Newcastle tossed up during Super Netball expansion talks

Fox Sports reported on Thursday that Super Netball boss Kelly Ryan had confirmed expansion was on the cards for Australia's elite competition.

She said it was, however, unlikely to happen before the end of a newly struck five-year deal with Fox Sports, which runs until the end of 2026.

"We want to make sure that our existing eight [clubs] are sustainable and strong," Ryan told Fox Sports.

"But naturally, I don't think we want to just sit here and just expect that the eight teams will continue to go around forever and a day."

Ryan reportedly said interest for expansion teams had come from Newcastle, Gold Coast, Tasmania and regional Victoria.

"We receive calls regularly to be honest about people inquiring about how they can go about getting a licence and what are the things that they should do today to position themselves for a licence in the future," Ryan said.

Newcastle has not had a presence in the national league since the Hunter Jaegers disbanded in 2007 after a four-season existence, but international games staged since at the Entertainment Centre have attracted capacity crowds.

In 2019, the Newcastle Herald reported Wests Group would be interested in adding a national-league netball franchise to their portfolio if there was an adequate indoor facility built to support a team.