Diverse World Cup crowds turn up the decibels for netball’s jubilee

It was hard to say who could claim the more vibrant exhibition on the Liverpool waterfront on Friday. Was it the Keith Haring retrospective at Tate Liverpool, where brightly coloured figures leapt about in glorious abandon, their every pose capturing the wild energy of a genius at work? Or was it the opening day of the Netball World Cup, where – well – ditto?

Against a splashy backdrop of pinks and purples – the design palate of global sports tournaments is surely one London 2012’s true legacies – netball’s greatest showpiece hit the ground running. You would expect no less of the world’s ultimate quicksilver sport.

Even the spectators did not waste any time. At 8.30am the queue to pick up tickets at the box office was already a surprising 50 people long. They waited cheerfully and patiently – netball fans are passionate but they are also incredibly collegiate. And while the arena was still largely empty as New Zealand and Malawi began the first session to a blast of Republica, it did not stay that way for long. By half-time – the Kiwis had long begun to pull away – the cheap seats were almost full and the first chant had started.

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“Everywhere we go-o …” sang a cluster of women wearing black-and-white perm wigs. “People always ask us …” The answer to the question was New Zealand: one of a number of tour groups who have travelled here especially for the tournament. These women have been to netball all over the globe – Christchurch, Fiji, Jamaica, Sydney – but even they were impressed. More than 103,000 tickets have already been sold for the next 11 days’ play, out of a total capacity of 125,000. And while several sessions are sold out including many of England’s sessions – 6,500 tickets had been sold to their opening game – the organisers are keen to emphasise the remaining availability, and opportunities for people to join in, particularly in next week’s midweek games.

For the preliminary rounds two courts have been created, one on each side of the arena, so that four teams can play at once, and the result is a blur of activity and colour. But it’s the sounds of netball that are truly distinctive, and here they infiltrated every part of the stadium as if they were a living, breathing member of the crowd. The ever-present squeaking of the players’ shoes as they run up and down the court, suggesting a mice infestation at a cheese factory. Whistles punctuating the air with military frequency – a morse code of player instructions delivered in short blasts, ending each quarter with a melodic flourish.

Sometimes a klaxon sounded and you would have sworn it was a horn on one of the Stena Line ferries in the dock outside, calling all aboard. No one made as much noise as the Zimbabwe fans who took over court two at lunchtime with their flags, their families and their joyful presence. After the Kiwi game (and in spite of a large defeat), a small knot of Malawi supporters had broken into happy, spontaneous song next to the food and drink concessions. It was a mere prelude to the full-on musical that accompanied Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwe’s team – and their passionate fans – had plenty of reason to be delighted even before a ball was thrown. The Gems had to launch a crowdfunding campaign to be able to afford to attend this World Cup, having qualified as the runners-up of last year’s African Netball Championship. Their opening game felt like a celebration party; fans with drums and dance moves and outrageously tight harmonies cheered the very first goal as if it were the matchwinner, and from then on the decibel level inside the stadium never dropped lower than 110.

For much of its existence netball has been a sporting arms race between two teams, Australia and New Zealand, and England’s Commonwealth Games win was a signal their duopoly could be ending. But this World Cup is about much more than just the new pretenders to the crown. Africa is the most represented continent at this tournament. Fans have flown in from 30 different countries. This is a summer jubilee for a sport that is gaining ground fast.

Professional netball has spent the past few years refining its product, listening to what its fans want, learning how to build an atmosphere. There was plenty of mid-game entertainment on offer at the M&S Bank Arena, from t-shirt cannons to audience games, even an oncourt version of The Price Is Right. But the Zimbabwe game suggested this tournament will barely need the extra trimmings. When Australia’s match against Northern Ireland finished, their respective fans immediately shuffled over to the edges of court one to get a taste, however brief, of the magic happening next door.

The Zimbabwe players leapt up to the stands at the end of their win to high-five their new friends. The captain, Perpetua Siyachitema, was so overwhelmed by the support she had a little cry. “We had no idea we had so much people supporting Zimbabwe like that,” said the goalshooter Joice Takaida. “It’s great support because if you hear the noise, you know ‘I can do it’, and you keep on going.”

If this atmosphere keeps on going, Liverpool is in for a big week.