Netball turns 100 with a giant twist

The initiative aims to highlight netball's role in women's sport while supporting the organisation's ambitions for future growth.

England Netball has launched Built by Women, a campaign created by Brothers & Sisters to celebrate the sport's female-led heritage, strengthen its cultural identity and attract further investment.

The campaign positions netball as a sport built by women, for women, and supported by one of the UK's largest participation communities. It also seeks to reinforce the sport's relevance to women and girls by celebrating their contributions both on and off the court.

Brothers & Sisters celebrates netball's female-led heritage

Built by Women highlights netball as a space where women and girls can compete, lead and express themselves on their own terms. The campaign challenges expectations that women should hold back or take up less space, positioning the sport as a platform for confidence, participation and community.

The initiative supports England Netball's strategy to strengthen its voice within communities and bring together the sport's different audiences, from grassroots participants to elite players. It will also inform how the organisation tells its stories, celebrates players and supporters, and develops partnerships to grow the game.

AI-powered film celebrates 100 years of England Netball

At the centre of the campaign is a 72-second film created by Brothers & Sisters and produced using artificial intelligence. It depicts women working together to construct a giant netball player, who rises to a height of 100 feet in recognition of England Netball's centenary.

The film delivers the campaign's central message of collective ownership and pride in a sport shaped by generations of women. Set in Manchester, it also looks ahead to the 2031 Netball World Cup, which will take place at Co-op Live following England Netball's successful hosting bid.

Fran Connolly, CEO, England Netball: "Netball has always been built by women, for women. It is a sport where women and girls can compete fiercely, lead confidently and take up space on their own terms.

"Built by Women is about celebrating that heritage and using it to shape the next chapter for our sport. We want more people to see the energy, community and opportunity within netball and how our sport connects so deeply with women and girls across the country."

England Netball backs wider equality initiative

The campaign also comes as England Netball and its Chair, Baroness Sue Campbell, support The Equal Sport Project, a cross-sector initiative aimed at making the UK the world's leading nation for women's and girls' sport.

Launched on 10 November, the initiative brings together organisations across the sporting sector to accelerate equality and address barriers preventing women and girls from participating, competing, coaching and taking leadership roles.

Equal Sport Project calls for action across sport

Baroness Sue Campbell, Chair, England Netball: "Women's sport has reached a defining moment. We have seen extraordinary progress over the past decade, but we know that equality will not happen by accident. It requires leadership, ambition and a willingness to redesign the system so that women and girls are considered from the very beginning, not as an afterthought. The Equal Sport Project is about more than recognising the challenge; it is about committing to action together. If we get this right, the UK can become the best place in the world for every woman and girl to play, compete, coach, lead and thrive in sport."

Through Built by Women and its support for The Equal Sport Project, England Netball aims to strengthen the sport's visibility, celebrate its female-led history and contribute to wider efforts to improve opportunities for women and girls across sport.

www.brothersandsisters.co.uk

www.englandnetball.co.uk

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