Netball: D-Day for Magic's last shot at a home final

Magic fans in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty will learn today if their netball team will have to forfeit their home advantage in the finals because they cannot find a venue.

In a cruel twist of fate, the team have made it to their first final in the competition's eight-year history - with nowhere to play it.

Their last hope for a home final rests with Netball New Zealand, which today will decide if Tauranga's Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre is up to scratch to host the final of the National Bank Cup.

The Magic's main stadium, Hamilton's Mystery Creek Events Centre, is being used for the Fieldays during the weekend of the final, June 10-12.

This means the Magic either have to come up with an alternative venue that meets Netball NZ's requirements or forfeit home advantage.

 

Northern Force play the Southern Sting at the North Shore Events Centre on Friday, meaning the final could be in Invercargill or Auckland.

The Magic have been aware of the venue problem for months and chief executive Sheryl Dawson has searched the region for a suitable court.

Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre is the only option. It meets the demands to host round robin games but, with a capacity of 2500, falls 400 seats short of finals requirements.

So Dawson has had the city council and Fire Service in to see if they can find a way to add the seats while ensuring safety.

But other requirements have to be settled as well - adequate warm-up areas, a decent run-off from the court, umpires' changing rooms and drug testing rooms.

It is understood the Magic looked at Mt Maunganui's Mount Action Centre and considered moving the mobile court at Mystery Creek to there.

However, the Action Centre sprang a leak during the floods, making that option unsafe.

With a decision expected today, Dawson was not willing to comment, saying she did not want to jeopardise her team's chances.