Netball Australia has renewed its partnership with Woolworths ©Getty Images

Netball Australia has extended its partnership with retail company Woolworths and its state-based member organisations through until October 2021.

Woolworths will also continue working with six of the eight teams in the Suncorp Super Netball league under the agreement.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Woolworths has stated it will focus on growing grassroots and community sport, aiming to ensure netball communities are supported during the crisis.

Over the past two years, more than 715,000 women playing netball across the nation - nearly half of them under the age of 14 - have been supported by the company.

"Woolworths has been an enormous supporter of netball now for more than three years and have most recently worked with us as a strategic partner to ensure the sport successfully rebounds and thrives past COVID-19," said Netball Australia chief commercial officer David Lee.

Woolworths will work with Netball Australia until October 2021 ©Netball Australia
Woolworths will work with Netball Australia until October 2021 ©Netball Australia

"Woolworths have played a tremendous role in Netball Australia's COVID-19 digital pivot, assisting the sport to engage grassroots communities throughout isolation and restrictions via online programmes such as NETFIT and NetSetGO Playground.

"As the leading participation sport for women and girls, Netball Australia is currently part of an independent review that will guide our growth strategy through to 2027 and we look forward to aligning this work closely with Woolworths."

Part of Woolworths' focus is to educate young netballers about nutrition and being active.

Its "You Grow Girl" campaign began in 2018 and a year later, the programme supported over 200 netball clubs and associations across Australia through donations of grant money, post pads and club clinics.

Woolworths will also continue to be a major partner of the Origin Australian Diamonds national team.