About The Event

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what iS hEARTS ON cOURT?

Hearts on Court – Celebrity Netball Showdown is a large-scale, professionally delivered charity sporting and entertainment event created to bring people together through sport, music, and shared purpose — all in support of frontline and mental-health services that care for New Zealanders when they need it most.

At its core, Hearts on Court is about people helping people.

The event combines a high-energy celebrity netball match with live entertainment, family friendly activities, and a strong community atmosphere. Well-known New Zealand sporting figures, media personalities, entertainers, and public figures come together on the court — not as elite athletes, but as everyday humans giving their time, profile, and heart to raise awareness
and funds for vital charities.

Hearts On Court

The Event Experience

Hearts on Court is designed to be:

  • Family-friendly and inclusive
  • High-energy, fun, and uplifting
  • A celebration rather than a competition

Costumes and fancy dress are encouraged (but never required), creating a festival-style atmosphere similar to classic sporting charity events. Music, live MCs, crowd interaction, and storytelling all play a key role in shaping the day — turning a netball game into a shared emotional experience.

 

Media & Reach

The event is supported by national media partners, with strong radio, digital, and social media
exposure. There is also the potential for televised or broadcast coverage, allowing the message
of kindness, gratitude, and community support to reach well beyond the stadium.

 

Why Hearts on Court Exists

New Zealand relies heavily on charitable organisations to provide essential frontline services —
particularly in emergency response, mental health, and crisis support. Hearts on Court was
created to shine a positive spotlight on these organisations, raise meaningful funds, and remind
people that behind every siren, every call for help, and every life saved is a human story.
The event is proudly charity-led, transparent, and community-focused.
50% of all ticket revenue and sponsorship income is donated directly to charity, with the
remaining funds used solely to cover the costs of delivering the event to a professional
standard.

WFA

Charitable Focus

Each edition of Hearts on Court supports:

  • Player-nominated charities, allowing participants to represent causes that are
    personally meaningful to them
  • Primary national charities (such as Wellington Free Ambulance Life Flight Trust and
    many more deserving medical, Mental Health, community driven life changing
    organisations and more)

This model ensures both large-scale impact and personal connection, while spreading awareness across multiple community causes.

The Long-Term Vision

Hearts on Court is not a one-off event. It has been designed as a year-on-year charitable platform, with the goal of becoming a nationally recognised celebration of:

  • Community
  • Gratitude
  • Mental wellbeing
  • Support for frontline heroes

The long-term vision includes:

  • Annual events in Wellington, with planned expansion to other regions
  • Growing the number of supported charities each year
  • Increasing youth and community participation
  • Using sport and music as universal languages to connect people across all
    backgrounds

Ultimately, Hearts on Court aims to become an event that people don’t just attend — but feel proud to be part of.

 

The Heart of It All

Everything about Hearts on Court is built around one simple idea: 
When people come together with good intentions, real change can happen.

It is about hope, unity, gratitude, and reminding people that they are not alone – whether they are the ones running toward emergencies, answering crisis calls, or sitting quietly in the crowd needing a moment of light.