future for elite domestic netball," Wootten said.The collapse of the private league proposal had once again thrown the future of the domestic competition into question, after months of uncertainty about the financial viability of elite netball in New Zealand.Netball NZ board chair Alastair Carruthers revealed in July that the organisation was facing losses of up to $6 million for the financial year, with $3.7m of that attributable to the costs of running the ANZ Premiership.After weighing up its options, Netball NZ announced at the beginning of September that it had selected the Mowbray-Williams proposal as its preferred option, with the parties signing a non-binding term sheet.Originally pitched for 2028, the proposed private league was accelerated to allow a minimum five-team competition to launch in 2027.At the announcement, incoming Netball NZ chief executive Jennah Wootten said the parties were working towards a long-form agreement covering franchise licences, the competition window, league format, and commercial and broadcast arrangements.An ambitious deadline of early October had been set to finalise the agreement and allow teams to begin contracting players, but that passed without a further public update.Netball NZ has yet to outline the details of its alternative plan, including its proposed competition format, financial model or how it intends to secure the future of professional opportunities for New Zealand's leading players.