ABSTRACT
The invisibility of females in sports fandom research is widely acknowledged (Osborne & Coombs, 2013; Pope, 2017; Toffoletti & Mewett, 2012). We extend this limited research—much of which has focused on female fans of men’s sports—by discussing the results of an ongoing study of fans of netball, an international team sport developed and played almost exclusively by women. In New Zealand, it has been the premiere women’s sport for over 100 years, with high participation rates, significant corporate support, financial stability, an appealing television rights package, and national recognition. Yet almost nothing is known about netball’s passionate, knowledgeable and predominantly female fan base, whose fandom is passed down through matriarchal lines. For three years, the authors have observed and chatted with fans at live events, tracked player and fan interactions on social media and private fan sites, and talked with netball journalists, broadcasters and administrators. Our results demonstrate the importance of predominantly female sport spaces in women’s lives. Not only do netball fans make long-term financial and emotional commitments to their fandom but their involvement in the sport is enacted in a feminine space that supports a deeply meaningful web of social, cultural and familial relationships.
