Mowbray-Williams 'devastated' as Netball NZ blow whistle on league
Netball New Zealand has cancelled a proposed deal to privatize its elite domestic league, leaving investors Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams devastated. The governing body cited an inability to reach a licensing agreement, effectively ending the pair's plans to take over the competition starting in 2027.
Why it matters
The collapse of this deal highlights the ongoing tension between traditional sports governing bodies and private equity investment in professional sports leagues.
Netball New Zealand says it won't be going ahead with a proposed privately run domestic league, leaving investors <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/09/01/anna-mowbray-wants-to-make-nz-the-undisputed-home-of-world-netball/">Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams</a> "devastated" and the future of elite netball in doubt. The pair, who had been working on a proposal to take over the running of the elite domestic competition from 2027, say they poured their time, money and energy into the project, only for it to collapse following an email from the governing body. "We are devastated. Ali and I gave this everything. Our time, our money and our hearts," they said. They said their motivation had been to bring the same community benefits to netball that they had seen through their co-ownership of A-League club Auckland FC. "Yesterday that ended with an email. No reason. No call."
Headlinne story · 3 newsrooms
Netball New Zealand Cancels Plans for Privately Run Domestic League
What every outlet reported, where they differ, and how each framed it →
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in