Netball Australia’s Marie Little Shield will make its long-awaited return this October after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2022 event will be hosted in partnership with Netball NSW from Wednesday 26 to Friday 28 October at Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park.
Introduced in 2013, the Marie Little Shield netball competition provides female athletes with an intellectual disability the chance to represent their state at a national level.
The Marie Little Shield is named after Marie Little OAM, a netballer who dedicated her life to those with an intellectual disability and is one of several diversity and inclusions programs run by Netball Australia.
Netball Australia Executive General Manager of Suncorp Super Netball, Events and Commercial, Adam Richardson, expressed his delight to have the Marie Little Shield in this year’s calendar.
“The Marie Little Shield is one of the most joyful events in the Netball Australia competition calendar and has been truly missed in the last few years,” Richardson said.
“Events like the Marie Little Shield reinforce that anyone, regardless of background or ability, is welcome in netball and can reach their full potential within the sport.
“We look forward to seeing how the partnership with Netball NSW can aid the event’s development in 2022.”
The last two Marie Little Shield competitions were previously hosted in Queensland with New South Wales claiming the title in 2018 and South Australia winning in 2019.
Tim Fava, Executive General Manager of Community & Pathways at Netball NSW welcomed the opportunity to host representatives and fans from all over the country at the returning event.
“Netball NSW is delighted to welcome the Marie Little Shield back to our home, Netball Central, for what promises to be a fantastic event,” Fava said.
“We see this competition as a key part of our inclusion strategy, so to be playing host again this year is very special for our entire organisation and netball community.
“The Marie Little Shield showcases what is possible for our All-Abilities athletes and our Netball Associations who have embraced these Programs as part of their participation offerings.
“Given the disruption of the last two years players, coaches, officials, support staff and Netball NSW are very keen to bring this year’s competition to life.”
Teams to compete in the 2022 Marie Little Shield event are expected to be confirmed in August. Ticket information and fixtures will be released shortly after.
