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For the second year running, New Zealand's best female and male netballers will compete in televised contests.

The world champion Silver Ferns can't get world No.1 Australia to New Zealand for a series this year, so they've opted to play the next best thing: Kiwi blokes.

The New Zealand Men are one of four teams that will compete in the Cadbury Series next month, along with the women's national side, A side and U21s.

It's a novel solution to the COVID-induced problem of having no top-ranked opponents, and for Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua, it's also effective.

"They're great competition ... and we want the best competition available," she told AAP.

"They bring the physicality. Not only their ability to play fast but their elevation. And we have to learn to compete with them and mentally not to back off."

Contests between national-level women's sides and lower-ranked or junior men's outfits regularly occur behind closed doors in many sports as world-class women's sides seek tough opposition.

However, these matches are more than tune-ups; the Silver Ferns and NZ Men duelled twice last year in keenly anticipated televised contests.

Taurua says those clashes were a crucial part of the team's pathway to World Cup glory.

Then-captain Laura Langman enjoyed the matches - won by the men 54-50 and 66-54 - so much that she wanted "to take the men in their suitcases" to the Liverpool-hosted tournament.

Taurua said there were benefits for everyone involved as netball seeks to grow locally and globally.

"It's not a token gesture," she said.

"The upside for them is we're showcasing the men's game ... to be broadcasted on Sky TV, there is so much value for men's netball.

"And if netball wants to become an Olympic sport, we have to deliver a sport that can be played by males and females."

Opposite-sex contests can be fraught; tennis history is littered with demeaning contests that do little to promote women's sport.

Australia's most loved team - the Matildas - have also been subject to awful brand exposure when a training exercise with the Newcastle Jets under-15 boys squad in 2016 was reported as a 7-0 loss.

Weeks later, Sam Kerr and co performed admirably at the Rio Olympics, reaching the quarter finals before heartbreakingly losing to hosts Brazil on penalties.

Taurua said she hadn't picked up "any negativity" around the clashes.

"There was a lot of interest and everybody was waiting to see what the game was like. Well, it was quality," she said.

"We lost both games and that's realistic. Our ability to be able to compete physically, whether you like it or not, there's a difference between the male and female bodies.

"We made a mark and I'm so happy we can do it again ... we hope it can be part of the lead-in to the international calendar each year.

"If anything it opened the eyes, not only to the netball community but generally."

The Silver Ferns are hoping to face England later this year before resuming the Constellation Cup rivalry with Australia early next year.