Olympic netball? Now there’s a Diamond idea for Brisbane

The heavy hitters lining up to push for Australia’s most popular participation sport’s inclusion for Brisbane 2032 – but can they clear the gender parity hurdle that stands in netball’s way?

Australia's captain Liz Watson leads the celebrations with her teammates after winning the gold medal match against Jamaica at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Picture: Getty Images

Australian Olympic powerbrokers are backing netball’s push for inclusion for Brisbane 2032, with Netball Australia chair Liz Ellis stating it was time 20 million players had the opportunity to be part of the “greatest sporting competition on earth”.

The sport, which is one of the most played women’s sports globally, has fought for nearly 50 years to gain a place in the Olympics, with the former Diamonds captain revealing they are well into the process of engaging with B2032 and investigating the potential of the sport to lodge a bid.

While NRL chief Peter V’landys is making overtures to the Brisbane Olympics organisers to push for touch football’s inclusion, Ellis described netball’s case as “compelling”, pointing out the huge chance for millions of women globally to become “part of the Olympic family”.

“My message to the Australian Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee and Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Games is: this is an ­opportunity to get a million participants in Australia and 20 million worldwide inside the Olympic family,” she said.

“This is a real opportunity to get a huge part of the Australian population dreaming about the 2032 Olympics and beyond. While it’s an opportunity for our sport, it’s an opportunity for the Olympic movement as well.

“I think netball’s value to the Olympics is overwhelming. While we are the largest participation sport for women and girls in this country, we are also the fastest growing sport for men and boys in this country.

Australia’s Riley Richardson during a men’s international against New Zealand Net Blacks last year in Wellington Picture: Getty Images

“But we also have 20 million participants globally and almost a million here in Australia – and I think it would be a thrilling moment for those to have the opportunity of being part of the greatest sporting competition on earth.”

Ellis says the sport has strong plans to capitalise and grow the men’s game.

“For netball to be part of Brisbane 2032 is it would be a great clarion call for the sport to be able to build its elite men’s competitions,” she said.

“Netball Australia over the past number of years has invested in the Kelpies, the Australian men’s team, and we’ve seen them start to play in curtain raisers before the Diamonds’ matches, including against England and New Zealand.

“They now also play in the Fast 5, there is a bit of a move towards that. We and the world body don’t have a huge amount of resources to throw at the men’s game but it still needs to grow quite organically. But there is certainly a lot of movement at the game’s grassroots for more men and boys to participate in the game.

“We are a game that can cater to everyone – all body types, you don’t need a lot of equipment to get started and we have a lower rate of concussion than the football codes. It’s a really appealing game to be part of.”

The Paris Olympics last year was the first Games to achieve gender parity. Twenty eight out of 32 sports were fully gender equal in Paris. There was also a more gender-balanced number of medal events, with the Paris 2024 schedule comprising 152 women’s events, 157 men’s events and 20 mixed-gender events.

Artistic swimming at the Paris Olympics was effectively a women’s only sport despite places being left open for men Picture: Getty Images

There are still a few events that are gender specific, including Greco-Roman wrestling which has only men competing – whereas freestyle wrestling is open to men and women. Artistic swimming only has women competing although men have also taken part in World Championship competitions.

Ellis, who is one of the most decorated Australian netballers, playing for the national team from 1993 to 2007 and serving as captain for the last four years of her career, says there is no bigger goal to aim for than an Olympic Games as an athlete.

“From a personal point of view, I have loved my sport from when I was a little girl but every four years it hurts my heart that we are not there,” Ellis said.

“It’s something I have been passionate about for a long time.”

Newly installed Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Mark Arbib says he would love to see the sport considered for selection but noted they will need to look at the expansion of the men’s game.

Rhythmic gymnastics has been a women’s-only sport at the Olympics since its debut at Los Angeles 1984

“Speaking personally and as a parent of daughters who grew up playing netball, I would love to see the sport given serious consideration for Brisbane 32,” Arbib told The Australian.

“It’s an iconic Australian sport that thrives at the grassroots, with hundreds of thousands of players and passionate volunteers. Netball has helped shape the life of countless women and has a good membership base in Commonwealth countries; Africa, Oceania, UK and the Caribbean. They will need to look at the expansion of the men’s game, but I would encourage them to apply and put their best foot forward to the Brisbane Organising Committee.”

While Australia has always been a powerhouse netball nation, Ellis believes world competition is growing.

“There is certainly strength here in Australia, England, New Zealand, Jamaica, all those countries are in the top echelons of competition but recently we’ve seen a real surge in the African ­nations to compete,” Ellis said. “Netball’s case is so compelling.”

Olympic Sports without gender parity

Men-only events

Greco-Roman wrestling: Only men compete in this style, unlike freestyle wrestling, which is open to both men and women.

Nordic combined: This winter sport combines cross-country skiing and ski jumping. It is currently the only Olympic discipline that is exclusively for men. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has been working toward the inclusion of women’s events at future Games, but they will not be part of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Women-only events

Artistic swimming: At the Paris Olympics, the duet event was restricted to women, while the team competition allowed each country to include up to two men. However, no nation selected male athletes, so the event remained all-female in practice.

Rhythmic gymnastics: This sport has been restricted to women since its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 1984. There are no plans for mixed-gender events at international level, although some national federations—such as those in France, Spain, and Russia—have promoted male participation in domestic competitions.

Joining forces

Baseball-softball: Both baseball (men-only) and softball (women-only) were dropped from the Olympic program after Beijing 2008. They were reinstated for Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) by submitting a joint proposal and being recognised as two disciplines under a single sport category. Baseball-softball is scheduled to return at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.