Netball was introduced to Samoa by Catholic nuns in the early 40s as a nine a side games for schools and was then called `women's basketball'. In 1967, the Samoa Women's Basketball Association was formed and the game was then played at club level with the slow influx of returning Samoan female graduates from New Zealand where the game was already well developed. 

Village competitions were popular although they were held centrally in Apia. Women's basketball cum netball was an annual competition event amongst the secondary schools around Apia. 

In 1972, the game came to be called netball as it is known today and it was not until 1986 that Samoa became an internationally affiliated member of the sport playing at its first World Cup tournament in 1991 in Sydney Australia.

It was also in 1987 that the Association decided to begin its development programme at primary level starting with the schools around Apia because of limited administrative and financial resources.

Today netball has an estimated registration of close to 2000 players aged 16 years and over. There would be a minimum of another 1000 up to the age of 16 years. It is played in all the districts of the country, spurred on from 1990 - 1996 when the Association's development programme worked beside that of the Samoa Rugby Football Union in the School Sector.

Netball continues to be the most popular sport for females throughout the country.