Every Saturday morning in winter, tens of thousands of girls and women head off to the netball courts to take part in this incredibly popular sport. Kids start playing at primary school and there are many grades of competition, from secondary school to premier leagues. A lot of netball is played outside during the daytime, but, increasingly, games are held indoors, sometimes at night. Netball is a winter sport, but twilight leagues are common over the summer months.

Although it's a high-profile sport (important domestic and international games are televised live), netball clubs don’t often have a base with their own clubrooms. Practices may take place on local school courts, gymnasiums or at large netball centres, which are shared by many clubs. Each metropolitan area will have one or more such centre, which administers competitions overseen by the regional association. As a rule, pupils play for their school teams rather than clubs, and adults new to the sport or area can join a club and get placed in a suitable team. The best way to start is to contact the regional association to find your closest netball centre and then enquire about the clubs that play there. Your Regional Sports Trust can also help. At the start of the season, grading tournaments are usually held and, after the results are analysed, teams are placed into appropriate leagues.