Indoor Sports in Victoria
Indoor Cricket and Netball remain a popular format in Victoria with more than 96,000 participants involved across the 2018-19 season, making up for approximately 35% of the national participation figures of the sport.
Cricket Victoria (CV), Indoor Netball Australia (INA) and Indoor Sports Victoria (ISV) work concurrently to govern indoor sports in Victoria, with member centres in affiliation agreements with both organisations.
Member centres have access to a broad range of benefits through their affiliations with CV, INA and ISV which include deals with preferred suppliers (e.g. scoreboard systems, insurance organisations, indoor cricket ball brands, indoor netball ball brands) through to marketing and promotional benefits.
ISV’s board (made up of representatives from member centres and independent members) make decisions on the operations of ISV and its competitions. CV are responsible for State Team operations and all CV-run programs and competitions (including entry-level programs such as Woolworths Blast Indoor and the Victorian-based teams competing in the National Indoor Cricket League). INA run State Teams Australia wide.
Indoor cricket growth targets are included within CV’s yearly planning and specific to each of the Victorian cricket regions, with this format of the game also reflected in broader Game Development department goals.
CV have an Indoor Cricket Manager dedicated to indoor cricket within their Game Development department. ISV have 1 “part time equivalent” staff that work across various indoor sports (Cricket, Netball, Soccer & Volleyball). ISV also has various committee’s that advise and assist in the administration off competitions, an umpire panel that assist in the training upskilling and selection of umpires for all competitions. There is also an umpiring pathway from inhouse domestic to Superleague, State and onto Australian representation.
Funding Opportunities
Funding opportunities are available for Indoor Cricket and Netball centres to apply for.
Cricket Victoria have a number of funding opportunities available in 2021-22.
Grants & Funding – Cricket Victoria
Indoor Cricket & Netball Programs
Superleague/Majorleague
Indoor Sports Victoria have two elite based “centre v centre” competitions that are run each year. Superleague runs during the winter months from April to September, and Majorleague runs during the summer months from October to March.
Superleague Cricket games are played on Saturday afternoons (occasionally Friday nights) in an 8-a-side, 6 ball over format. Majorleague Cricket games are played with the 8-a-side, 6 ball over format on Friday nights.
Superleague and Majorleague Netball games are played on Friday nights 7 a side Womens & Mixed, 6 a side Mens.
There are no compulsory team entries. For example, member centres may enter teams into one or more of the following NICL or Superleague Cricket divisions in the one season:
- Men’s – NICL east
- Men’s – NICL west
- Women’s – NICL east
- Women’s – NICL east
- Men’s – Cricket Superleague 1
- Men’s – Cricket Superleague 2
- Men’s – Cricket Superleague 3
- Men’s – Cricket Superleague 4
- Womens – Netball Superleague
- Mixed – Netball Superleague
- Mens – Netball Superleague
Both Cricket competitions are run in a home/away format, meaning that teams play at their home centre an equal amount of times as they do at away centres.
Both Netball competitions are run all at one Venue, meaning all games are played at one venue on a Friday night and centres get their fair share of home games.
N.B. There are circumstances where the draw does not allow for this.
Member centres are charged a team entry fee of $350 per team per season for Cricket and $190 per team per season to enter into Superleague/Majorleague competitions.
Only member centres may enter teams into ISV competitions or tournaments/events.
State Teams Cricket
Cricket Australia (CA) run National Indoor Cricket Championships each year, where States and Territories are able to nominate member centres to host these prestigious events. There are various age groups within each of the Indoor Juniors Under 12, Under Under 14 and Under 16 (ladies and mixed), and Supernationals which comprises of Open and Aged groups.
CV and ISV provide support to member centres wishing to host these events (where host centre proposals/applications are then sent to and solely assessed by CA.
To be selected in a State team competing in either the Indoor Opens or Masters, a player must have played in the National Indoor Cricket League for Opens or Superleague or Majorleague for Masters (with exceptional circumstances taken into account).
State Teams Netball
Indoor Netball Australia (INA) run National Indoor Netball Championships each year, where states and Territories are able to nominate member centres to host these prestigious events. There are various age groups with each of the Indoor Juniors, Aged and Open Championships.
Member Centres
In Victoria, there are 13 metropolitan, 11 and country and 5 associate member centres – for the full list of member centres, https://indoorsportsvictoria.com.au/locations/
Affiliation Agreements
Member centres are indoor sports centres that have affiliation agreements in place with both CV, INA and ISV, with a clause found in the CV agreement stipulating that the indoor sports centre must be in an affiliation agreement with ISV to be a member centre of CV (and vice-versa).
This ensures that member centres comply with regulations put in place by both organisations who govern indoor cricket in Victoria.
Governance
CV manage State Team operations and all CV-run programs and competitions (including entry-level programs such as Woolworth Blast Indoor and the Victorian-based teams competing in the National Indoor Cricket League).
Indoor cricket growth targets are included within CV’s yearly planning and specific to each of the Victorian cricket regions, with this format of the game also reflected in broader Game Development department goals.
ISV has a board made up of representatives from member centres, and two independent members who have an indoor sports background. The ISV board makes decisions on the operations of ISV and determines its strategic plan.
Indoor Sports Role Descriptions
Key deliverables for the CV Indoor Cricket Manager include:
Indoor Cricket Manager
- EO of Indoor Sports Victoria
- Fixture and administer Superleague/Majorleague competitions (centre v centre)
- Supervise all facets of State teams (9 Juniors, 5 Opens and 5 Masters)
- Administer funding programs for indoor cricket (CV and ISV)
- Deliver and promote indoor cricket activities, programs and resources throughout Victoria to enhance the growth of indoor cricket, with a particular focus on junior and female participation.
- Deliver of any funding programs for indoor cricket.
- Administration of senior and junior Victorian Hammer teams.
- Administration of the Victoria’s National Indoor Cricket League.
Indoor Netball Manager
- EO of Indoor Sports Victoria
- Deliver of any funding programs for indoor netball
- Administration of senior and junior Victorian teams.
- Fixture and administer Superleague/Majorleague competitions (centre v centre)
- Supervise all facets of State teams (4 Juniors, 2 Opens)
How do I find information on Victorian Indoor Cricket?