First Nations Netball Camps Reach New Heights Across NSW

Netball NSW has announced an expansion on their initiative to four key locations across the state for the 2025–2026 period.

For the first time, the program was delivered concurrently across both metropolitan and regional hubs, including Dubbo, Maitland, Coffs Harbour, and Sydney, reinforcing a strategic commitment to providing elite pathways for Indigenous athletes, coaches, and umpires.

Highlighting the impact of the initiative on the state’s talent pipeline, First Nations program manager at Netball NSW, Courtney Goolagong, said: “The First Nations Camps are all about providing opportunities, for our young athletes to fall in love with the game, for coaches and umpires to develop, and for communities to come together through netball.”

“We’ve seen so many First Nations State Team members, the Waradas, come through these camps.

“It’s where their journey started, and that shows just how powerful and important these opportunities are,” Goolagong said. 

The program has seen remarkable commercial and participation growth since its 2019 inception, scaling from a single camp of 30 athletes to supporting 120 participants aged 11–13.

The current iteration was delivered in two phases between November 2025 and February 2026, utilizing Koori Gala Days and the Koori Netball Tournament as primary platforms for talent identification.

Beyond technical skill development, the camps integrated significant cultural components, including yarning circles and community engagement activities designed to foster a sense of belonging.

High-performance connection was a key feature of the Sydney and Maitland sessions, where athletes trained alongside Waradas representatives Lili Walker, Charlotte Ryan, and Acacia Ellers to bridge the gap between grassroots and elite netball.

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