It seems incredible, and more than a little sad, but there has been no softball of note in Rotorua in almost seven years.
How that was ever allowed to be the case, in the days of the Rotorua Softball Association, is another story. This one is about the return of a sport that has traditionally been at the heart of a large part of the Rotorua community.
Matches, starting today due to a clash in field bookings on Saturday, are to be held at Puketawhero Field, where teeball and junior matches will generally be played on Saturdays from 9am ahead of senior men's and women's matches in the afternoon.
Owhata United Softball Club spokeswoman Pam Tipu said there was a strong community of softball people who were dedicated to rebuilding the sport in the city.
So far Central Bay Softball had attracted enough players for four teeball, two junior, three men's and five women's teams, with Tipu planning to reintroduce the game to schools so another generation of kids can grow up playing the game.