What Queensland Firebirds does

The Queensland Firebirds is a professional netball team competing in Australia's Suncorp Super Netball (SSN), the country's elite national netball league. Founded in 1997 and owned/operated by Netball Queensland, the Brisbane-based club is one of eight foundation SSN franchises and plays home games at Nissan Arena. Across the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, ANZ Championship, and Suncorp Super Netball eras, the Firebirds have won three premierships (2011, 2015, 2016) and produced Australian Diamonds representatives, including captain Kim Ravaillion (2012–2024) and Gretel Bueta.

The club's product portfolio is structured around the senior SSN team, supported by a vertically integrated talent pathway. Firebirds Futures (rebranded from the Queensland Sapphires in 2023) competes in Super Netball Reserves, and the Queensland Firebirds Futures Academy (QFFA) provides youth development. Revenue-generating merchandise includes apparel and accessories distributed through the Tribal Sport e-commerce partnership, plus a 2026-launched collectible trading card line (70 cards, 13 holographic variants) sold exclusively at home games. Community programs — Train Like a Firebird clinics, Netball Clinics, Diamond Spirit, and Reconciliation Action Plan initiatives — extend reach across Queensland.

The Firebirds monetize through four primary streams: annual and multi-year memberships (subscription/recurring), Ticketek-mediated ticket sales (transaction-based), merchandise sales (hardware), and corporate sponsorships (advertising), with Aurizon as Principal Partner and McDonald's joining as a Major Partner in November 2025. Customer segments comprise individual netball enthusiasts attending games and buying merchandise, aspiring athletes progressing through the pathway system, and corporate partners seeking brand exposure through a 30-year Queensland brand.

Name

Queensland Firebirds

Legal name

Netball Queensland

Website

https://firebirds.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Queensland Firebirds is a professional netball team in Australia's Suncorp Super Netball league, owned by Netball Queensland and based at Nissan Arena in Brisbane. The club serves netball fans, aspiring athletes, and corporate sponsors via memberships, tickets, merchandise, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual and multi-year membership packages providing access to home games, exclusive content, and member benefits including the Laura Geitz Medal awards night.
2. Ticket Sales: Home game attendance at Nissan Arena with tickets sold through Ticketek platform.
3. Merchandise: Apparel and trading cards sold via Tribal Sport partnership and at home games. Trading cards exclusive to home game venues.
4. Sponsorships: Partnership deals with corporate sponsors including Principal Partner Aurizon and McDonald's. Partners receive branding, hospitality, and activation opportunities at games.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Queensland Firebirds is a professional netball team competing in Australia's elite Suncorp Super Netball league, founded in 1997 and based in Brisbane. The club sells match tickets, annual memberships, branded merchandise (apparel and trading cards), and runs pathway/community programs including Firebirds Futures (reserve team) and the Queensland Firebirds Futures Academy for youth development.

Product overview

Queensland Firebirds operates as a professional netball club with a multi-tiered product portfolio. The core product is the elite Suncorp Super Netball team, supported by pathway programs including Firebirds Futures (reserve team competing in Super Netball Reserves) and the Queensland Firebirds Futures Academy (QFFA) for youth development. Revenue generation includes Firebirds Apparel (merchandise through Tribal Sport) and Trading Cards (collectibles launched 2026). Community engagement programs like Train Like a Firebird clinics and partnerships with McDonald's extend reach beyond the elite competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Queensland Firebirds Elite Team (Suncorp Super Netball) Professional netball team competing in the Suncorp Super Netball league, representing Queensland in Australia's top-tier netball competition. Plays home games at Nissan Arena in Brisbane. Three-time premiership winners (2011, 2015, 2016).
• Firebirds Futures Pathway/reserve team competing in Super Netball Reserves and the Australian Netball Championships, providing aspiring Queensland athletes with opportunities to train and compete in a high-performance environment. Formerly known as Queensland Sapphires.
• Queensland Firebirds Futures Academy (QFFA) Youth development program providing elite training pathways for young netball athletes in Queensland, forming a clear progression route into the Firebirds Futures and senior Firebirds team.
• Firebirds Apparel Official Queensland Firebirds branded merchandise including apparel and accessories, sold via the official apparel partner Tribal Sport's online store.
• Queensland Firebirds Trading Cards Collectible player trading cards featuring 70 cards including 13 rare holographic cards. Sold exclusively at Queensland Firebirds home games at Nissan Arena.
• Train Like a Firebird Clinics Holiday clinics program offering opportunities for community members to develop netball skills taught by Firebirds-affiliated coaches.
• Firebirds Membership Program Annual and multi-year membership packages providing access to home games, exclusive content, member benefits, and the Laura Geitz Medal awards night.

Quantifiable outcome

• Firebirds Futures ended 2026 SN Reserves campaign with back-to-back wins at Finals Weekend
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major partner, principal partner, official apparel partner, venue partner and ticketing partner.

• McDonald'smajor partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 November 2025Partnership announced between Netball Queensland and Queensland Firebirds in November 2025. McDonald's joins as a major partner supporting the club.
• Aurizonprincipal partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal partner of the Queensland Firebirds. Aurizon logo appears prominently on website footer and official materials.
• Tribal Sportofficial apparel partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial apparel partner; operates online store for Firebirds merchandise including apparel and trading cards.
• Nissan Arenavenue partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHome venue at Nathan, Brisbane. All Firebirds home games played at Nissan Arena.
• Ticketekticketing partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial ticketing partner for Firebirds home games at Nissan Arena.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NSW Swifts: Sydney-based Suncorp Super Netball franchise with a comparable multi-premiership heritage and similar corporate sponsorship structure. One of the league's most established clubs and a direct on-court competitor.
• Manchester Thunder: English Netball Super League franchise operating under the same professional women's netball club model with memberships, ticketing, sponsorships, and merchandise revenue. A relevant international peer given Firebirds' recent import/export of English internationals.
• Melbourne Vixens: Melbourne-based Suncorp Super Netball franchise operating the same competition and revenue model (memberships, ticketing, merchandise, sponsorships). Comparable in scale and heritage as one of the SSN's foundation clubs.
• Adelaide Thunderbirds: Adelaide-based Suncorp Super Netball franchise; notable because former Firebirds head coach Bec Bulley won a premiership there as a player in 2013, illustrating the shared player and coaching talent pool across SSN clubs.
• West Coast Fever: Perth-based Suncorp Super Netball franchise with an analogous single-state operating geography and similar community-led fan engagement model. Direct league competitor with comparable operational scale.
• Sunshine Coast Lightning: Queensland rival also competing in Suncorp Super Netball. Directly comparable franchise model (professional netball team, single home venue, similar revenue streams) and the team that has actively recruited Firebirds training partners, making them the most relevant head-to-head peer.
• Mainland Tactix: Another New Zealand ANZ Premiership franchise operating an analogous single-team professional women's netball model with corporate sponsorship, memberships, and merchandise. Comparable cross-Tasman peer for benchmarking.
• GIANTS Netball: Sydney-based Suncorp Super Netball franchise affiliated with the GIANTS sporting group. Comparable single-franchise model competing in the same league with similar revenue diversification.
• Central Pulse: New Zealand ANZ Premiership netball franchise — the most directly comparable professional women's netball club in a sister competition, sharing the same franchise economics, match-day revenue model, and pathway structures.

Regional players

• Brisbane Broncos NRLW: The women's NRL team of the Brisbane Broncos, also based in Brisbane/Queensland. Comparable as a regional women's professional sports franchise competing for similar sponsorships, fan attention, and corporate partnership dollars in the same Queensland market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FirebirdsQld
• Instagraminstagram.com/firebirdsqld
• Xx.com/firebirdsqld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Queensland Firebirds