Netball NZ favours private franchise league bid, RNZ reports

Netball New Zealand has selected a proposal led by Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams as its preferred option to replace the ANZ Premiership with a private franchise league, according to RNZ. The report, published on 31 August 2026, points towards a potential launch in 2027, although Netball NZ has not publicly confirmed the decision and significant commercial and operational details remain unsettled.

A preferred bid, not a confirmed launch

RNZ reported that the Netball NZ board chose the Mowbray-Williams proposal at a meeting the previous week. Citing a source close to the discussions, the broadcaster said the national body was now working with the pair to finalise the details of a replacement elite domestic competition.

The distinction between a reported board decision and an announced league is important. A Netball NZ spokesperson told RNZ that the organisation could not confirm any developments at that time. RNZ expected an announcement setting out the decision and next steps later that week, but the supplied report contains no such confirmation.

For New Zealand’s franchise community, this is a story about a proposed sporting franchise structure rather than a conventional business-format franchise launch. The available information describes plans for private responsibility for an elite competition; it does not set out a franchise offering for prospective business owners.

Financial pressure behind the proposed change

The proposal follows months of uncertainty over the future of New Zealand’s elite domestic netball competition. RNZ reported that the ANZ Premiership ran at a loss of $3.7 million in 2026, while Netball NZ was forecasting a total loss of up to $6 million for the current financial year.

Those figures describe different measures: one concerns the competition’s reported loss, while the other is a forecast for the national body’s overall financial result. They should not be added together or treated as two separate competition losses.

A private ownership model was among several options considered by Netball NZ as it assessed the competition’s future. Under the Mowbray-Williams proposal, the replacement league would operate independently of the national body, with the private ownership group responsible for its commercial and operational arrangements.

That proposed transfer of responsibility is the central structural change reported by RNZ. The research does not establish the final contractual terms or explain how every financial obligation would be allocated.

Potential start brought forward to 2027

RNZ had previously reported that Mowbray and Williams were leading a bid to establish a private franchise league in 2028. The proposal was subsequently updated to bring a potential launch forward to 2027, amid concern about what the domestic competition would look like the following season.

The pair already have an involvement in professional sport: RNZ reported that they own a 15 per cent stake in A-League football club Auckland FC. That is relevant background to their involvement, but it does not confirm the ownership arrangements or funding commitments for the proposed netball league.

The earlier target date also remains a potential start, rather than a settled fixture in the sporting calendar. RNZ’s account makes clear that choosing a preferred proposal leaves further work before a competition can be presented with a confirmed format and schedule.

Commercial partners and competition format still unresolved

Several fundamental elements remained open at the time of RNZ’s report. These included securing commercial and broadcast partners, deciding the competition window and season length, and settling the number of teams involved.

Each is a substantive part of the proposed league, not simply an announcement detail. With team numbers still unresolved, the report does not establish the competition’s final scale. Nor does it identify confirmed broadcast arrangements or commercial partners that readers could treat as secured support.

The next milestone identified by RNZ was an expected statement from Netball NZ explaining its decision and the steps to follow. Until that information is available, the strongest supported conclusion is that a preferred private-league proposal has been reported, with implementation still being worked through.

Practical takeaway: Anyone assessing the proposal should distinguish the reported selection from a confirmed launch. Look for formal details on ownership, commercial backing, team numbers and timing before drawing conclusions about participation or business opportunities.