 From the start , it was considered socially appropriate for women to play netball ; netball 's restricted movement appealed to contemporary notions of women 's participation in sports , and the sport was distinct from potential rival male sports . Netball became a popular women 's sport in countries where it was introduced and spread rapidly through school systems . School leagues and domestic competitions emerged during the first half of the 20th century , and in 1924 the first national governing body was established in New Zealand . International competition was initially hampered by a lack of funds and varying rules in different countries . Australia hosted New Zealand in the first international game of netball in Melbourne on 20 August 1938 ; Australia won 40 – 11 . Efforts began in 1957 to standardise netball rules globally : by 1960 international playing rules had been standardised , and the International Federation of Netball and Women 's Basketball , later the International Netball Federation ( INF ) , was formed to administer the sport worldwide . 
