Sporting community reaches out to Rotorua club

The sporting community around the country has reached out in support of a Rotorua club.

The recently established Central Bay Softball suffered a setback after thieves made off with a large, metal framed, backstop net worth $1000 from Puketawhero Park on Vaughan Rd some time over the last month.

Since the Rotorua Daily Post reported on the theft earlier this week the club has received offers of donations and expressions of support from sports associations and clubs from Auckland to as far south as Christchurch.

Central Bay Softball president Duane Bishop said the club appreciated everyone's generous support.

"The response has been amazing and very humbling. The community, and the softball fraternity in particular, has gotten right behind us," he said.

Christchurch business Elite Diamond Sports New Zealand has been in touch with Mr Bishop about donating a high quality softball bat and bag set for the club to raffle off for funds, and Auckland's Aratia United Cricket Club has offered to make a donation towards replacing the stolen net.

Auckland woman Lynette Hayward said she learned of the theft when the Auckland Softball Association shared the Rotorua Daily Post story on Facebook.

"I thought that's no good, and decided to help them out a little by making a donation. I've been involved with softball myself, so I know how important and expensive the equipment can be," she said.

Mr Bishop said, on behalf of the club, he wanted to thank Rotorua's Hicks family, who had been active in softball here in the past. The family had offered to lend their backstop net to the club until it could buy a replacement.

The backstop net has yet to be returned, and Mr Bishop asked the thieves again to just leave it on the field, no questions asked.

If you have any information contact Rotorua police on (07) 348 0099, or Central Bay Softball through its Facebook page.