Netball World Cup 2023: Former Diamonds coach Norma Plummer wants change after lopsided maulings

After watching as teams like Fiji and Sri Lanka cop absolute hidings at the hands of netball heavyweights, is it time to change the World Cup format to protect the sport’s future?

Former Diamonds coach Norma Plummer has called on World Netball to adopt a top eight and bottom eight for future World Cups to avoid the lopsided results she believes do little to advance the sport’s development.

Plummer, who is currently head coach of South Africa and developed a plan to help the Proteas to a stunning draw against world no.2 New Zealand in the match of the tournament so far, on Thursday morning (Australian time), has long argued for a change to the tournament format.

Several teams were trounced by the sport’s big guns in the early preliminary stages of the tournament, with the Diamonds beating Fiji 101-32, Jamaica thrashing Sri Lanka 105-25 and England beating Barbados 90-29.

It’s a situation Plummer has labelled as “cruel”.

“It’s only my opinion and I don’t think World Netball want to go that way, so it’s purely my opinion but I just think having a top eight and a bottom eight (is the way to go),” said Plummer, who believes there should also be a promotion and relegation process in place for teams on the cusp of the eight.

Former Diamonds head coach, now with South Africa, Norma Plummer. Picture: Getty

The current format separates the top 12 from the bottom four after three pool games in the opening days.

“I watched Singapore play Sri Lanka (in the bottom four) and it was a really good game because they were on an even keel,” Plummer said.

“It was goal for goal and Singapore won for the first time for the first time over (Sri Lanka), so that’s really worth watching.

“But 110-20 (for example), I think that’s cruel.

“I hate demoralising an opposition - unless it’s up the top, that might be different - but I don’t play that game.

“I think if they had the bottom eight and the top eight, still 16 teams, it still could be the same (length of tournament).

“The top eight would play seven (round) games and then the teams who finish one and two play off for gold, that’s the eighth game - and then three and four for the bronze and all your rankings come in under that.”

Sri Lanka have had some tough games - but played out an impressive contest against Singapore. Picture: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images/Netball World Cup 2023

As it stands, not only have some of the minnow nations had cricket scores run up against them by the big guns but teams like South Africa (world no.5) and Malawi (6) who have had some great passages of play against the bigger nations won’t get to play all teams in the top four in Cape Town.

“It’s disappointing,” Plummer said.

Plummer’s suggestion has merit but Diamonds captain Liz Watson was in favour of maintaining the status quo.

“When we played a team like Sri Lanka at the last World Cup, they were just so excited to play Australia, which was really nice and refreshing,” Watson said.

“I think that’s really important for the comp too because they can see where they need to be to beat the best in the world.

“And even playing Scotland (in the crossover preliminaries), people love to play Australia, they just want to see how far they are off, (measure) the gap.

“I think you’d miss that aspect of it. It’s actually really nice and refreshing to see that teams really want to play you.”

Regardless of the format, the Diamonds will not let any opponent off lightly.

“We speak about the best way to respect the opposition is to play our best, because that’s what they want,” Watson said.

“So I don’t know how (a top eight) that would go.”

Originally published as Netball World Cup 2023: Former Diamonds coach Norma Plummer wants change after lopsided maulings