Fans protest to keep netball final in Bay

Angry netball fans rallied in Tauranga yesterday to protest against the decision to deny Bay of Plenty/Waikato Magic the right to host the National Bank cup final.

Around 200 disappointed fans gathered in central Tauranga, chanting: "Keep the Magic in the Bay".

Dame Susan Devoy, Sport Bay of Plenty chief executive, said the loss of the June 10 event was a "bad decision".

"It is not just a game, it's an occasion," she told the crowd, to loud applause. "Tauranga could do with something positive right now."

The match would have been a great morale booster for the Bay of Plenty on the heels of last month's devastating floods and landslips.

Magic won the right to host the final by being the top-ranked team at the end of round-robin play. However, Netball New Zealand announced on Wednesday that the lack of a suitable stadium in Tauranga meant the Magic's opponents would provide the venue.

That will be either North Harbour's Force or the Southern Sting, whover win tonight's semifinal clash.

The Magic franchise's preferred venue, Hamilton's Mystery Creek, is out for next week's playoff because of the annual Fieldays and dogged efforts to stage the game in Tauranga failed to meet approval.

Netball New Zealand chief executive Shelley McMeeken yesterday confirmed that seating at the proposed venue, the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, was the main issue.

It seated around 1100 and of that only 800 were fixed seats, so the rest had to be brought in. To host the final Netball New Zealand requires stadiums to seat at least 2500.

The Magic franchise, with the council, engineers and the Fire Department, had a plan for additional seating but the problem was it was an "untested configuration".

Ms McMeeken said the view for most people would have been compromised because of the flat gradient of the stands. She also said there was seating where the team benches needed to be and various other requirements had been breached to fit seats in.

"It was simply too small."

Netball NZ had tried to compromise, she said.

They were prepared to drop the 2500 requirement down to 2300, overlook the concrete bench seating in the centre which does not comply with the bucket seats requirements. They were also prepared to allow drug testing to be done "off site" and had allowed for the use of portaloos to overcome a lack facilities.

"We just couldn't make it work," she said.

"We share their disappointment ... but we have to do what is best for netball as a whole."

The Magic's request for the final to be staged at Waitakere's Trusts Stadium, a neutral venue, was also rejected.

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic chief executive Sheryl Dawson was heartened by the support shown yesterday.

"I was quite gob-smacked who turned up.

"Little old ladies who had been to Magic games ... it was one of those things that sort of leaves a lump in your throat really.

"It shows the depth of feeling people have in their communities about their team."

Dawson would not dismiss legal action but said it was "up to the board to decide".

The rules state that the right to host the final will be offered to the opposing team - the winner of tonight's match between the Southern Sting and Northern Force.

Ironically, if the Force won they would not be able to host the final either because the North Shore Events Centre is booked out next weekend. In that case, the match will be played at Trusts Stadium.