Netball Australia reveals First Nations team and new board members

Netball Australia has announced the line-up for its inaugural First Nations team set to debut at the Pacific Aus Sports Netball Series in Brisbane in June.

The side features 12 Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander athletes from all over the country that will get to test their skills against international talent.

The other nations competing are yet to be announced, but previous editions have included Netball World Cup teams such as Tonga, Fiji, Singapore and Malawi.

The initiative aims to provide visibility and recognition of First Nations talent in Australia. At the Pacific Aus Sports Series, the team will operate as an invitational side, unable to tally official caps or World Netball points like their travelling opposition.

Netball Australia's First Nations Engagement Lead, Ali Tucker-Munro commented "I am delighted about the establishment of Netball Australia's inaugural First Nations national invitational team.

"It's not just a pivotal moment for our sport. It's a pivotal moment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander netballers across the country.
"For the first time ever, we'll finally see 12 of our most talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander netballers from across Australia, netballers who are currently within our high­ performance pathway, come together to compete as one."

Netball Australia announces two new board appointments
As part of an ongoing process of refreshing its board, Netball Australia has also announced two key board appointments.

Gabrielle Upton has now been appointed as a director for a three-year term having been appointed earlier this year to fill a casual vacancy on the Board while Mo’onia Gerrard has been nominated Athlete Director for a further 12 months. She was first appointed in March last year.