Campbelltown and Camden will be awash with activity this Queen’s Birthday weekend as the 2022 HART Senior State Titles take centre stage in what is set to be a brilliant illustration of the power of grassroots netball.
Thousands of players, officials, umpires, volunteers and fans will converge on South Western Sydney with Campbelltown District Netball Association welcoming teams from Divisions 1 Opens and 1 & 2 of the 17U and 15U and Male team categories, while Camden & District Netball Association will host Opens Division 2, and Divisions 3 & 4 of the 17U & 15U age groups.
The Senior State Titles are second only to the Junior State Titles in terms of size and scope, and among the largest community sporting events NSW has to offer.
For the first time in State Titles history Male divisions have been added, a move which would have happened sooner had it not been for the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Senior State Titles take place from Saturday to Monday, 11-13 June, with the winners of Division 1 in each of the Opens, 17U, 15U and Men’s categories crowned State Champions at the end of play.
With the wider community slowly starting to emerge from the cloud cast by COVID-19, Netball NSW President Louise Sullivan said it was wonderful to see the event back bigger than ever in 2022.
“Having come through two hugely disrupted seasons as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been truly refreshing for our community to finally have the chance to properly prepare for an event of this scale, which remains one of the largest and most important on the Netball NSW calendar,” she said.
“While COVID-19 remains part of our everyday lives, we have thankfully reached the point where we’ve learned to live with the virus. It was uncharted territory for all of us when the pandemic started in 2020 but I remain proud of how our game did its part to aid the wider community.
“Nothing can make up for the disappointments of missed opportunities over the past two years, but 24 months of hardship can make us appreciate this year’s competition all the more.”
Sullivan also reflected on the importance of introducing Male divisions to events of this kind.
“This is a ground-breaking development and comes as netball in NSW looks to continue expanding the game's reach beyond its traditional playing base,” she added.
“A frontrunner in terms of playing numbers when it comes to grassroots sport, netball has long been recognised as the leading team sport for women and young girls, as well as the standout leader in high-performance space for the same demographic.
“However, as part of Netball Australia’s State of the Game Review, a compelling case was made for netball to be more inclusive in many areas including gender.
“The inclusion of male divisions in the Junior and Senior State Titles – the sport’s showpiece events at grassroots level – is a vital part of securing our game’s future by ensuring it is a safe space for all.
“We are exceptionally proud to have our inaugural male State Titles teams competing this weekend, and I encourage everyone to take the time to see what brilliant skills and athleticism they bring to the game.”
Netball NSW would like to thank both the Campbelltown District and Camden & District Netball Associations for their efforts to bring the event to life, as well as HART Sport – the Naming Rights Partner of the 2022 Senior State Titles.
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For all our Senior State Titles information, please visit the dedicated webpage HERE.
