Making cricket a habit: New Zealand's long game in women's cricket

What comes to define success for a country in a sport? Is it the success of an individual or a team, or the success of a system?

A year and a half ago, Sophie Devine and other New Zealand players toured local communities showcasing the T20 World Cup trophy they won in Dubai. The aim was not just to introduce young kids to the sport, but to inspire them to take it up.

The White Ferns entered the 2026 T20 Women's World Cup as defending champions, but now face the risk of elimination in the group stage. It's not unusual in sports, but it raises questions about what defines success.

Five years ago, parents in Selwyn District, Canterbury, faced a problem: no cricket coaching for girls once they entered high school. Girls could play in mixed teams until age 12, but then had to travel 25 km to Christchurch to continue. Most dropped out.

In March 2021, four parents formed the Selwyn Wahini Cricket Club – an all-girls club. It now has eight teams across age categories, with around 80 girls and women participating, including eight mother-daughter duos.

New Zealand were first crowned World Champions in 2000 (50-over format), winning by 4 runs in a dramatic finish. At that time, they were among the three strongest teams globally. But over the next decades, other teams caught up, and New Zealand lost ground to India, South Africa, and West Indies.

In 2016, a report by Sarah Beaman found alarming issues: after the 1992 merger of women's and men's cricket boards, female participation declined. By 2016, there was a 40% drop in secondary school girls' cricket participation, only 10% of players were female (90% under 12), and just 4% of female players were adults.

Yet 54% of TV audience for the Super Smash were female. The question was: why wasn't this translating into participation?

"Cricket is seen as a slow, long and boring sport," says Jess Davidson, Women and Girls Participation Lead with New Zealand Cricket. In a country with many sports options and no cricket icon dominating the sporting landscape, this perception matters.

There were structural issues too: 58% of clubs offered no cricket for girls, and over 90% had no girls-only teams. Batter Izzy Sharp had to travel 160 km one way, twice a week, to train with a girls-only team.

The 2016 report became a catalyst for change. New Zealand Cricket began introducing shorter formats, flexible schedules, and creative approaches.

"We introduced Smash Fives – a hybrid of cricket and baseball with quick rotations," says Davidson. "Girls bat for five overs, field for five, then switch. No standing around. We also have Smash Yard Cricket, based on backyard rules."

Other changes include Year Girls, a national program with 45-minute sessions, music, and modified games. "Girls pick the songs. It's low commitment," Davidson explains.

In a decade, girls' participation rose from 10% to 15%. After the T20 World Cup win, the number of women and girls playing jumped from 15,691 to 18,051 – 43% above age 12.

Selwyn Wahini saw teams increase from five to eight after the World Cup win.

Challenges remain

"The more players we have, the more volunteers we need," says Davidson. Clubs rely heavily on volunteers who often wear multiple hats. "When one leaves, they take institutional knowledge."

New Zealand Cricket is now exploring shorter commitments, shared resources, and flexible coaching roles.

At Selwyn Wahini, one of eight teams is "Socialite Women" – players aged mid-20s to 40s. The club needs 13-14 players because "they all have children, and things always go wrong on a Saturday," says founding member Jenny Duncan.

Eight mothers have daughters playing too. The daughters play in the morning, mothers in the afternoon, so they can watch each other.

"Three of them had never played cricket before and wanted to try," Duncan says. "Now, anyone in Selwyn who wants to play cricket, can."