Join Team Mizuno and #MakeTheSwap

DATE: 4/2/21

Netball remains one of Australia’s most popular sports, that in 2019/2020 there were over 900,000 participants in club netball in Australia, making it the fourth most participated Club Sport for Adults and Children in Australia.

In 2020 Mizuno’s Netball campaign asked the question of players: Have you #MadeTheSwap? What led to this question was the estimated 70% of players in Australia wearing generic running shoes over netball specific footwear to play the sport they love.

As Mizuno’s previous two campaigns have highlighted, playing in generic runners not only puts players at higher risk of injury, but also leads to the need to replace these generic running shoes more frequently, as they lack the durability required for the surface and rigours of netball games. 2020 again saw thousands of players move across to Mizuno as their netball shoe of choice on court, thanks to the technical and educational campaign Mizuno pursued around the importance of durability in a netball shoe.

2020 was a challenging year for everyone and COVID-19 lockdowns across the country meant that adults and children alike were unable to partake in their seasonal netball competitions. This not only had the potential to impact physical health and fitness but also psychological and mental health and overall well-being.

It was during 2020 that Mizuno re-affirmed the importance of connection and support with all of the netball community even when play was not possible. This connection was vital at all levels: from players, to ambassadors through to Mizuno’s sponsorships with the NSW and QLD netball associations. Sally James Marketing Manager at Mizuno Australia said “2020 was not about selling a record number of netball shoes, what was important to us as a company was to ensure we stood by those that represent our brand on court and in the community when times were tough”.

Steve Neal from Netball NSW explains “2020 was the most challenging year in a generation for netball across Australia but with the help of partners such as Mizuno we stayed afloat and are ready to bounce back in 2021.

“Mizuno is a world-renowned sports brand that’s really invested in netball innovation and when you have world-class athletes under your umbrella, like we do at Netball NSW, they demand the best.

“Mizuno also recognise that netballers at all levels need proper foot support. Their campaign speaks to our players at both elite and grassroots levels and we are excited to be on board with them again.”

In 2021 Mizuno will focus on the very thing that gave them strength in 2020 – that being ‘team’. The 2021 campaign will exemplify the importance of a team approach and the importance of supporting each other both on and off the court to achieve shared goals. The Mizuno campaign will showcase the elite ambassadors who have proudly moved across to the Mizuno brand in Australia, this all-star team includes elite level players such as; Maddy Proud, Karla Pretorius, Kaylia Stanton, Jodie-Ann Ward, Maisie Nankivell, Matilda McDonell and many more.

These players have all been advocates for the technical benefits of the Mizuno netball range allowing them to play at their best, along with being a great reflection of and upholding the brand values that Mizuno prides themselves on: PERFORMANCE, INSPIRING, PASSIONATE, TRUSTWORTHY, and INNOVATIVE.

Maddy Proud team captain at the NSW Swifts and one of the first to join Team Mizuno explains why she Made The Swap “Super Netball is the best and most intense netball league in the world so it’s important that all players feel confident in what they wear on court.

“It gets pretty fast and furious in the midcourt on game day and in training, but Mizuno footwear gives me the confidence I need to drive the ball to the circle, change direction and get back to defend.

“Since I’ve Made The Swap I’ve been delighted with the on-court performance and am stoked to be part of the Mizuno Team in 2021 again.”

Further to showcasing Team Mizuno, this year’s campaign will also put out a national search for the next team of ambassadors to join the Mizuno stable. This competition will be open to teams from any age and level of the sport, with the winners awarded the opportunity to represent the brand in 2021 along with $10,000 of Mizuno netball product. (Details of the ambassador search can be found below).

As a brand that prides themselves on being unashamedly technical, 2021 will continue the focus on the importance of specialist shoes when playing netball, whilst also making the brand accessible to more players with their new innovations and additional offerings that focus on FIT:

- A WIDE fitting netball model the Wave Stealth V NB WIDE

- Size US Women’s 13 available in the Wave Stealth V NB

Netballers spend a lot of time playing together with their teammates. AusPlay, 2020 reports that 53% play for social reasons, 47% for fun and enjoyment and 34% for physical health or fitness. Sally James, Mizuno’s marketing manager comments “We want to encourage more players to Make the Swap to our team. We know our product provides the comfort, support and durability that players want. Our range this season caters for a wider range of athlete than ever before. Mizuno wants to encourage netballers back on to the court in 2021 and is ready to support netball players and the entire netball community.”

DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT

Thousands of netballers have already #MadeTheSwap to team Mizuno, below are actual reviews left by local Netballers justifying why.

Don't just take our word for it.

DETAILS OF COMPETITION:

WIN a $10,000 Mizuno Team Sponsorship!

The competition will require participants to nominate their chosen team to enter the competition by filling out a short online questionnaire. The top team from each state will then go on to the final vote round where the team with the greatest number of votes will be awarded the 2021 sponsorship. The competition will go live on 15th February 2021, keep up to date by visiting www.mizuno.com.au or follow us on Instagram @mizunosportsaus