Katrina Roff has been part of the netball world for most of her life, thanks to it being “part of her DNA”. TIA PRIEST-WILLIMOTT meets the new boss of Netball ACT. 

Put netball on the map, draw people from all walks of life to the sport and bring elite netball to the ACT.

Those are the goals and aspirations Netball ACT’s new chief executive officer Katrina Roff has set herself.

Katrina has been CEO since January and has hit the ground running.

“I’ve really enjoyed my first few months, it’s a role that’s full and there’s a lot to do, but I think that’s an opportunity,” she says.

“I want to come in and be able to make some positive changes and I think the sport and the ACT community is ready for that.”

Katrina brings more than 20 years of experience across the sport, tertiary, not-for-profit and commercial sectors. 

With a strong background in sports marketing, she has led major international sponsorships with global brands at events including the Australian Open, the Hong Kong 7’s Rugby Union, the London 2012 Olympics, and the Paralympic World Cup.

Her career has taken her through London, Hong Kong and Sydney, giving her a broad understanding of how sport connects communities across cultures. 

For the past seven years, Katrina has been CEO of ANU Sport, where she oversaw sport, recreation and wellbeing initiatives for the university community.

Originally from Kent in the UK, Katrina has been part of the netball world for most of her life, thanks to it being “part of [her] DNA”.

“My mum had played at a pretty high level and my older sister was heading that way, and I was just the younger sister who wanted to tag along,” Katrina says.

“So, I joined a club with my older sister and my mum and she quickly became a member of the committee… I was the youngest in the team by a good four or five years, but they just let me train and then I was hooked,” she says.

The ability to follow through with a goal is something she’s always been capable of doing, notably when she created a team at her school at just 10 years of age.

“Primary school didn’t have a team, so I rallied a few girls to come and train and my mum would coach us and organised a couple of games against other school teams in the area,” Katrina says.

“Once I was in high school, it was a bit more accessible through clubs. It’s been a part of my life for a very long time. I’ve played county netball, which is the representative equivalent back in the UK, … it’s supported me in lots of different chapters of my life,” she says.

“I’ve got lifelong friends through all the different places I’ve played netball. They are, without exception, my closest people wherever I’ve been.”

Moving netball off the sidelines

Now that she’s here, Katrina is keen to move netball off the sidelines.

“I think we need to have a stronger voice. It’s a really interesting time for the sport – there’s a netball world cup in Sydney next year and there is a big bid to get netball in the 2032 Olympics,” Katrina says.

“So, it’s on a great trajectory and the exposure that it will potentially get over the next couple of years is a key turning moment for the sport and it’s a great opportunity to raise the standard and the profile of the game in the ACT,” she says.

The team at Netball ACT are keen to get more people interested in the sport, on both an entertainment and participation front.

“I think we’ve got an opportunity to look at really modified versions of the game so that there’s a place for everyone. There’s always going to be people who want to play competitively and at a high level, but there’s also people who just want to rock up for a run around and a throw,” Katrina says.

“I think there’s some initiatives looking at what we offer, but also how people access it, and then going out to different areas of the community where, culturally, netball may not be something that was offered in school.”

Katrina is hopeful that she can make a significant impact on netball’s presence in Canberra.

“I would love this facility to be a real hub that fosters netball and hosts elite netball,” Katrina says.

“I’d love for us to be competitive on a national level and that would be an outcome that demonstrates we had raised the standard of the game, and that we had invested in our athletes, coaches, and umpires.”

More locally, Katrina is keen to see the numbers increase no matter what form of netball is being played.

“More people out there, being fit and healthy, getting involved with walking netball, social netball or pickup netball – whatever the format may be, just getting people into the game, enjoying it and socialising, that would be fantastic.”