Australian netballers are set to form a trans-Tasman league with New Zealand, similar to the hugely-successful Super 14 rugby competition.

The 10-team professional league, with five teams from each country, will replace the existing domestic Commonwealth Bank competition, starting next year.

According to a news report out of New Zealand, the new league will be bankrolled by pay television, Fox Sports in Australia and Sky TV in New Zealand.

Netball Australia refused to confirm the new format but said it was "in negotiations to finalise details of the shape of an enhanced elite competition for 2008".

"Due to commercial sensitivities Netball Australia will not comment on any articles that have been published in the media," it said in a statement.

It also said it was still considering a re-vamp of the existing domestic competition and would announce its decision in mid-March.

The Sunday News newspaper in Auckland said it had sighted a copy of the contracts.

It reported details of the competition and broadcasting deal, believed to be worth $1.5 million a year to Netball New Zealand and Netball Australia with guaranteed primetime television slots until 2010.

It said that the Sydney Swifts, Queensland Firebirds, Adelaide Thunderbirds, Melbourne Phoenix and Perth Orioles were the favoured franchises, leaving out the AIS Canberra Darters, the Melbourne Kestrels and Hunter Jaegars.

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