Netball: ANZ Championship in structure shake-up

The ANZ Championship have announced significant changes to their tournament format ahead of the 2015 season.

The league will introduce separate Australian and New Zealand conferences in a restructured six-team finals series. There will also be a Challenge Trophy competition that will run concurrently with the season.

The countries have been combined in a league for the past seven seasons, but in 2015 each will have a standalone division. Despite moving to conference ladders each team will still play 13 games - eight home-and-away matches against teams in their conference and five games against teams in their rival conference either at home or away (alternating each year).

The new structure results in the addition of the Conference Finals. The top three teams from each Conference will progress to the Australia and New Zealand Conference Finals. Second and third from each will then battle it out in the Conference Elimination Final before the winner takes on the first placed league team to decide the Conference champion.

The two finalists from each will then progress to the semi-finals where the Conference Champions will host the loser for a chance to compete in the ANZ Championship Grand Final.

The Challenge Trophy

2015 will also see the introduction of a new award to the ANZ Championship with the Challenge Trophy. Holders of the trophy will defend the silverware each time they play at home. If a visiting side are victorious, they will take home the trophy and defend it themselves at each home game until they are beaten. The inaugural holders will be drawn in a ballot before the start of the season.

For more information and explanation on the restructure, head to http://anz-championship.com/