Before jetting off to their World Cup victory, the Silver Ferns faced off twice against a New Zealand men's invitational side.
A number of those players take part in Christchurch's Men's Mega Net League, an amateur competition that's now attracting new players to the sport.
While the league and players are amateur, the competition itself has undergone a makeover in 2019, no longer just a social tournament.
Weekly trainings, full uniforms and coaches are now the standard, with the players noticing the difference.
"It's a bit more fast paced, everyone's a bit stronger and quicker and taller and you've really got to jump higher and get those balls," Harry Clay, a player new to the league, told 1 NEWS.
The attention gained from their two matches with the Silver Ferns has been nothing but a boost for the sport in Canterbury, with 15 new players joining the five-team competition.
"It was an amazing experience, finally to get some recognition for the work we do with women's teams prior to tournaments," NZ men's player Victor Godsmark-White said.
"Originally started playing socially, might of been a good way to meet a female or two and its ironic now that I'm in a men's league, got quite competitive in the end and I thought I'd give it a go with these men," Clay continued.
The league's growth even seeing Canterbury able to field an under-23 side at nationals, hoping to one day reach the same heights as their female counterparts.
SHARE ME