Music, mixed teams, and whole families taking the court together — netball is buzzing again in Cootamundra.
After years without a competition, the twilight spring competition is delivering more than just goals. Ten teams are now hitting the court, enjoying light-hearted fun with tunes playing, affordable entry fees, and a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere.
“We’ve just tried to make the club as inclusive and supportive as possible, like it’s a place where people of any ability and gender - anyone is more than welcome to come and join,” Maddy Twyford, Cootamundra Netball Association President said.
Family participation has been at the heart of the revival. “We tried to get husbands and wives coming, joining and playing. We found that if we said ‘hey this is a mixed competition, you can bring your family along,’ then more people were inclined to sign up. We had one team that was filled with just family,” Twyford said.
Players now range in age from teenagers to adults, creating fresh opportunities for people to connect across generations. “For Twilight, it’s got a lot of my age group of friends, but then we didn’t quite have enough and we had people fill out the expression of interest that didn’t have a team. They’re a lot younger but that’s fine — we’re mixing it up and people are getting to know different people. It’s creating a more cohesive culture and everyone’s included.”
Register for Netball Spring Competition Here
Just 12 months ago, netball in Cootamundra was struggling — until a wave of local passion and community advertising put it back on the map. “We had a lot of people come back from other clubs, and we put time and effort into advertising and getting people to know that netball in Coota is still a thing. We advertised through Facebook, especially on the Cootamundra Matters group — social media is just so easy.”
The results speak for themselves: more teams than last year, a growing NetSetGO program for the youngest players, and a vibrant twilight comp that’s mixing ages, families, and friends in a way that brings the whole town together.
“My hopes for netball in Cootamundra is for it to continue to grow and succeed and continue to be that club in town that is inclusive – it includes anyone and nobody feels like they’re on the outer,” Twyford said.
Spring twilight competitions are also thriving right across the Riverina. In Wagga Wagga, registrations are open for women’s, mixed and all abilities teams. Gundagai and Tumut are gearing up for seniors, mixed and possibly a junior competition, while in West Wyalong a women’s comp is already underway — and there’s still time to sign up.
In a town known for its strong sense of community, netball’s resurgence is proving that sport can be the perfect spark to bring people back together.
