11/09/2026
Christchurch Netball and Christchurch Metro Cricket are excited to have united in an innovative staff secondment which will strengthen opportunities for women and girls across Christchurch sport.
The partnership is designed to strengthen collaboration, build workforce capability and support the continued growth of women’s and girls’ sport across Christchurch.
Under the partnership, Christchurch Netball employee Jess Littler will join Christchurch Metro Cricket on a summer secondment as Game Development Officer – Women and Girls.
During the peak summer period, Jess will be fully seconded to Christchurch Metro Cricket. At the beginning and end of the secondment, she will work across both organisations through an agreed work allocation, helping maintain continuity with Christchurch Netball while transitioning into and out of the Cricket role.
The arrangement provides Christchurch Metro Cricket with an experienced staff member to lead and support its work within the women’s and girls’ game, while also offering Jess a valuable professional development opportunity.
Christchurch Metro Cricket General Manager Mike Harvey said the partnership demonstrated what could be achieved when sporting organisations looked beyond traditional boundaries and worked together.
“We are delighted to welcome Jess to Christchurch Metro Cricket for the summer. Women’s and girls’ cricket is a significant priority for us, and having someone with her experience, relationships and understanding of community sport leading this portfolio will be incredibly valuable. This partnership is also a great example of two organisations sharing expertise and resources for the wider benefit of Christchurch sport.”
The secondment will focus on growing participation, strengthening connections with clubs and schools, supporting existing players and volunteers, and helping create welcoming and sustainable cricket opportunities for women and girls.
Christchurch Netball Centre General Manager Angela Pryor said the partnership reflected a shared commitment to staff development and collaboration.
“We are proud to support Jess as she takes up this opportunity with Christchurch Metro Cricket. The secondment will allow her to broaden her experience, develop new skills and contribute to the growth of another major sport for women and girls. We believe sporting organisations are stronger when they collaborate. By sharing talented people, knowledge and ideas, we can create greater benefits for our staff, our participants and the wider sporting community.”
The partnership recognises that community sports often face similar opportunities and challenges, particularly in areas such as participant recruitment and retention, volunteer support, club capability and the development of positive sporting experiences for women and girls.
Jess said she was excited about the opportunity to work across both sporting communities.
“I am really looking forward to joining the Christchurch Metro Cricket team and contributing to the women and girls portfolio over the summer. Netball and cricket have strong communities and a shared desire to provide positive sporting experiences for women and girls. I am excited to learn from both organisations, share ideas and help create opportunities that encourage more people to get involved and stay involved.”
Both organisations hope the initiative will provide a model for further collaboration across the Christchurch sporting sector in the future.
The secondment will begin on 14 September 2026, with Jess working full-time for Christchurch Metro Cricket from 1 November 2026 to 31 January 2027. She will progressively transition back to Christchurch Netball across February and March, returning to her full-time Netball role from 1 April 2027.
