| Netball is clearly the most popular women's participatory sport in Australia and New Zealand. However, netball was largely seen as an amateur sport that culminated in Australia winning its usual gold medal at the four yearly Commonwealth Games. However, in 1997 the sport entered a new professional era with the introduction of the Australian Netball League (commonly referred to ever since as the Commonwealth Bank Trophy). This allows the elite players to have regular competition to play in outside the representative matches. | |