Dunedin Netball has reported a more than 30% increase in team entries this season and that represents a huge breakthrough for the sport.
Team numbers had basically halved since 1980, when there were a record 315 teams across all grades.
The downward trend seemed impossible to arrest, as people walked away from the clubs in a steady trickle.
Softball, cricket, rugby and many other sports have also experienced decline during the past three decades.
But netball appears to have reached rock bottom and is on the way back up. Dunedin senior team entries are up from 46 teams in 2015 to 61 teams this year.
Dunedin Netball general manager Lee-Anne Anderson was thrilled with the increase, which she put down to a combination of factors.
‘‘We've made changes to the competition and I think that has helped,'' Anderson said.
‘‘We've shortened the length of the season from 17 weeks to 14 weeks and made improvements to the competition structure ... and I think it makes for a more exciting competition.''
Another big change was shifting premier netball from Saturday to Thursday, and that had had a positive impact, as well, she said.
Dunedin Netball has a new registration system that is more user-friendly and it also has a new Facebook page and website - handy for trying to capture the attention of a generation whose heads are seemingly permanently tilted in the direction of their phones.
‘‘I think we have made some really good positive changes and it makes a difference to how people are picking up and playing the sport.
‘‘I don't think it has been just one thing but all those sort of things help.''
While Anderson acknowledged playing numbers could fluctuate from season to season, she is confident the increase is not just a blip. The challenge now is to sustain the growth.
‘‘I don't think a 33% increase is a blip. That is a massive change and a massive increase we haven't seen ... in the historical figures I had at hand.
‘‘When you experience growth, and so rapidly, you've got to put a support structure in place and we've got some fairly solid plans in place.‘‘When you get more teams, you need to expand the support people to facilitate the competitions.''
In short, that means more umpires, officials and people to help run the competition.
There are four new clubs in the competition this year - the South Pacific Titans, Eastern, Panthers and Harbour - and five existing clubs have increased their number of teams.
The South Pacific Titans have entered three teams and are part of the South Pacific Rugby League and Sports Club.
Eastern (Palmerston) has entered two teams.
The club used to play in the Oamaru competition but has found it more convenient to play in Dunedin.
Harbour has its roots in the Harbour Rugby Club and the Panthers are a newly formed team of friends who wanted to play together.
‘‘The board and Dunedin Netball are thrilled that we've got such an increase and are really looking forward to the season. It has started well and, as the weeks go on, it will be great to see how well it progresses.''
