The INF World Rankings are published by the International Netball Federation (INF) to make it possible to compare the relative strengths of internationally active national netball teams. Initially, rankings were based on the results from the World Netball Championships, and released after the conclusion of each event, every four years. A new ranking system was implemented on 11 February 2008, wherein teams are ranked based on international tests played, currently since July 2010. Teams appear on the rankings list once they have played eight international test matches, starting from July 2010. The rankings are updated by the INF every month. Australia and New Zealand have dominated the INF world rankings in previous years and they are the only two netball nations to have ever held the number one world ranking since its introduction in 2009. More recently England have joined the duo winning gold at the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia in 2018.
The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern, which is an emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative New Zealand team to tour Australia. To date, they have been one of the most dominant national netball teams in the world, along with Australia, and have a winning record against most other netball nations. The Silver Ferns are current world champions and ranked second in the INF World Rankings, behind Australia.
The England national womens netball team, also known as the Vitality Roses, represent England in international netball competition. England are coached by Jess Thirlby, and are captained by Natalie Haythornthwaite. As of 1 July 2019, the team is ranked third in the INF World Rankings. England have won one silver and several bronze medals at the World Cup and have won one gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
The Jamaica national netball team, commonly known as the Sunshine Girls, represent Jamaica in international netball competition. Netball is not only the number one women's sport in Jamaica but also the number one team sport in the island, based on World Rankings and recent history and the majority of the schools in Jamaica participate. Netball receives full media coverage on television, radio and in newspapers but does not get as much coverage as less successful team sports such as football and cricket. Jamaica were coached by former representative Oberon Pitterson, and captained by midcourt veteran Nadine Bryan up to the end of 2013. However, a Technical Director and new coach, were appointed in early 2014. As of 21 July 2019, Jamaica are fourth in the INF World Rankings. While the senior Jamaican netball team is widely known as the Sunshine Girls, the Jamaican Fast 5 netball team is known as Jamaica Fast5 or the FAST5 Girls.
The Samoa national netball team represent Samoa in international netball tests and competitions. The team are coached by Marcia Hardcastle and are co-captained by Opheira Harder-Karatau and Julianna Naoupu. As of 21 July 2019, Samoa are 16th in the INF World Rankings. They finished 12th at the 2011 World Netball Championships in Singapore, and 9th at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. On their debut at the Nations Cup (netball) Samoa, captained by Sanita To’o, won the tournament with a final score of 50-41 against Singapore. Samoa participated in the 2009 edition of the Fast5 Netball World Series, placing 6th in the competition.
The South Africa national netball team, nicknamed the SPAR Proteas, are the national netball team of South Africa. The SPAR Proteas are coached by Dorette Badenhorst, and are captained by Bongiwe Msomi. The team are governed by Netball South Africa and sponsored by SPAR. South Africa are currently fifth in the INF World Rankings.
The Malawi national netball team, nicknamed "The Queens", represent Malawi in international netball competition.
The Cook Islands national netball team represent the Cook Islands in international netball. In recent years they have finished 1st at the 2019 Pacific Games, 1st at the 2018 Nations Cup in Singapore, 10th at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 7th at the 2007 World Netball Championships; the Cook Islands did not qualify for the 2011 World Championships in Singapore. The Cook Islands team were ranked as high as 10th in the INF World Rankings at one stage, now currently 14th.
The Fiji national netball team represents Fiji in international netball competition. Fiji have competed at nine World Netball Championships, finishing sixth in their best placing at the 1999 tournament. They have also competed at two Commonwealth Games, and won the netball event at the South Pacific Games for a number of years. They have won gold at every games since 1991. They are also the current Pacific Champions, winning the all Pacific Series since its inception.
Sharni Layton is a former Australian netball player, who last played Super Netball for the Collingwood Magpies in 2018. She is a decorated former player in the Australia national netball team, having won two Gold medals at the Netball World Cup and one gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Sports in Malaysia are an important part of Malaysian culture. Sports in Malaysia are popular from both the participation and spectating aspect. Malaysians from different walks of life join in a wide variety of sports for recreation as well as for competition. In the broadest definition of sports—physical exercise of all sorts—the four most popular recreational sports among the general population of Malaysia are exercise walking, aerobic exercise, strength training, and running. Other most popular sports are bicycling, swimming, climbing, camping, bowling, hiking, fishing and scuba diving.
In England, netball has been popular enough to be included as part of the physical education curriculum. Its inclusion had been at times controversial; during the 1910s and 1920s, schools worried about the potential negative impact of physical exercise like netball participation on the health of girls.
The INF's Americas region includes North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The region covers 54 nations, of which 13 have national governing bodies. Each year, the region hosts two tournaments: the CNA U16 Championship and the AFNA Senior Championship. Netball is most popular in Commonwealth countries, such as Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada. As of August 2016, several teams in the region ranked amongst the top thirty-five in the world, including Jamaica (4th), Trinidad & Tobago (9th) Barbados (13th), Canada (18th), Grenada (22nd), Saint Lucia (24th), the United States of America (28th) and Argentina (35th).
Netball is popular in several parts of Asia. The IFNA Asia region includes countries such as Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. The major regional competition is the Asian Netball Championship. In 1994, the first Asian Youth Championship was held in Hong Kong.
The Northern Ireland national netball team represent Northern Ireland in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the European Netball Championship and the Nations Cup. The team was founded in 1955. Northern Ireland won the Nations Cup in both 2009 and 2015 and were silver medallists at the 2012 and 2017 European Netball Championships. As of 21 July 2019, Northern Ireland are listed 11th on the INF World Rankings. Since 2019 the team has been sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers and is sometimes referred to as the PwC Warriors.
Netball is a popular participant sport in some parts of the world, particularly in countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. According to the IFNA, over 20 million people play netball in more than 72 countries. IFNA member nations are divided into five regional groups: Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
The United States national netball team represents the United States in international netball. The US national team comprises mostly expatriate players from Commonwealth countries where netball is popular, including Jamaica. The team competed at the 2003 World Netball Championships in Jamaica, finishing 9th. Prior to 2008, the final placings of the World Netball Championships were used to determine world rankings, and thus from 2003–07 the United States team was ranked 9th in the world. It did not compete at the 2007 World Netball Championships in New Zealand; as of 2 December 2019, the team is ranked 37th in the INF World Rankings.
The Canadian national netball team is the national netball team of Canada. The netball team is selected through a trials process and competes on the world stage through regional AFNA competitions and qualifying tournaments to gain entry into The Commonwealth Games and the World Netball Championships. As of 2 December 2019, Canada were 32nd in the INF World Rankings. The team participates in the Netball World Championships, considered the highest level of competition for the sport, and its best result came in 1991 when they came 6th. Canada's first netball win was in the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games when they beat Sri Lanka 52–49. The current Team Canada members are below. Canada is a member of the INF Americas region, with Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) being the lead agency.
The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national netball team represent Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in international netball. As of July 2011, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are not ranked in the IFNA World Rankings, due to them not playing the required eight matches since July 2009. At the 2003 World Netball Championships in Jamaica, they finished 13th. At their most recent international competition they 11th at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Northern Ireland competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to April 15, 2018. On January 3, 2017 Northern Ireland announced its decision to send a squad of 88 athletes to the games. A final team of 90 competed.
