Still going strong - 82 years on

ACTION: Hundreds of social netballers from across New Zealand and Australia have descended on Rotorua. PHOTO/FILE

New Zealand's largest netball tournament is under way at the Westbrook courts, although this year there are fewer teams in attendance than usual.

But it's not because the Kurangaituku Netball Tournament's popularity is waning - quite the opposite.

Netball Rotorua secretary Mary Thompson said organisers capped entries at 180 teams, a number they felt they could best handle.

"We had a waiting list of another 25 teams wanting to get in," Mrs Thompson said.

The tournament started 82 years ago with just six teams. It now runs over three weekends.

This is the first weekend and features the social teams.

Next weekend, it's the turn of the more competitive teams and, on the weekend of September 12-13, it's the school sides.

The Kurangaituku tournament is an end-of-year celebration after the netball season for social and competitive grades, providing players and spectators with a weekend of fun and sport.

"It's pretty amazing really to think it still keeps rolling along and the teams keep coming," said Mrs Thompson.

"They all want to be here."

This year, there are teams from Australia and the Chatham Islands, as well as from across New Zealand.

"The weather's been brilliant so far," Mrs Thompson said.

"It does make an awful lot of difference. There's a sea of gazebos around the banks."-Netball action starts today at the Westbrook Netball Complex at 8am and will go on all day.